check before: 2025-09-10
Product:
Copilot, Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 admin center, Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft 365 suite, OneNote, Outlook, Teams, Windows
Platform:
iOS, Mac, mobile, Online, Web, Windows Desktop, World tenant
Status:
Rolling out
Change type:
Admin impact, Feature update, Updated message, User impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is being unified across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, with some features in Word and PowerPoint improved, retired, or temporarily unavailable. Previous in-app chat history won’t carry over, but admins can retrieve it via audit logs. New features roll out between now and November.
Details:
Updated September 17, 2025: We have added additional information to the "Admin action" bullet in the "Chat history transition" section.
[Introduction]
As announced in MC1096218, we are making Copilot Chat available as a side-by-side experience in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote to help users access AI in their flow of work. Users can open Copilot Chat from the app ribbon. Copilot Chat in the apps will respect the most recent user state (open or closed) when opening a file. During this transition, some previous Copilot Chat features available to licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot users in Word and PowerPoint will be improved, retired, or temporarily unavailable as we create a more unified Copilot Chat experience.
[When this will happen:]
See MC1096218 for the latest on rollout of the new Copilot Chat experience.
Feature availability in the new Copilot Chat experience in Word and PowerPoint varies by platform and capability. See the feature breakdown below.
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
General Availability
Created:
2025-09-11
updated:
2025-09-18
Task Type
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Docu to Check
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MS How does it affect me
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MS Preperations
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MS Urgency
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MS workload name
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linked item details
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Pictures
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summary for non-techies**
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Direct effects for Operations**
Loss of In-App Chat History
Users will not have access to previous in-app chat history in Word and PowerPoint, which may disrupt ongoing projects and workflows.
- roles: End Users, Project Managers
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-copilot, https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-search
Feature Unavailability
Certain features in Copilot Chat will be temporarily unavailable or retired, leading to potential delays in task completion and user frustration.
- roles: End Users, Content Creators
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-copilot, https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-search
User Experience Disruption
The transition to a unified Copilot Chat experience may confuse users due to changes in interface and functionality, impacting productivity.
- roles: End Users, IT Support Staff
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-copilot, https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-search
Configutation Options**
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Opportunities**
Enhanced User Training and Support
With the introduction of the unified Copilot Chat experience, there is an opportunity to enhance user training and support materials to help users adapt to the new features and functionalities. Providing tailored training sessions can significantly improve user experience and productivity, especially for roles heavily reliant on Word and PowerPoint.
- next-steps: Develop and implement a training program that includes webinars, tutorials, and documentation focusing on the new features of Copilot Chat. Gather feedback from users to continually improve the training content.
- roles: Training Coordinators, IT Support Staff, Department Managers
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/getting-started" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/getting-started, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/09/17/introducing-microsoft-365-copilot-chat/
" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/09/17/introducing-microsoft-365-copilot-chat/
Audit Log Utilization
The transition to the new Copilot Chat experience allows admins to retrieve previous chat history via audit logs. This presents an opportunity to establish a more robust process for utilizing audit logs to monitor user engagement and identify areas for improvement in the use of Copilot Chat.
- next-steps: Create guidelines for admins on how to effectively use audit logs to track user interactions with Copilot Chat, and set up regular review sessions to analyze the data and derive actionable insights.
- roles: IT Administrators, Compliance Officers, Data Analysts
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-copilot, https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-search
Feedback Loop Implementation
As the new features roll out, establishing a feedback loop with users can help in understanding their experiences and challenges with the new Copilot Chat. This can lead to continuous improvement of IT services and user satisfaction.
- next-steps: Implement a structured feedback mechanism, such as surveys or focus groups, to gather user insights on the Copilot Chat experience. Use this feedback to inform future updates and training initiatives.
- roles: Product Managers, User Experience Researchers, IT Support Staff
- references: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/09/17/introducing-microsoft-365-copilot-chat/, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/getting-started" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/getting-started
Potentional Risks**
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Data Protection**
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IT Security**
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Hypothetical Work Council Statement**
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DPIA Draft**
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explanation for non-techies**
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** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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change history
| Date | Property | old | new |
| 2025-09-18 | MC prepare | No admin action is required to reenable these features once they become available. You may want to update user materials to reflect these changes. | No admin action is required to reenable these features once they become available. You may want to update user materials to reflect these changes.
https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-copilot https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-search |
| 2025-09-18 | MC MessageTagNames | Feature update, User impact, Admin impact | Updated message, Feature update, User impact, Admin impact |
| 2025-09-18 | MC Summary | Microsoft 365 is updating Copilot Chat in Word and PowerPoint with new features like voice conversation and audio overviews in Word, and presentation tools in PowerPoint. Previous in-app chat history will be unavailable, replaced by a unified, shared chat history across Microsoft 365 apps. | Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is being unified across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, with some features in Word and PowerPoint improved, retired, or temporarily unavailable. Previous in-app chat history won’t carry over, but admins can retrieve it via audit logs. New features roll out between now and November. |
| 2025-09-18 | MC Last Updated | 09/10/2025 17:50:18 | 2025-09-17T21:53:08Z |
| 2025-09-18 | MC Messages | [Introduction]
As announced in MC1096218, we are making Copilot Chat available as a side-by-side experience in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote to help users access AI in their flow of work. Users can open Copilot Chat from the app ribbon. Copilot Chat in the apps will respect the most recent user state (open or closed) when opening a file. During this transition, some previous Copilot Chat features available to licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot users in Word and PowerPoint will be improved, retired, or temporarily unavailable as we create a more unified Copilot Chat experience. [When this will happen:] See MC1096218 for the latest on rollout of the new Copilot Chat experience. Feature availability in the new Copilot Chat experience in Word and PowerPoint varies by platform and capability. See the feature breakdown below. | Updated September 17, 2025: We have added additional information to the "Admin action" bullet in the "Chat history transition" section.
