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What’s new for Copilot – August 2025
August was packed with updates for Microsoft Copilot, more than 100 in fact. Picking just a few highlights isn’t easy because so many of them can change the way we work, but here are the ones that stood out for me.
First, GPT‑5 is now available in Copilot. What makes this interesting is how Copilot uses it: it picks the right model for the job, switching between a fast, high‑throughput model for quick answers and a deeper reasoning model for complex, multi‑step tasks.
Another big one is the new Activity tab in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Word. It shows recent comments and edits, with filters by time, and it’s a better way to keep track of changes and stay aligned with your team.
And the feature I’ve been waiting for, Voice in M365 Copilot. It brings a natural, hands‑free way to interact with Copilot on desktop and mobile. You can talk to Copilot like a colleague, search for info, catch up between meetings, brainstorm out loud, and it supports multiple languages. For me, this means I can finally use Copilot while commuting without touching the keyboard.
There’s a lot more to unpack this month, so keep reading to see the full list of updates and how they can make a difference in your day‑to‑day work.
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Users will be able to reason over additional attachment content, along with the email body, in Copilot Chat. Support will be extended to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Pdf, Text, Json and Xml files mentioned in the email as links (Modern Attachments). Additionally, other item attachments, such as email threads, will also be supported.
Now users will be able to reason over attached content along with the body of the email in Copilot Chat. Supported file types are Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Pdf, Text, Json and Xml attached to the email (Classic Attachments).
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Copilot supports document editing in Word through chat-based interactions. Users can initiate edits, share clarifying directions, and review a summary of changes within the document.
We’re introducing a new policy setting in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat that gives administrators enhanced control over how users interact with harmful content protection. This feature is designed to support specialized roles—such as legal, investigative, or moderation teams—where exposure to sensitive content may be necessary.
Get relevant answers and insights about your open cloud documents in Copilot Chat in Edge.
Get relevant answers and insights about your open YouTube videos in Copilot Chat in Edge.
We are announcing support for the newest version of Adaptive Cards in Copilot Studio. This functionality will reach general availability on August 31, 2025.
Microsoft 365 Copilot will allow users with a license to select specific content sources for Copilot Chat responses, enhancing relevance and control. This feature rolls out worldwide from mid to late August 2025, is enabled by default, requires no admin action, and does not affect existing policies or compliance.
Starting September 2025, Microsoft 365 Copilot will use AI-powered communication memory to enhance personalization by summarizing users’ accessible emails, chats, and meetings. This private feature improves context-aware responses across apps, is enabled by default, and can be managed by admins via Microsoft Graph and Entra ID.
We are announcing the ability to analyze the quality of responses that use generative AI in Microsoft Copilot Studio. This feature will reach general availability on September 1, 2025.
We are announcing the ability to Analyze business impact of copilot studio agents in Viva Insights advanced insights in Microsoft Copilot Studio. This feature provides an aggregated view for Insights Analysts to understand how their copilot studio agents perform and what business value they provide. This feature will reach general availability on September 1, 2025.
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Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word will enable users to create, edit, and transform content via chat starting September 2025. Licensed users can draft, reorganize, and rewrite documents while retaining control. No admin action is needed; users should be informed about these enhancements.
Starting early August 2025, the Apps section will be removed from the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app’s hamburger menu on iOS and Android. Users can still access apps via desktop, web, or dedicated mobile apps. The update is automatic, requires no admin action, and does not affect permissions.
Starting early August, Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app will remove bottom tab navigation, making Copilot Chat the default for users with access and pinning. Other features move to the hamburger menu. Chat history will be expanded by default. iOS updates begin in August, Android follows. Admins can manage pinning settings.
Tools acts as a lightweight entry point into high-value, task-specific Copilot features and capabilities directly from the prompt box. By selecting Tools, users get a menu where they can easily discover and trigger the right Copilot feature or capability for their current task, while also providing consistent interactions across tools.
Enhancement to Copilot studio agents report (Viva Insights) – 1. Inclusion of agents with “generative” orchestration 2. Autonomous agent adoption and impact (maker led time and cost saving).
