Microsoft 365 Copilot is Microsoft’s AI helper built right into the apps you use for work — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more. It can answer questions, write drafts, summarize meetings, build slide decks from bullet points, and even help automate routine tasks so you save time.
Below I explain the app in simple language, show key features, tell you about cost and rollout, and give tips to try it safely.
What is the Microsoft 365 Copilot app?
Think of the Copilot app as a central place that brings together AI-powered help for everything in Microsoft 365. Instead of opening different tools, you can ask Copilot questions, start a chat that uses your work data (emails, calendar, files), and use special “agents” or templates that automate jobs like summarizing notes or creating workflows. It combines large language models with your Microsoft data so answers are grounded in your documents and calendar.
Key features — what you can do with it
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Chat with your work context
Copilot chat understands your calendar, emails, and files (that you have access to). Ask it, “What did we decide in last week’s meeting?” or “Summarize this project folder,” and it creates a clear answer using your real data. (Microsoft) -
Create and edit content fast
Need a first draft for a report, a professional email, or an on-brand PowerPoint? Tell Copilot what tone and length you want and it will produce a draft you can edit. This saves you time on repetitive writing. -
Copilot Notebooks
A space where your chats, meeting notes, and files live together. It helps you organize research and build on previous Copilot outputs — useful for ongoing projects and retrospectives. (Microsoft) -
Agents and Copilot Studio
Microsoft lets businesses build specialized agents (small AI workers) for tasks like automating follow-ups, extracting data from forms, or answering internal HR questions. Copilot Studio is the place to create and manage these agents. Recent updates added a “Workflows” agent to automate cross-app tasks (sending emails, creating tasks, sharing updates). (Microsoft) -
Grounding and safety
Copilot aims to ground its responses in your company data and trusted sources so the output is relevant to your work context rather than general internet content. Microsoft documents explain how Copilot integrates with Microsoft Graph and existing security controls. (Microsoft Learn)
Pricing and who can use it
Microsoft offers different Copilot plans for businesses. There is a business-level Copilot subscription you can add to Microsoft 365 commercial plans. Microsoft has also introduced a more affordable SMB option and updated pricing over time to make Copilot accessible to small and medium businesses. Check Microsoft’s pricing pages for the latest numbers and eligibility details. (Microsoft)
Recent updates and rollout notes
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Microsoft renamed and updated its central app to “Microsoft 365 Copilot” and began rolling out the name and new icon in early 2025. The company also updated the app’s web address and centralized certain AI features across devices. Admins received guidance and controls for the change. (Microsoft Support)
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Microsoft continues to add features: for example, agents for automations and improvements that let Copilot build workflows across Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Planner. These updates make Copilot more useful for everyday office tasks. (Microsoft)
Good ways to use Copilot (practical examples)
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Daily summaries: Ask Copilot for a short morning brief: unread emails of importance, today’s meetings with quick context, and pending tasks.
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Drafting and editing: Generate a first draft of a proposal, then ask Copilot to shorten it or change tone (e.g., formal → friendly).
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Data help in Excel: Ask for a plain-English explanation of a complex spreadsheet or request a formula to perform a specific calculation.
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Meeting follow-ups: After a meeting, paste notes and ask Copilot to create action items and assign owners.
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Automations: Use a workflow agent to automatically create a task in Planner when a certain email arrives.
Privacy and admin controls — what to check before you use it
Copilot reads and uses content that you have permission to access. That means your company admin can control whether Copilot sees certain content, and data governance rules still apply. Organizations should review privacy, compliance, and data access settings before enabling broad Copilot features. Microsoft provides admin documentation and policies to help manage this. (Microsoft Learn)
Pros and cons — quick list
Pros
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Speeds up writing and routine tasks.
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Combines your work data for context-aware answers.
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New agents and workflows can automate repeating jobs.
Cons
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Accuracy depends on prompt and data quality (always check important outputs).
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Admins must manage permissions and data controls carefully.
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Some users worry about automatic installs or UI changes — admins have options to opt out. (TechRadar)
How to start (simple steps)
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Visit the Microsoft 365 Copilot page or your admin center to see eligibility and plans. (Microsoft)
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If your organization allows it, open the Copilot app (web, desktop or mobile). Try simple prompts like: “Summarize my last three emails about Project X.”
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Use Copilot for drafts and small tasks first; always review AI output before sending or publishing.
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Talk to your IT/admin team if you want agents or automation across team apps.
Final thoughts
Microsoft 365 Copilot is a big step toward making everyday office work faster and smarter. It helps with writing, summarizing, planning, and automating tasks — all while using the documents and calendars you already have. It’s not perfect, so treat it as a powerful assistant that needs human review. For businesses, the ability to create agents and automations is where Copilot can deliver real time savings — but make sure data controls and governance are set up properly before wide use.