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M365 Admin
What’s new for Copilot – January 2026
Copilot had another massive month, more than 50 updates across Microsoft 365, so instead of trying to cover everything up front, I want to call out a few changes that genuinely make day‑to‑day work easier. The first one is all about convenience: you can now press the Teams button on your certified Bluetooth headset or earbuds and instantly trigger voice in Microsoft 365 Copilot from the Teams mobile app on iOS. With voice becoming a bigger part of how we use AI at work, removing all the taps and menus makes Copilot feel much more natural and accessible.
Another update that stood out to me is Copilot ability to create and view Outlook rules using natural language. Anyone who has ever tried to manage rules in Outlook knows how tedious that interface can be. Now you can simply describe what you want to move emails, filter newsletters, clean up inbox noise and Copilot builds the rules for you.
My final highlight is the addition of AI workflow templates in Microsoft Teams. These let you automate repetitive tasks using scheduled prompts, without touching Power Automate or building anything complex. It’s perfect for recurring follow-ups, status pings, reminders, or routine check-ins.
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Starting January 9, 2026, deletion of Copilot Notebooks in SharePoint Embedded may fail until a fix fully rolls out by January 31. Tenant-owned Loop workspace containers may also face issues unless excluded from retention policies. Admins should adjust retention settings via Microsoft Purview to mitigate problems.
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Users can now schedule meetings directly from chat or by clicking “Schedule with Copilot” in the UI. Simply ask Copilot to schedule a meeting with colleagues, and it will find available times, book rooms, draft agendas, and send invites—all within the chat experience. This feature is available to users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
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SharePoint Embedded apps will support container archival starting February 2026, reducing storage costs by up to 75% and improving Copilot search by prioritizing active content. Admins must opt in via PowerShell, use new Graph APIs, and update apps to manage archived containers. No compliance issues noted.
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Structured Document Generation with Forms enables organizations to create, manage, and generate standardized documents at scale with built-in governance and compliance in SharePoint. Business process owners can centrally build and maintain form-driven templates — such as contracts, agreements, proposals, and HR documents — ensuring content stays accurate and up to date. Users can then generate the right document every time by just filling out the form, without manual formatting, versioning issues, or compliance risk, simplifying high-volume, structured document workflows across the organization.
Starting on February 2, 2026, the following preview Copilot features in Power Apps Canvas Apps will be removed:
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Agent Mode in Word lets you choose from multiple models, giving you flexibility to select the right model for your task.
The Researcher Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot empowers users to create rich, detailed reports on any topic they choose whether from work or web content. We are introducing new output formats in the Researcher Agent that will allow users to export and consume generated reports in their preferred formats. Users will be able to export their Researcher reports to PowerPoint, PDF, Infographic or an Audio Overview. We are also updating the UX for previously existing output formats- Word and Pages.
Starting February 12, 2026, the tenant setting “Capacities can be designated as Fabric Copilot capacities” will be enabled by default for all tenants. Existing capacity configurations remain unchanged. Tenants can opt out before rollout by toggling the setting on then off in the Fabric admin portal.
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We are announcing the ability to configure content moderation levels for AI prompts in Microsoft Copilot Studio and Power Platform. This feature setting will reach general availability on January 31, 2026.
Microsoft 365 Copilot in PowerPoint will support enterprise image libraries via Adobe Experience Manager starting February 2026. Admins can connect AEM libraries for branded slide creation, enhancing brand consistency. Setup requires deploying the AEM Copilot connector and ensuring rich image metadata; no opt-in is needed.
This feature enables users to export fresher row-level Copilot metrics from the Copilot Dashboard for reporting and deeper analysis at day level. #copilotcontrolsystem
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We are announcing an update for the Copilot Studio page in the Copilot Hub within the Power Platform admin center (PPAC). When you select an agent from the agent table, a new panel will open and display expanded insights, including usage, activity trends, and environment information. You can also select the environment name in the panel to go directly to the Manage hub for configuration. This feature update will reach general availability on January 16, 2026.