Easily refresh parts of your document using content from other files—without copying and pasting. Copilot keeps your formatting intact while pulling in the latest updates from new sources.
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Tools acts as a lightweight entry point into high-value, task-specific Copilot features and capabilities directly from the prompt box. By selecting Tools, users get a menu where they can easily discover and trigger the right Copilot feature or capability for their current task, while also providing consistent interactions across tools.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat web access is being simplified by consolidating entry points from copilot.cloud.microsoft to m365.cloud.microsoft/chat, reducing user confusion. The change starts mid-September with automatic redirection, requires no admin action, and does not affect data processing or AI capabilities.
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Insights on M365 Copilot Chat adoption for users not licensed for M365 Copilot. Insights will include usage trends over time, adoption by group, retention, and app level breakdowns. Users can filter by organizational attributes to uncover adoption patterns. Admins can disable M365 Copilot Chat insights in Microsoft Admin Center.
Voice in M365 Copilot brings a natural, hands-free conversational experience to your desktop and mobile devices – enabling you to talk to Copilot like a colleague, unlocking a faster, more intuitive way to work. Speak directly to M365 Copilot to search for information, catch up between meetings, brainstorm out loud, and do it all in multiple languages.
Microsoft 365 Copilot for PowerPoint will allow users to reference one Excel file stored in OneDrive when creating slides, enabling data-driven presentations with charts or tables. Rolling out August–September 2025, it requires a Copilot add-on license and works on web, Win32, and Mac platforms without admin setup.
Microsoft 365 Copilot in PowerPoint will support referencing text-based PDFs from OneDrive or SharePoint to create slides, rolling out August–September 2025. This feature requires the Copilot add-on, works across platforms, and needs no admin action. Users can control generated slides and should be informed about this update.
Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word introduces an Activity tab showing recent comments and edits, with filters by time. Rolling out globally from late July to August 2025, it enhances collaboration by summarizing document changes. The feature is on by default, requiring no user action.
Microsoft Outlook introduces Immersive Search with a Copilot side pane across platforms, providing AI-generated summaries from emails, Teams, and documents after searches. Available to Copilot-licensed tenants, it rolls out worldwide by late September 2025, requires no admin setup, and enhances productivity without changing data policies.
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GPT-5 is now available in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio, offering dynamic model selection for faster or deeper responses. Users with a Copilot license get priority access via a toggle in Copilot Chat. No admin action is needed, but informing users and updating documentation is recommended.
Viva Amplify’s Copilot now offers smarter authoring by using inputs like Word files and meeting content to create clearer, well-formatted communications. The update, available by default, unifies content generation across SharePoint and Viva Amplify with real-time output, requiring no admin action.
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Admins can manage who can create org-wide agent sharing links for agents built in Copilot Studio Agent Builder for improved governance and flexibility of agent sharing.
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Microsoft 365 Copilot introduces a new admin policy allowing specific users, like legal or compliance teams, to access harmful content in Copilot Chat. This feature, off by default, requires explicit assignment and lets users disable harmful content protection per conversation. Rollout begins September 2025.
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Copilot Studio agent builder in Microsoft 365 will support larger file uploads of up to 512 MB.
Unified Exclusion Lists in Copilot Analytics provide a single, streamlined way for admins to exclude users—both unlicensed and licensed—from all Viva Insights reports and Copilot Dashboard. This ensures consistent, privacy-compliant data control across the entire platform. Admins can manage exclusions easily through one list, simplifying configuration and safeguarding sensitive user data without impacting other organizational HR data.
Beginning August 4, 2025, agent sessions that have been inactive for 15 minutes will automatically be closed. Previously, these sessions were closed after 36 minutes of inactivity.
Admins will gain lifecycle controls to identify, review, delete, or block ownerless Copilot agents created by departed users, improving security and governance. The feature rolls out globally from late August to mid-September 2025, with owner assignment for agents coming in October. No prior configuration is needed.