[Introduction] As announced in MC1096218, we are making Copilot Chat available as a side-by-side experience in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote to help users access AI in their flow of work. Users can open Copilot Chat from the app ribbon. Copilot Chat in the apps will respect the most recent user state (open or closed) when opening a file. During this transition, some previous Copilot Chat features available to licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot users in Word and PowerPoint will be improved, retired, or temporarily unavailable as we create a more unified Copilot Chat experience. [When this will happen:] See MC1096218 for the latest on rollout of the new Copilot Chat experience. Feature availability in the new Copilot Chat experience in Word and PowerPoint varies by platform and capability. See the feature breakdown below. |
| 2025-09-18 | MC Title | Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word and PowerPoint: Feature availability update and Chat history transition | (Updated) Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word and PowerPoint: Feature availability update and Chat history transition |
| 2025-09-18 | MC How Affect | Word features:
Feature Availability/TimelineHow to access/Where available Use your work data as a source in your prompt Available now Available in Copilot Chat. In addition to files, meetings, and emails, users can include other work sources like people, Teams chats, websites, and more. Generate an audio overview of your documentAvailable starting in OctoberWill be available via a button located in the top of document summary - see Image 5 in the "User experience images" section. Have a voice conversation about your document in real-timeAvailable starting October or NovemberWill be available in Copilot Chat via a voice activation button Access previous in-app chat historyNot availableSee "Chat history transition" section below for more details PowerPoint features: Feature Availability/TimelineHow to access/Where available Find and insert a brand imageWeb: Available starting late September, Desktop: Available starting late October Available through the PowerPoint ribbon (not in Copilot Chat) Translate a presentationWeb: Available starting late September Desktop: Available starting late OctoberAvailable through the Copilot menu on the slide (not from Copilot Chat) - see Image 1 in the "User experience images" section. Add speaker notes to current presentation Web: Available starting late September Desktop: Available starting late OctoberAvailable through the PowerPoint ribbon (not from Copilot Chat) - see Image 2 in the "User experience images" section. Create a presentation in the current presentationAvailable todayAvailable through the Copilot menu on the slide (not from Copilot Chat) - see Image 3 in the "User experience images" section. Add a slide to the current presentation Available todayAvailable through the Copilot menu on the slide (not from Copilot Chat) - see Image 4 in the "User experience images" section. Access previous in-app chat historyNot availableSee "Chat history transition" section below for more details Chat history transition The new Copilot Chat experience in apps introduces shared memory and unified chat history across Microsoft 365 apps and the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, creating a more consistent experience. With this update, previous in-app chat history will not be accessible in the new experience. What's changing: Chat history from the previous in-app chat experience in Word and PowerPoint will no longer be accessible. Why: The experience improvements are built on a new system and chat history will start fresh. Admin action: If needed, tenant admins may request previous in-app chat history via support. Users cannot download or save the previous in-app chat history themselves. New experience: Copilot Chat will maintain its own history, shared across all supported apps. User experience images Image 1: PowerPoint - Translate a presentation Image 2: PowerPoint - Add speaker notes to current presentation Image 3: PowerPoint - Create a presentation in the current presentation Image 4: PowerPoint - Add a slide to the current presentation Image 5: Word - Generate an audio overview of your document | Word features:
Feature Availability/TimelineHow to access/Where available Use your work data as a source in your prompt Available now Available in Copilot Chat. In addition to files, meetings, and emails, users can include other work sources like people, Teams chats, websites, and more. Generate an audio overview of your documentAvailable starting in OctoberWill be available via a button located in the top of document summary - see Image 5 in the "User experience images" section. Have a voice conversation about your document in real-timeAvailable starting October or NovemberWill be available in Copilot Chat via a voice activation button Access previous in-app chat historyNot availableSee "Chat history transition" section below for more details PowerPoint features: Feature Availability/TimelineHow to access/Where available Find and insert a brand imageWeb: Available starting late September, Desktop: Available starting late October Available through the PowerPoint ribbon (not in Copilot Chat) Translate a presentationWeb: Available starting late September Desktop: Available starting late OctoberAvailable through the Copilot menu on the slide (not from Copilot Chat) - see Image 1 in the "User experience images" section. Add speaker notes to current presentation Web: Available starting late September Desktop: Available starting late OctoberAvailable through the PowerPoint ribbon (not from Copilot Chat) - see Image 2 in the "User experience images" section. Create a presentation in the current presentationAvailable todayAvailable through the Copilot menu on the slide (not from Copilot Chat) - see Image 3 in the "User experience images" section. Add a slide to the current presentation Available todayAvailable through the Copilot menu on the slide (not from Copilot Chat) - see Image 4 in the "User experience images" section. Access previous in-app chat historyNot availableSee "Chat history transition" section below for more details Chat history transition The new Copilot Chat experience in apps introduces shared memory and unified chat history across Microsoft 365 apps and the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, creating a more consistent experience. With this update, previous in-app chat history will not be accessible in the new experience. What's changing: Chat history from the previous in-app chat experience in Word and PowerPoint will no longer be accessible. Why: The experience improvements are built on a new system and chat history will start fresh. Admin action: If needed, tenant admins may use audit logs to retrieve previous chat history in the apps, which they can find by searching the audit log. Users cannot download or save the previous in-app chat history themselves. New experience: Copilot Chat will maintain its own history, shared across all supported apps. User experience images Image 1: PowerPoint - Translate a presentation Image 2: PowerPoint - Add speaker notes to current presentation Image 3: PowerPoint - Create a presentation in the current presentation Image 4: PowerPoint - Add a slide to the current presentation Image 5: Word - Generate an audio overview of your document |
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