People Skills is expanding AI powered skill inferencing to include Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 licensed users. Previously, AI powered skill inferencing was available only to Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Viva licensed users. With this update, admins will have the option to turn on AI powered skill inferencing for Microsoft 365 E3 / E5 licensed users directly in the Microsoft 365 admin center. AI powered skill inferencing uses AI to automatically identify and update skills on users’ Microsoft 365 profiles based on their work activity from the Microsoft Graph. This control will be available to US-based tenants with Copilot licenses.
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Agent Mode in PowerPoint lets you transform, polish, and edit presentations through natural conversation in chat—preserving your deck’s formatting, structure, and branding. Guide Copilot to update slides, refine layouts, and iterate on content using enterprise data, so you can focus on your ideas and present with confidence. Available to Microsoft 365 users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
People Skills is expanding AI powered skill inferencing to include Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 licensed users. Previously, AI powered skill inferencing was available only to Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Viva licensed users. With this update, admins will have the option to turn on AI powered skill inferencing for Microsoft 365 E3 / E5 licensed users directly in the Microsoft 365 admin center. AI powered skill inferencing uses AI to automatically identify and update skills on users’ Microsoft 365 profiles based on their work activity from the Microsoft Graph. This control will be available to US-based tenants with Copilot licenses.
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Agent Mode in Microsoft 365 Copilot for PowerPoint for the web enables conversational editing while preserving formatting and branding. It launches worldwide from mid-February to mid-March 2026 for licensed users, requires no admin action, and integrates enterprise data to enhance presentations.
Microsoft 365 Copilot will let licensed users in new Outlook and Outlook for web set custom calendar instructions to auto-RSVP to meetings and remove canceled ones. It proactively manages calendar events with notifications, rolling out worldwide from late January to early March 2026. No admin changes needed.
Add watermarks for AI-generated video, audio, and image gen content.
When requesting a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, users can now provide a business justification explaining why they need Copilot. This context is shown to admins during review, helping them make faster, more informed approval decisions and supporting governance and audit needs.
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Now, you can connect your certified for Microsoft Teams personal Bluetooth device (such as your personal headset or earbuds) and with one press of the Teams button you can launch the Teams mobile app and invoke voice in Microsoft 365 Copilot within Teams. This feature eliminates the hassle of navigating menus on your mobile phone, giving you instant access to your personal AI assistant for quick conversational voice answers. This capability is initially available in iOS. Android and desktop client will be supported in a future release.
Any newly created Declarative Agents can now reliably ground answers in scanned PDFs and image-based documents referenced from SharePoint, unlocking a major class of enterprise content that was previously hard to use in agent scenarios.
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The ServiceNow Tickets Copilot connector will now ingest both active and inactive tickets by default, enabling more frequent and accurate ticket status updates in Microsoft 365 Copilot. Admins can modify query filters to include inactive tickets. This update rolls out from late December 2025 to late February 2026.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is expanding AI audio overview support in Viva Connections and SharePoint, adding more languages and AI-generated audio summaries for site pages and news posts. The feature rolls out from January to February 2026, is on by default, and requires no admin action.
Microsoft 365 Copilot’s custom dictionary now supports more languages, doubles per-language entry limits to 1,000, and allows incremental CSV uploads for easier management. These updates improve Teams meeting transcript accuracy and will roll out globally by late January 2026, enabling enhanced Copilot and Intelligent Recap features automatically.
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Edit your images directly in PowerPoint with Copilot, no need to switch apps or interrupt your flow. Whether you’re refining visuals for a pitch deck, enhancing marketing assets, or simply making your slides pop, the image editor makes it fast and seamless. You can make edits like improving the resolution, removing the background, and more.
Copilot now uses M365 Graph data to provide more relevant, contextual responses. Updated settings make it easier to view and manage what Copilot remembers and your personalization preferences.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning public preview (mid-February to late March 2026) introduces customizable agent templates in Agent Builder for organizations with 5,000+ Copilot licenses. It uses tenant-isolated SharePoint snapshots for tuning, with admin controls for access, data privacy safeguards, and regional processing considerations.