Microsoft 365 Copilot’s Researcher Agent will gain Source Controls starting late August 2025, allowing licensed users to select specific sources (Web, Work, Graph entities) for research. This feature appears across Copilot apps, requires no admin action, and respects existing admin settings; connector support will come later.
The Copilot Studio agents report will enhance insights with weekly data aggregation and active user counts, enabling faster performance monitoring. Public preview starts late August 2025; general availability by mid-October 2025. Existing monthly reports remain unchanged; no immediate admin action required. Training updates recommended.
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A new Power BI report in Viva Insights highlights the relationships and impact of M365 Copilot usage on employee experience sentiment outcomes in Viva Glint. This report enables robust analysis by allowing users to slice and dice data based on Copilot usage segments, different sentiment outcomes and organizational attributes.
Users can include an email in their prompt as a reference by typing ‘/’ and selecting one from the ContextIQ menu. Copilot Chat will reference the included email as part of its response. This feature applies to users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license (Copilot Chat users) and to users with a license (Microsoft 365 Copilot users) when they are toggled to web scope in chat.
Microsoft Copilot will add a chat history filtering feature to help users quickly find relevant past conversations. Rollout begins late August 2025 worldwide, with no admin action needed. Users can filter chats for easier context recall, improving navigation and workflow efficiency.
Surveys Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot enables users to create, distribute, and analyze surveys via chat, powered by Microsoft Forms. Launching mid-August 2025 (preview) and September 2025 (general), it is off by default and requires admin configuration and licensing for access.
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This feature ensures that conversations are preserved even when users navigate away from a session. As soon as a prompt is submitted, an entry is immediately created in the navigation pane’s session history. This allows users to leave the session and return later just as if they had never left. The update enhances continuity and reliability, making it easier to navigate without losing progress.
When opening a Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on iPhone, users will get a preview experience where they can use Copilot Chat to command and ask questions about the files directly in the preview. This enables immediate access to Copilot Chat in a user’s file.
When users on iPhone choose the action to share a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file from a third party app (including Files) and choose Microsoft 365 Copilot as the target app, they will automatically be redirected to a Copilot Chat session in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app with the file summary populated. Users will then have the option to open a preview of the file, or continue their conversation with Copilot Chat.
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When opening a Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on iPhone, users will get a preview experience where they can use Copilot Chat to command and ask questions about the files directly in the preview. This enables immediate access to Copilot Chat in a user’s file.
Microsoft 365 Copilot’s Create module now offers generative AI image and visual content creation to all Copilot Chat users without a license, with standard access and existing admin controls applying. Video, survey, and brand kit features remain restricted. Rollout began mid-August for desktop, with mobile following in October 2025.
Manager insights in the Viva Insights web app will centralize manager tools, including a team-scoped Copilot Dashboard, additional reports, delegation, and analyst-published reports. This replaces the Viva Insights Teams app manager features, rolling out worldwide from mid to late September 2025 with no admin action required.
New Microsoft 365 admin center metrics track Copilot Chat usage intensity and app-specific engagement for users without Copilot licenses across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Available worldwide from mid-August 2025, these daily-updated metrics enhance adoption reporting and impact existing custom reports.
Microsoft 365 Copilot iOS app will offer file previews and Copilot Chat for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files starting September 15, 2025, on iPhone, with editing moved to standalone apps. Similar updates will follow for iPad. Users will see prompts to install or open standalone apps for editing.
We are announcing the ability to use prompts in Copilot agents to extract and augment information from documents in AI Builder. This feature will reach general availability on September 15, 2025.
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View index browser, schema, and the errors for custom connectors from the M365 Admin center for better troubleshooting.
Microsoft 365 Copilot iOS app will offer file previews and Copilot Chat for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files starting September 15, 2025, on iPhone, with editing requiring standalone apps. Similar updates will follow for iPad. Users will see prompts to install or open standalone apps for editing.
