Enable And Use Copilot In Outlook: Step-by-Step Guide

Written by David Morelo

Microsoft Copilot is now integrated into Outlook across desktop, web, and mobile platforms. When you learn how to enable Copilot in Outlook, you can save time by automatically summarizing long email threads, drafting professional replies, and organizing your inbox with AI-powered suggestions.

How to Enable Copilot in Outlook (By Platform)

The process to enable Copilot in Outlook varies depending on which version you're using and whether you have a personal or business account. Below you'll find platform-specific instructions for Office 365, Outlook Web, Mac, Classic, New Outlook, and mobile apps. Each section includes the exact steps needed to activate Copilot, along with important notes about licensing requirements, feature availability, and Outlook's various email limits.

📌 Note: New to Copilot? Read our guide on what Microsoft Copilot is used for to understand its full capabilities before enabling it.

Enable Copilot in Outlook on the Web

Prerequisites:

The web version of Outlook offers the quickest way to access Copilot features without any software installation.

Here's how to enable Copilot in Outlook web:

  1. Visit www.outlook.com.
  2. Sign in with a Microsoft account that has a valid Copilot license.
  3. Click the Settings gear icon (top right corner).
  4. Navigate to Copilot → toggle Turn on Copilot to enable it.
Outlook web settings screen showing the Copilot control panel with the option to toggle on Copilot for email assistanceOutlook web settings screen showing the Copilot control panel with the option to toggle on Copilot for email assistance

Business users with work or school accounts should check with their IT administrator if Copilot options don't appear, as organizational settings may need adjustment.

Enable Copilot in New Outlook for Windows

Prerequisites:

The New Outlook for Windows is Microsoft's modern email client that comes with built-in Copilot support. If you're still using Classic Outlook, you'll need to switch to New Outlook first (see the Outlook Classic section below).

Here's how to enable Copilot in new Outlook:

  1. Open New Outlook on your Windows PC.
  2. Click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner.
  3. Select the Copilot tab from the settings menu.
  4. Toggle Turn on Copilot to enable.
  5. Click Save to apply changes.
  6. Close and restart Outlook for changes to take effect.

If Copilot doesn't appear after restart, click the Update License button in the Account section of Outlook. It sometimes also helps to update to the latest version of New Outlook if you're not using it already.

Enable Copilot in New Outlook for Mac

Prerequisites:

Mac users can access Copilot features in the New Outlook for Mac, which replaced the legacy Outlook client. The setup process is straightforward and takes just a few clicks.

Steps to enable Copilot in Outlook Mac:

  1. Launch Outlook on your Mac.
  2. Click Outlook in the top menu bar, then select Settings.
  3. Choose Copilot.
  4. Outlook Mac settings menu showing how to access Copilot from the top menu and locate it in the settings panelOutlook Mac settings menu showing how to access Copilot from the top menu and locate it in the settings panel
  5. Toggle Turn on Copilot to enable AI features.
  6. Copilot settings window in Outlook Mac with the toggle enabled for the selected Outlook accountCopilot settings window in Outlook Mac with the toggle enabled for the selected Outlook account
  7. Enable Use custom instructions when drafting email in the Draft section if you want personalized suggestions.
  8. Force quit Outlook (Command + Q) and reopen it to sync changes.

Enable Copilot in Outlook Classic

⚠️ Important: Outlook Classic doesn't support Copilot features. Microsoft requires users to switch to New Outlook to access AI capabilities.

To switch from Classic to New Outlook:

  1. Open Outlook Classic (or Legacy Outlook).
  2. Look for the Try the new Outlook toggle in the top-right corner.
  3. Legacy Outlook interface with the New Outlook option highlighted in the dropdown menu for enabling Copilot featuresLegacy Outlook interface with the New Outlook option highlighted in the dropdown menu for enabling Copilot features
  4. Click the toggle to switch.
  5. Wait for the migration to complete (your emails and settings will transfer automatically).
  6. Follow the New Outlook instructions above to enable Copilot.

📌 Note: Some legacy features may not be available in New Outlook. Business users should consult their IT department before switching, which most users, as recent Outlook statistics show, have already done.

Enable Copilot in Outlook Mobile (iOS & Android)

Prerequisites:

Copilot in the Outlook app is currently only with Microsoft accounts. Accounts from third-party email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, or iCloud are unable to access Copilot features in the Outlook app.

