Why do my Microsoft 365 copilot not work?

Try these steps in order to get Microsoft 365 Copilot working again:

1. Confirm the correct account and license
   • In any Microsoft 365 app (for example Word), check the account shown at the top of the window or under File > Account.
   • Make sure that account has a Copilot-eligible subscription:
     • Home: Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, or Copilot Pro.
     • Business: Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, E3, E5, F1, or F3 plus Microsoft 365 Copilot.
   • If the wrong account is signed in, sign out and sign in with the licensed account.
2. Refresh the Copilot license
   • Windows desktop apps:
     1. Open Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook.
     2. Go to File > Account.
     3. Select Update License.
     4. Close all Office apps and reopen them, then try Copilot again.
   • Mac desktop apps:
     1. Open a Microsoft 365 app (for example Word).
     2. From the top menu bar, select Word > About Word (or the app name).
     3. Select More Info….
     4. Select Refresh License.
     5. Close all Office apps and reopen them, then try Copilot again.
3. Update Microsoft 365 apps
   • Make sure the apps are fully updated to the latest build (see Install Office updates from the article).
   • After updating, restart the apps and test Copilot again.
4. Check privacy/connected experiences (Mac)
   If using a Mac and Copilot opens as a blank pane:
   1. Open Word.
   2. Go to Word > Preferences > Privacy.
   3. Turn on Experiences that analyze your content.
   4. Scroll down and turn on All connected experiences.
   5. Restart the apps and test Copilot.
5. If Copilot still opens blank or is unresponsive
   • For some users, issues like a blank Copilot pane or greyed-out features were only fixed after fully resyncing the account or reinstalling:
     • Remove the Microsoft 365 account from Outlook or the Office apps, then sign in again to resync.
     • If that does not help and all steps above are done, contact Microsoft Support; in some reported cases, support had to repair the installation or even reimage Windows to resolve deep client issues.

If Copilot is missing entirely or still does not respond after these steps, follow the full guidance in How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps and, if needed, ask the Microsoft 365 admin (for work/school accounts) to verify that Copilot is not blocked by policy.

References:

• Copilot is missing, disabled, or doesn't work correctly
• How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps
• I am getting license validation errors with Copilot
• Grayed out UPLOAD FILES in Co-Pilot - Microsoft Q&A
• Whye is Copilot greyed out in Word after all the tricks have been tried? MS 365 Family - Microsoft Q&A