Microsoft Expands Free Copilot Chat to All Microsoft 365 Business Apps

Microsoft's Office apps now have free Copilot Chat features

Microsoft is adding the free Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and agents to Office apps for all Microsoft 365 business users today. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote are all being updated with a Copilot Chat sidebar that will help draft documents, analyze spreadsheets, and more without needing an additional Microsoft 365 Copilot license. "Copilot Chat is secure AI chat grounded in the web -- and now, it's available in the Microsoft 365 apps," explains Seth Patton, general Manager of Microsoft 365 Copilot product marketing. "It's content aware, meaning it quickly understands what you're working on, tailoring answers to the file you have open. And it's included at no additional cost for Microsoft 365 users." While this free version of Copilot will rewrite documents, provide summaries, and help create slides in PowerPoint, the $30 per month, per user Microsoft 365 Copilot license will still have the best integration in Office apps. The Microsoft 365 Copilot license is also not limited to a single document, and can reason over entire work data. "Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license get priority access to features like file upload and image generation, along with the latest technology like GPT-5, including faster response times and more consistent availability -- even during peak usage periods," explains Patton. Microsoft previously bundled its AI-powered Copilot features into Office apps for consumer Microsoft 365 plans earlier this year, but it raised the prices of subscriptions at the same time. Microsoft isn't doing any price adjustments for businesses with Copilot Chat being added to Office apps. Microsoft is also getting ready to bundle its sales, service, and finance Copilots into the Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription in October, reducing the price for some businesses that rely on Microsoft's latest AI tools.

Microsoft 365 users are getting a handy productivity tool at no additional cost

* Copilot Chat is now included free for all Microsoft 365 users. * Works in a side pane, content-aware in apps; reference files with / to pull summaries. * Copilot subscribers get full work-data access, AI search, Canvas, extra agents, and GPT-5 priority. If you're a Microsoft 365 fan, you either love Copilot or you hate it. Unfortunately for the latter camp, Microsoft would really, really prefer that you did love it. In fact, it wants you to use its AI assistant so badly that it's introducing a new feature that gives you the power of Copilot at your fingertips at no extra cost. However, if you are a subscriber to Copilot, don't fret; there's still something here for you. Microsoft introduces Copilot Chat to all 365 users In a post on the Microsoft Tech Community, the company breaks down what 365 users can expect from Copilot Chat. The most important thing to note is that Copilot Chat is available for all users, including people who aren't subscribed to Microsoft 365 Copilot; however, as we'll discover later, those who do pay monthly will get a little extra. So, what does Copilot Chat do? Well, as Microsoft puts it, it seems to be a real productivity powerhouse: Copilot Chat is secure AI chat grounded in the web -- and now, it's available in the Microsoft 365 apps. It's content aware, meaning it quickly understands what you're working on, tailoring answers to the file you have open. And it's included at no additional cost for Microsoft 365 users. The moment you need it, you can pull up Copilot Chat in a side pane of your file, and it will be ready to help right where you're working -- which means less copy and pasting, file uploading, and switching apps. If you want to refer to another one of your documents, you can type "/" into the chat bar and select the file you want Copilot to review. This allows you to grab summaries of other documents and paste them into your current one without even having to open them. Very handy. As we mentioned earlier, Microsoft 365 Copilot subscribers receive additional benefits beyond the base Chat functionality. This includes giving Chat "all of your work data -- drawing from personal and shared documents, emails, meetings, chats, and more" to help it help you better. It also includes an AI-powered search for all your documents, plus a handy "Canvas" feature that allows you to create images in a flash. Plus, subscribers unlock more AI agents (including Researcher and Analyst) alongside priority access to generative AI features and the GPT-5 model. If you want to see more AI stuff you can do, Microsoft recently introduced a new tool to help people get more from their OneDrive files.

Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint's Copilot Integration Is Getting a Wider Rollout

Microsoft has rolled out Copilot Chat and its suite of AI agents to a wider audience, bringing the unified AI chat directly into Microsoft 365 apps. This is a big deal because the full-featured Copilot chat panel was only for those with a paid plan. This update now makes Copilot Chat available to all Microsoft 365 users, in apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote at no extra cost. The biggest thing here is that Copilot Chat is now content-aware, which means it can understand the file you have opened and tailor its answers to what you're working on. You can pull up the chat panel in the side pane, right next to your document, so there's no more copying and pasting or switching between apps. It's a huge time-saver and makes the workflow feel much more natural. If you want to reference another file, you don't have to upload it. Just type a "/" and you can search for what you need. Copilot will even suggest the most relevant files, like the ones you've used most recently, to make it even easier to reference things in your prompts. Along with this huge change, you can now upload multiple images directly into the chat, which is a great way to collaborate visually. The input box has also been expanded, so you have more room to view, edit, and format longer prompts without constantly having to scroll. This is such a simple but important change for anyone who uses Copilot for more complex tasks. You'll get quick access to features like pages, image generation, and agents. Microsoft has made significant investments in the core fundamentals of Copilot. Answers are now 30% longer with clearer structure and more citations. It's a noticeable improvement, and apparently, this has led to users giving an 11% increase in "thumbs-up" ratings. Whenever Microsoft adds a new AI feature, I always jump straight to whether or not you can disable it. Luckily, you can disable these Copilot integrations in each app. Microsoft has made it clear that these upgrades are not the end of the line. The company will continue to work on making Edge even faster. You can expect to see more performance improvements for specific features like Print Preview and Extensions in the coming months. For those with a premium Microsoft 365 Copilot license, this doesn't just mean having to share exclusive features. These users get a version of Copilot Chat that can reason over all of their work data, including personal and shared documents, emails, meetings, and chats. They also get in-app access to advanced agents like Researcher and Analyst, which can help with exploring ideas and analyzing data. This is in addition to priority access to features like file upload and image generation, as well as the latest technology like GPT-5. These premium users can expect faster response times and more consistent availability, even during peak usage periods. Microsoft 365 Personal OS Windows, MacOS, iPhone, iPad, Android Brand Microsoft Price $100/year Developer(s) Microsoft $100 at Microsoft Expand Collapse Source: Microsoft

Microsoft adds free Copilot Chat to Microsoft 365 apps

Microsoft is bringing Copilot Chat to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. Microsoft is making a free version of the Copilot Chat capability available to every Microsoft 365 user, although more premium capabilities will still be locked behind a subscription. The Chat window will now appear inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, allowing users to query a document, create images, and more. Microsoft says you'll now be able to do even more, with multiple image uploads permitted within the app. The input box has been widened as well, presumably to present Copilot as a collaborative tool that shares priority with the document itself. Microsoft is also making GPT-5 part of the Copilot experience, as it has said before. Licensed Copilot users now get access to Researcher and Analyst agents directly within Copilot, helping them explore ideas, analyze data, and accelerate their work, Microsoft said in a blog post. At $20 per user per month, Copilot Pro includes "extensive usage" limits, access to various models, and advanced research tools. The plan adds project-specific notebooks, an AI design studio for branded images, and more. Microsoft is also promoting "agents"-AI bots that will pursue tasks on your behalf-as a premium feature. Of course, if you don't want to add Copilot to your system, there are free alternatives instead. The free Copilot chat apparently introduces a new syntax, too. Instead of clicking and hunting down files to upload, Microsoft says that you'll be able to simply type a "/" key and then search for what you need.

