How to activate CoPilot in OneNote on Mac

To use Copilot in OneNote for Mac when the button is visible but grayed out, the following conditions from Microsoft 365 Copilot requirements must be met:

1. Confirm the correct account and license
   • In OneNote for Mac, make sure the signed-in account is the one that has the Copilot entitlement.
   • For home use, Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps requires a Copilot subscription (for example, Copilot Pro) in addition to a Microsoft 365 subscription.
   • If the active account in the title bar is not the Copilot-licensed account, Copilot will remain unavailable for that notebook or page.
2. Refresh the Copilot license in Office for Mac
   • In any Microsoft 365 app on the Mac (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote):
     1. Select the app name menu (for example, Word or PowerPoint) at the top of the screen.
     2. Select About <app name>.
     3. Select More Info....
     4. Select Refresh License.
     5. Close all Office apps and reopen OneNote, then check Copilot again.
3. Ensure Office for Mac is fully updated
   • Copilot requires a current build of Microsoft 365 apps.
   • Update Office for Mac using the steps in Update Office for Mac automatically, then restart OneNote.
4. Check privacy settings for connected experiences (Mac)
   • Open Word on the Mac.
   • Go to Word > Preferences > Privacy.
   • Turn on Experiences that analyze your content.
   • Scroll down and turn on All connected experiences.
   • Restart OneNote and verify whether Copilot is now active.
5. Understand the “Copilot Notebook” expectation
   • Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps appears as a button/side pane; there is no separate “Copilot Notebook” type in OneNote.
   • Use Copilot from the ribbon within any existing notebook once the button is enabled.

If Copilot remains grayed out after these steps, the most common remaining cause is that the signed-in account does not actually have a Copilot subscription attached, even if it has Microsoft 365 Premium. In that case, the Microsoft 365 account page or the subscription owner/admin must confirm and assign a Copilot license.

References:

• How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps
• Copilot is missing, disabled, or doesn't work correctly