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What’s new for Copilot – December 2025
December was a quieter month than usual for Copilot, but that does not mean there is a lack of updates. In fact, there are dozens of improvements to explore. For this post, I am highlighting three key features that stand out for their impact on usability and productivity.
The first is the new GPT-5 Mode Selector, which introduces Auto, Quick response, and Think deeper options. Copilot now defaults to GPT-5, and users can choose the mode that best fits their workflow. Your selection persists across chats, making it easier to control the depth and speed of responses.
Another improvement is the ability to RSVP to meetings directly in Copilot chat. You can now accept, decline, mark tentative, follow, or remove canceled meetings without leaving the chat experience. Finally, Copilot is upgrading its image generation capabilities by replacing GPT-4o with OpenAI’s GPT-Image-1.5 model, it delivers better quality, speed, and accuracy for image generation without altering compliance or admin settings.
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We’ve expanded Power Platform inventory (Public Preview) to include four new resource types, giving admins a single view of resources across Power Platform and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
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Mobile users can utilize Copilot Shortcuts with suggested prompts to edit a Page.
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Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat Adoption Metrics will roll out by January 2026 to tenants with at least one Copilot license, enabling default analytics in the Copilot Dashboard. It provides insights on usage trends, adoption by group, retention, app-level breakdowns, and filtering, with admin controls for access and exclusions.
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Support for hierarchical ACLs for SNOW, Confluence, Jira connectors.
Earlier, permissions were synced only in the periodic full crawl which generally ha a default frequency of 1 day for most of the connectors. Now, we have support for doing permission syncs more frequently in an incremental way.
Users can now manage the Copilot icon in their toolbar. To hide the icon, right-click the Copilot icon and select “Hide Copilot”. This will open Settings to toggle the icon’s visibility. Admins can control whether the Copilot icon shows in the toolbar using the Microsoft365CopilotChatIconEnabled policy.
Microsoft 365 Copilot now defaults to GPT-5 with a mode selector offering Auto, Quick response, and Think deeper options. The rollout begins December 3, 2025, affecting all users with no admin changes needed. User mode choices persist across chats and the feature is enabled by default.
Application Lifecycle Management Agent: This agent unifies the entire application lifecycle into one intelligent workflow—replacing multipledisconnected admin tasks with a single, guided experience. It automatically discovers unmanaged private apps using Global Secure Access telemetry, recommends onboarding them to Microsoft Entra, and handles setup with automated naming, tagging, and least-privilege scoping. After onboarding, the agent continuously monitors app usage and permissions, flags unused high privileged apps and proactively notifies owners with clear next steps via Teams or email. Using the data the agent has gathered, it suggests a phased disablement plan that admins can customize to their risk prioritization preferences.
Enables effortless list creation for Copilot users through prompts, with intelligent schema generation and setup. This agent helps teams to quickly transform structured information and Copilot responses to Microsoft Lists.
Microsoft 365 Copilot chat will allow users to RSVP to meetings directly (Accept, Decline, Tentative, Follow, Remove canceled) starting early December 2025. This feature is on by default for licensed users, requires no admin action, and simplifies meeting management within Copilot chat.
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Copilot makes PDF reviews faster and easier. It explains selected text in plain language and lets you customize the prompt for tailored results—so you spend less time switching between apps.
Mobile users can now use Copilot Chat to edit Pages.
Edit or enhance the lighting in uploaded or generated images directly in Copilot Chat and the Create experience.
Microsoft Edge can now send IT admin selected work related browsing history to Copilot to improve search relevance. When a user searches for something on Copilot search, Copilot will also show results from browser history when relevant.
When an image needs precise editing, masking enables users to more accurately select an object or area in their image for AI to edit.
Use scatter image effect directly in Copilot Chat and the create experience to further customize your visual artifacts generated with Copilot.
Microsoft 365 Copilot will enable faster PDF reviews via a context menu in OneDrive web, offering “Explain this” and custom prompt options. It rolls out worldwide from mid-December 2025 to late January 2026. A Copilot license is required; no action is needed now.
Microsoft 365 admin center will introduce Copilot Readiness Packages by mid-January 2026, offering admins centralized, recommended settings, assessments, and guidance to deploy Copilot securely. No automatic changes or licenses are required. Admins can review and apply configurations to simplify setup and enhance governance.
Starting January 7, 2026, Anthropic models will be enabled by default in many Microsoft 365 Copilot experiences under Microsoft’s Product Terms and Data Protection Addendum. Admins can toggle this setting, with default off in EU/EFTA, UK, and government clouds. Anthropic is now a Microsoft subprocessor, ensuring contractual and data protection compliance.
Microsoft 365 Copilot search will introduce dynamic, data source-specific filters for Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, and others, enabling precise result refinement. This feature, requiring a Copilot license, will roll out from mid-November 2025 to early January 2026, enabled by default with no admin changes needed.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Notebooks will allow users with a Copilot license to add public web links as references, expanding beyond file types like Word and Excel. This feature, enabled by default, will roll out worldwide from mid-November 2025 to mid-January 2026. No special preparation is needed.
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Microsoft 365 Copilot will enable natural language commands for email triage—pinning, flagging, archiving, marking read/unread, and completing tasks—in Outlook. Available mid-December 2025 for licensed users, this feature requires no admin changes and aims to simplify inbox management.