Steps to enable Copilot in Outlook mobile:

  1. Open the Microsoft Outlook app on your device.
  2. Sign in with your Microsoft account (must have an active Copilot subscription).
  3. Tap your profile icon (usually in top left corner).
  4. Tap Settings.
  5. Select Copilot from the settings menu.
  6. Toggle Turn on Copilot to enable.
Outlook mobile app showing how to access Outlook settings and turn on Copilot for AI featuresOutlook mobile app showing how to access Outlook settings and turn on Copilot for AI features

If the Copilot option doesn't appear in settings, verify your subscription is active by visiting account.microsoft.com. Mobile features are currently limited compared to desktop versions.

How to Use Copilot in Outlook

Now that I've explained how to enable Copilot across different platforms, I want to share a few examples of how I've been using Copilot in my daily email routine.

How to use Copilot in Outlook to summarize emails

One of my favorite Copilot features is the email summarization tool, especially when I return from vacation or face a backlog of lengthy email threads. Last week, I opened a 47-message thread about a particularly complicated project update.

Instead of reading through each message, it took Copilot just a few seconds to provide a clear bullet-point summary highlighting the key decisions, action items, and who was responsible for what.

To use the summarization feature:

  1. Open any email thread.
  2. Click the Copilot icon in the toolbar.
  3. Select Summary by Copilot.
Outlook desktop interface with the Summary by Copilot option highlighted above an opened email threadOutlook desktop interface with the Summary by Copilot option highlighted above an opened email thread

Using Copilot to write and reply to emails

Despite being a professional content writer, I often rely on Copilot for initial email drafts. When I see an AI-generated draft, I often realize there's something additional I should mention, something that wouldn't have occurred to me otherwise.

Here's how to use Copilot in Outlook desktop for composing:

  1. Open the message you want to reply to.
  2. Click the Copilot icon in the toolbar.
  3. Select Reply with Copilot.
  4. Type a brief description of what you want to say (e.g., "decline meeting but suggest alternative date").
  5. Copilot feature in Outlook desktop prompting the user to choose a reply type like update or newsletter after selecting Reply with CopilotCopilot feature in Outlook desktop prompting the user to choose a reply type like update or newsletter after selecting Reply with Copilot
  6. Review the generated draft and make edits if necessary.

How to use Copilot to organize emails in Outlook

When organizing my inbox, I use Copilot to quickly identify actionable emails. I simply ask: "Does this message require any action from me?" or "What are the key dates mentioned in this email?" This helps me decide whether to flag, file, or delete messages.

📌 Unfortunately, Copilot's organizational features are limited to analyzing individual emails.

Use Clean Email When Copilot Isn’t Enough

There comes a point when more capability is needed. So to clean my Outlook inbox in bulk, I rely on Clean Email's powerful tools that can:

Clean Email app interface showing bulk email selection by filters like unread or old mail, with a Trash option to delete selected messagesClean Email app interface showing bulk email selection by filters like unread or old mail, with a Trash option to delete selected messages
Clean Email app's Unsubscriber feature showing grouped email senders with options to keep receiving or instantly unsubscribeClean Email app's Unsubscriber feature showing grouped email senders with options to keep receiving or instantly unsubscribe
Clean Email’s Auto Clean setup showing rule creation for deleting old, unread, promotional emails larger than 1MBClean Email’s Auto Clean setup showing rule creation for deleting old, unread, promotional emails larger than 1MB

📌 Best of all, Clean Email works with all major email providers, so it's not limited to just Outlook inboxes. Whether you're managing Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, or any IMAP-compatible service, Clean Email can organize all your messages from a single app available across iOS, Android, macOS, and the web.

As someone concerned about email security, I also value that Clean Email is safe (the service is even fully compliant with Gmail's privacy policy and other major providers' security standards) and fully committed to never selling or using its customers' personal data for marketing.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're using Outlook for personal or business purposes, take the time to properly enable Copilot on your preferred platform and explore its features, such as email summarization or drafting. You might be surprised at how much time you can save on email tasks that once felt overwhelming, especially if you combine Copilot with Clean Email for bulk organization and automation.

Try Clean Email for Free
*****4.4based on 1011 user reviews
Get Started
InboxClean Your Mailbox

Use tools like Cleaning Suggestions and Smart Folders to help you quickly clean out an overloaded inbox

Mute unwanted emailsUnsubscribe

Keep unwanted emails out of your inbox by unsubscribing—even from email lists that don’t have an unsubscribe link

Clean your emailsKeep it Clean

Automate repetitive tasks with Auto Clean rules to archive emails as they become old or to sort them into folders

Background
Use filters to find emails you want to clean.Arrow
Screener FeatureArrow
UnsubscribeArrow
Auto CleanArrow
Sender SettingsArrow