Viva Glint will default Copilot to ON and remove its internal toggles, using Viva Feature Access Management (VFAM) as the sole control for Copilot access starting March 2026. Admins must manage access via VFAM; users see Copilot by default if they have Glint permissions. No M365 Copilot license is needed.
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The Copilot Dashboard’s updated Readiness page provides IT leaders with tailored Copilot configuration recommendations. Th suggested settings are meant to streamline deployment, enhance user experience, and help users get most out of Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Chat and agents. #copilotcontrolsystem
When users insert content in a prompt using ‘Add Work Content’ under the Plus menu, the content will only appear as a pill in the Input Box UI and will not be repeated as part of the user’s prompt. This helps to simplify the Input Box and reserve it for prompt creation.
Users will now be able to upload .eml and .msg files and share it as context with Copilot Chat and M365 Copilot App.
Microsoft 365 Copilot dashboard adds a public preview of a new user-day export option, allowing company-level users to download de-identified daily usage metrics for the past 28 days. Available early March 2026, it supports detailed short-term analysis with no new access controls required.
Microsoft 365 Copilot introduces pay-as-you-go (PAYG) for the Retrieval API, allowing non-Copilot licensed users tenant-level access to SharePoint and connectors under admin control. Rolling out from January to March 2026, it requires at least one Copilot license and explicit admin enablement. User-level data remains restricted.
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We are announcing the ability to filter which knowledge sources agents can access in Microsoft Copilot Studio. This feature will reach general availability on February 28, 2026.
Outlook will enable Microsoft 365 Copilot to create and view Inbox rules using natural language, simplifying rule management without navigating settings. This feature, requiring a Copilot license, rolls out globally from late January to early March 2026, is on by default, and aligns with existing Outlook policies.
New AI workflow templates powered by Microsoft 365 Copilot will be added to the Workflows app in Microsoft Teams (Web and Mac) for licensed users. Rolling out late January to mid-February 2026, these templates automate tasks via scheduled prompts. Admins control availability; feature is off by default.
Starting mid-February 2026, Microsoft 365 Copilot will open PDFs directly within its interface by default, enhancing user experience without requiring admin changes. This applies to all licensed Copilot users, with existing PDF policies remaining in effect. No action is needed, though notifying support teams is optional.
Starting mid-February 2026, users can open Outlook emails directly within Microsoft 365 Copilot chat, viewing emails side-by-side without changing permissions or admin settings. This feature is enabled by default, requires no admin action, and aims to reduce context switching.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is now integrated in Microsoft Forms, including enabling the Surveys Agent from within Forms. Surveys Agent provides specialized capabilities to help with your form – from recommending and applying improvements to your form or quiz, to helping draft and send invitations, to analyzing your results. Surveys Agent is available to users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, and can be accessed by clicking the “Copilot” icon in Forms.
The image upload feature in Microsoft 365 Copilot allows users to upload images and seek insights from Copilot based on those images. We are bringing this capability to Government Cloud environments, delivering parity with existing Copilot experiences while ensuring the functionality operates within applicable Government Cloud boundaries.
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Microsoft 365 Copilot’s Researcher agent will add new export formats—PowerPoint, PDF, Infographic, and Audio overview—and improve existing Word and Pages export UX. The rollout starts February 2026, completes by December 2027, requires no admin action, and won’t impact current workflows.
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Starting early February 2026, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files cited in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat (web) will open directly within the chat instead of a new tab. This change requires a Copilot license, is enabled by default, needs no admin action, and does not affect other Copilot apps.
Microsoft updates Copilot Studio terms effective February 2026, adding commitments on Query Data from Entra ID use with Bing Search. Data is not used for Bing improvement, advertising, or AI training, remains confidential, and no user or admin actions are required.
Copilot connectors enable organizations to integrate content from other external data sources into Microsoft Graph, improving Copilot’s intelligence, contextual responses, and content discoverability
Currently, clicking on cited content in Copilot opens files outside of Copilot. With this new feature, content can be opened directly in Copilot Chat to make viewing documents more streamlined alongside chat. This change is not available on the Microsfot 365 Copilot mobile app or when using Copilot in Edge, Copilot in Excel, Copilot in Word, and Copilot PowerPoint.
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