Microsoft rolls out free Copilot Chat sidebar to all Microsoft 365 business apps

The sidebar enables drafting, summarizing, analyzing, and rewriting content directly within Office apps. Microsoft is rolling out a free Copilot Chat sidebar to its Microsoft 365 business apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, starting today. This update provides all Microsoft 365 business users with access to secure, web-grounded AI assistance without requiring an additional license for the premium Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription. The new Copilot Chat is content-aware, adapting its responses to the specific file open in the app. It enables tasks such as drafting documents, analyzing spreadsheets, rewriting content, generating summaries, and creating PowerPoint slides. Recent improvements include unified conversation history to make it easier to find conversations, as previously chats had distinct conversation histories requiring users to remember specific conversations. Copilot Chat now includes ready-made, relevant prompts based on your emails, files, and meetings, helping you get more done with less effort. "Copilot Chat is secure AI chat grounded in the web -- and now, it's available in the Microsoft 365 apps," said Seth Patton, General Manager of Microsoft 365 Copilot product marketing. "It's content aware, meaning it quickly understands what you're working on, tailoring answers to the file you have open. And it's included at no additional cost for Microsoft 365 users." While the free version offers core functionalities, the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot license, priced at $30 per user per month, provides deeper integration across Office apps. It extends beyond single documents to reason over entire work data sets, with no limitations on scope. Premium subscribers gain priority access to advanced features, including file uploads, image generation, integration with GPT-5, faster response times, and reliable availability during peak usage periods. Premium users can attach and reference local files in Copilot Chat prompts, making it easier to access templates and offline documents. "Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license get priority access to features like file upload and image generation, along with the latest technology like GPT-5, including faster response times and more consistent availability -- even during peak usage periods," Patton added. Users can access the free Copilot Chat sidebar through these steps: Business administrators can enable premium Copilot features by: This business rollout follows Microsoft's earlier integration of AI-powered Copilot features into consumer Microsoft 365 plans earlier this year, which came alongside subscription price increases. For business users, however, no price adjustments are being made with the addition of Copilot Chat. UK study finds Microsoft 365 Copilot especially valuable for neurodiverse employees Unlicensed users will soon get access to Copilot Create, with Copilot Chat users without a license getting access to the Copilot Create agent. This expansion further increases value for existing Microsoft 365 business subscribers. Looking ahead, Microsoft plans to bundle its sales, service, and finance Copilots into the Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription in October, potentially reducing costs for businesses heavily reliant on these AI tools. The Chat module (previously the Copilot module) offers quick access to chat history, Copilot Pages, and agents through an updated left navigation pane, with users able to easily collapse the navigation pane while collaborating. The enhancements aim to boost productivity by embedding AI directly into everyday workflows, making advanced assistance more accessible while reserving premium capabilities for licensed users. This strategic approach allows Microsoft to democratize basic AI assistance while maintaining revenue streams through premium features.

Microsoft brings free Copilot Chat to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more, but there's a catch

Microsoft will bundle sales, service, and finance Copilots into one plan from October. Microsoft is now offering a free version of Copilot Chat in its Core Office apps, which include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, to Microsoft 365 business subscribers. The new sidebar tool is intended to function as a contextual assistant, assisting users in drafting documents, summarising lengthy text, analysing spreadsheets, and even creating presentations without the need for a separate Copilot license. The feature operates within the document or file that has been opened, tailoring responses and suggestions to the content in real time. This makes it ideal for quick edits, rewrites, and insights while working within Office apps. Importantly, Microsoft is not raising subscription prices for businesses, unlike its previous move with consumer plans, which linked AI-powered features to higher fees. Also read: Xiaomi 14 Civi price drops by over Rs 15,000 on Amazon: Check deal details here For the unversed, the Microsoft 365 Copilot license costs $30 per user each month and offers advanced features. The subscribers can work across entire organizational data rather than being restricted to single files, and also gain access to additional features such as file uploads, image generation, and priority use of Microsoft's latest AI technology, including the GPT-5 model. The plan also promises faster responses and more reliable availability during peak demand. With this, Microsoft appears to be steadily embedding AI throughout the productivity ecosystem, with the goal of making Copilot a standard tool for businesses of all sizes. Beginning in October, the company will integrate its sales, service, and finance Copilots into the larger Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, streamlining access and potentially lowering costs for enterprises that already use these vertical-specific AI tools.