Copilot Chat usage in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote is now included in Microsoft 365 admin center and Viva Insights reports, enhancing Copilot Analytics. Updates will reflect user activity across these apps, improving adoption tracking and AI adoption scores with future enhancements planned.
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We are announcing the ability to use your own generative AI model from Azure AI Foundry in prompt builder. This feature has reached general availability.
Outlook Mobile will roll out a context-aware Copilot Chat overlay on iOS and Android from September 2025 to March 2026, allowing users with Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses to interact with AI while using email, calendar, and contacts. No action is required; existing controls remain unchanged.
The Outlook Copilot Chat interface is updated with the navigation pane moved from right to left, aligning with other Microsoft 365 apps. It includes access to agents, conversation history, and a new All Conversations page. The rollout begins mid-August 2025, requires no admin action, and aims to improve usability.
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We are announcing Copilot support for finance and operations development in Microsoft Dataverse. This feature will reach general availability on September 10, 2025.
Viva Engage public discussion posts will appear in Microsoft 365 enterprise searches on Office.com, SharePoint.com, and Copilot Search starting late August 2025. No configuration is needed; content visibility respects user access. Copilot licenses are required for Copilot Search. Admins should inform users and update documentation accordingly.
Microsoft 365 Copilot in PowerPoint will soon allow referencing Microsoft Loop components in presentations, enhancing collaboration and content reuse. Rollout starts late August for targeted release and mid-September 2025 worldwide. No admin action is needed; the feature is on by default for licensed users on desktop and web.
Microsoft Viva Insights introduces a new Power BI report for Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents, providing leaders and admins with adoption trends, usage patterns, and detailed agent metrics. Public preview starts mid-September 2025; general availability begins December 2025. Privacy safeguards and preparation guidance included.
Microsoft 365 is introducing a new service listing, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, in Service health and Message center to improve communication visibility for Copilot Chat users. It will roll out worldwide by September 2025, requires no action, and does not affect service functionality.
Microsoft 365 is introducing a new admin control for tenant-level management of org-wide sharing links for user-built Copilot agents. Rolling out mid-September 2025, admins can specify who can create these links to align with governance policies. Default behavior remains unchanged unless customized.
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You can now reference a Loop or Page when you create a presentation with Copilot within the PowerPoint application.
When using the Copilot Chat side pane in Microsoft 365 apps, users will be able to launch the full Microsoft 365 Copilot app from a dedicated button. Additionally, accessing some features in the side pane will launch the full app.
You can now reference a Loop or Page when you create a presentation with Copilot within the PowerPoint application.
Microsoft Teams will soon let users toggle Copilot off during meetings, disabling recording, transcripts, and Facilitator while off. Rollout starts mid-September 2025. Users control this via the Copilot icon on desktop, web, and mobile. No admin action is needed, but user notification is recommended.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat now lets users easily include files and emails in prompts by typing ‘/’ to search and reference content, enhancing response relevance. Files support is available; email integration rolls out September 2025. No admin action is needed; users see only accessible content.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat now lets users quickly include files and emails in prompts by typing ‘/’ to search and reference content, enhancing response relevance. Email integration rolls out by late September 2025. No admin action is needed, and users only access content they have permission to view.
Microsoft Teams Copilot will default to running without transcription for new meetings starting mid-September 2025, with conversation history now persisting during meetings. Transcription must be manually enabled for post-meeting insights. Custom policies remain unchanged, and admins can control settings via Teams meeting policies.
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Users will be able to search for meetings based on Self RSVP and Others RSVP status in Copilot Chat. Example prompts for a user looking for their own RSVP status include: “Meetings I have accepted/declined/marked tentative for today” “Did I accept Project OKR review meeting” “List all events I have not RSVPed”. Example prompts for a user looking for other individuals’ RSVP status include: “List RSVP status of attendees for the review meeting” “Who all have accepted the next meeting?” “Will Sarah attend Project review meet?”
M365 Copilot will be showing the rich and interactive Bing web answer cards like Weather, Stocks etc. to relevant queries to enrich the responses.