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Support for refining query filters for Confluence Copilot connectors.
Copilot Chat will be available for Microsoft 365 Copilot users from the side pane on the right-hand side when using Copilot Search in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. This allows users to engage with Copilot while browsing universal search without switching pages or losing context.
Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents will upgrade to the GPT-5.1 model with an auto architecture by mid-January 2026. The upgrade enables advanced reasoning for complex queries, requires no admin changes, is enabled by default, and affects all tenants using these agents. No action or compliance concerns are noted.
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We are announcing two new features in Power Platform Monitor that will be available in Public Preview on November 28, 2025:
Microsoft 365 subscribers will be able to use Copilot Chat in locally stored Excel modern workbooks starting mid-December 2025, with rollout completing by January 2026. This feature is enabled by default and aligns functionality with workbooks stored in SharePoint or OneDrive.
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With so many of us in back-to-back meetings, it can be a real struggle to stay on top of pre-reads, action items, and even what each meeting is about. Copilot quickly prepares you for meetings within minutes by bringing real-time insights and summarizing relevant context, tasks, documents, and other resources. You can also chat directly with Copilot to prepare more deeply, to ensure you’re ready to go. This feature is already available in the new Outlook for Windows, Web, Mac, and Mobile and is now being adding to classic Outlook for Windows. It is only available for users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Edge for Business will soon help users quickly take contextual action on their open pages using contextual nudges attached to the Copilot icon in the toolbar
Microsoft 365 Copilot app will show Chat in navigation for users blocked by admin policy but restrict access with a notice; ineligible users won’t see Chat and get a pop-up if accessing directly. Rollout starts late January 2026, no admin action required.
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Use the new =COPILOT function directly in Excel formulas to generate, classify, and summarize text and data.
Agent Mode is releasing to Copilot in Excel on Windows and Mac enabling users to build and edit workbooks with Copilot using multi-step workflows. Eligible licenses can now select which model to use, including both Open AI and Anthropic models.
Agent Mode lets you build and edit workbooks side by side with Copilot. When you’re updating budgets, creating financial models, or analyzing data, Agent Mode uses Excel’s most powerful tools like tables, charts, PivotTables, and formulas to help you get the job done.
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Nine new Microsoft 365 Copilot connectors are now generally available, enabling integration with GitHub, Freshservice, Guru, Dropbox, Google Drive, Zendesk, and Amazon S3. These connectors allow users to search, retrieve, and interact with external enterprise data across Microsoft 365 apps immediately.
Learning Activities is now available in Microsoft 365 Education and Copilot, enabling educators and students to create interactive practice tools like flashcards from existing content. It rolled out worldwide by December 2025, is enabled by default for eligible licenses, and can be disabled by admins if desired.
Deep citations let users quickly verify Copilot’s results by linking directly to the relevant part of the reference, boosting trust. We’re starting with Word and PPT files, then adding Meetings, Web, and PDF references.
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Available for M365 users without a M365 Copilot license. From Chat, you can use natural language to generate and direct edits to new and existing documents, when in an Edit mode. In this mode, Copilot will ask clarifying questions if needed, and after making changes will recap actions take and recommended next steps. Changes to the document are supported with controls in the document canvas to review changes made.
Users can quickly create new Copilot Notebooks via Recommended Notebooks based on recent user work activity.
PowerPoint Agent helps you build polished presentations with strong storytelling and visual structure. It streamlines research, formatting, and layout so you can stay focused on your message. Use multi‑turn chat to refine content or open the deck in PowerPoint for full editing and collaboration. Ideal for executive presentations, strategic updates, and market overviews. Available to Microsoft 365 users with or without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Users can now quickly enrich their Copilot Notebook with relevant Suggested References based on recent user work activity.
Word Agent helps you handle research, structure, and formatting so you can stay focused on your ideas. Use multi‑turn chat to refine your draft or open it in Word for full editing and collaboration. It’s designed for long‑form, information‑dense work—like strategic plans, policy documents, and technical papers—making it easier to turn complex material into clear, well‑written content. Available to Microsoft 365 users with or without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Microsoft 365 Copilot will replace GPT-4o with OpenAI’s GPT-Image-1.5 from mid-December 2025 to late January 2026, enhancing image generation quality, speed, and accuracy without changing admin controls or compliance settings. Eligible users receive the update automatically.
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With a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, transform offline discussions into structured, actionable, and searchable content with voice notes in Copilot.
To help you quickly find the conversations that matter, we’re updating the Chat History filtering experience. This refresh makes the interface simpler and makes it easier to clear filters whenever you need to.
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We are announcing the ability to create case records from customer emails within Outlook in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Service. This feature will reach general availability on January 1, 2026.
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Microsoft 365 Copilot introduces the SharePoint list agent to create SharePoint lists via natural language and structured content. Rolling out from December 2025 to February 2026, it requires a Copilot license, is opt-in during preview, and enabled by default at general availability, with admin control for disabling.
Microsoft 365 Copilot introduces Video Overviews in Copilot Notebooks, allowing users with a valid license to generate short, narrated video summaries of Notebook content. The feature, enabled by default, began rolling out mid-November 2025 and will complete by late February 2026, requiring no admin changes.
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.
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