We are announcing a product feature setting, preview and experimental AI models, to govern the availability of preview and experimental models in Microsoft Copilot Studio. This setting will be available on August 29, 2025.
The Microsoft 365 Copilot app for Windows will change its executable name from Webviewhost.exe to M365Copilot.exe after September 20, 2025. The update is automatic for Microsoft Store users with auto-updates enabled. No functionality changes occur, but organizations should update dependencies if needed.
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Design and edit images, posters, banners, infographics, text drafts, and forms with Copilot—align them to your brand using kits built by you or your team.
We are announcing the ability for admins to enforce the use of end-user credentials by managing how authentication is handled. This feature will be generally available starting September 19, 2025.
A new Copilot Search usage report will be available in the Microsoft 365 admin center by early September 2025, showing user activity and search metrics. It is enabled by default, requires no setup, and helps organizations monitor Copilot Search adoption and usage trends.
We are announcing an embedded experience for Copilot summaries in Dynamics 365 Sales. This feature will reach general availability on September 26, 2025.
Microsoft 365 Copilot’s Researcher Agent now lets users customize report length and output formats, including Word export. Rolling out worldwide in September 2025, these features are enabled by default, require no admin action, and offer control via Entra ID group membership.
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Microsoft Viva is expanding access to M365 Copilot Chat Insights in Microsoft Copilot Dashboard by removing the requirement for 50 M365 Copilot licenses, allowing more tenants, including those with fewer licenses, to track adoption trends. Insights will include usage over time, group level adoption, retention, app-level breakdowns, retention, and more. Users can filter by organizational attributes to uncover usage patterns.
Copilot Chat will soon be available for Teams chats, channels, calling and meetings.
In the Create experience in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on iPhone and iPad, users will see a chat-centered experience to create documents, enabling them to describe the document they want to create in a prompt.
Users on the Microsoft 365 Copilot app for iPad and iPhone devices will be directed to the standalone OneDrive app for file browsing and management. While users can still access their most recent files and search for OneDrive content within the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, advanced actions like folder navigation, permission settings, downloads, and deletions must be done in the OneDrive app.
Microsoft is adding M365 Copilot Chat adoption metrics to the Microsoft Copilot dashboard in Viva Insights, showing usage trends and engagement of unlicensed users. Available from late September 2025, it includes admin controls for disabling the feature or excluding users, enhancing reporting and compliance capabilities.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat will add an “Open in Word” button by late September 2025, allowing users with a Copilot license to transfer AI-generated content directly into Word for editing. The feature is automatic, requires no admin action, and has no impact on existing workflows or compliance.
Scoped knowledge support in Microsoft 365 Copilot’s declarative agents for VIP connectors (Azure DevOps, Jira, Confluence) enables precise, personalized query responses by limiting accessible information. Available to Microsoft 365 E5 tenants, it rolls out globally from late August to early September 2025. Configuration involves selecting connectors and scoping attributes.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat will add an “Open in Word” button by late September 2025, allowing users with a Copilot license to transfer AI-generated content directly into Word for editing. The feature is automatic, requires no admin action, and has no impact on existing workflows or compliance.
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This feature leverages AI to autocomplete the user’s formula upon typing the ‘=’ sign. It provides context-based suggestions, streamlining the formula creation process by offering intelligent and relevant completions.
We are announcing the ability to fill out forms quickly by using images, files, and emails in Power Apps. This feature will reach general availability on October 1, 2025.
Listen to the latest updates
This month’s update is now also available as a podcast! If you prefer listening over reading, or want to catch up on the latest SharePoint developments while commuting or running, you can now tune in on Spotify and YouTube.
The podcast features AI hosts Maria and John, who dive into the same updates covered in this post but through a conversational format. John brings his technical analyst perspective with attention to detail, while Maria focuses on the strategic implications and user experience impact. As the prompt director, I guide the conversation to ensure we’re covering what matters most for your day-to-day work.
This is an experiment in making tech updates more accessible, so I’d love your feedback on this format. Give it a listen and let me know what you think!
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