Copilot is greyed out in outlook classic

Govind Atos-Bishat 0 Reputation points
2026-10-08T10:01:44.6166667+00:00 
User reports that the Copilot option in the Outlook desktop application is greyed out and unavailable. Colleagues with the same basic Copilot licence are able to access the feature without issue. Copilot works correctly in Outlook on the web and on the user's iPhone.
Microsoft Copilot | Other
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  1. Emma1-N 13,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-09T07:29:13.8466667+00:00

    Welcome Govind Atos-Bishat,

    Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand that Copilot is greyed out in classic Outlook on your Windows PC, while it works correctly in Outlook on the web and on your iPhone.

    Could you confirm whether the greyed-out option is Copilot Chat, Draft with Copilot, or both? Also, is this a work or school Microsoft 365 account managed by your organization?

    Please make sure you already tried the Q&A Assist steps. In addition, please try the following.

    1, Check whether the issue occurs in your primary mailbox

    • Open an email in your own primary mailbox and create a new email
    • Check the Copilot option again
    • Avoid testing from a shared, delegate, group, or archive mailbox

    2, Update Microsoft 365 Apps.

    • Open File > Office Account
    • Under Update Options, select Update Now
    • After the update finishes, close all Office applications and reopen Outlook

    Looking forward to your update.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-08T10:02:00.9033333+00:00

    For classic Outlook, the most likely cause is a known issue affecting builds 20026.20182 and higher, where Copilot entry points can be missing, unavailable, or grayed out.

    Use this check-and-fix path:

    1. In classic Outlook, go to File > Office Account and check the Outlook build/version.
    2. If the build is 20026.20182 or later, this matches the known issue.
    3. Use one of these workarounds:
      • Use new Outlook or Outlook on the web.
      • Create a new Outlook profile.
    4. Also verify Show Apps in Outlook is enabled:
      • Go to File > Options > Advanced.
      • Under Outlook panes, check Show Apps in Outlook.
    5. Confirm Connected Experiences is enabled, because Copilot depends on it:
      • Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Privacy Settings.
    6. If the mailbox is on-premises instead of Exchange Online, Copilot in Outlook is expected to appear dimmed/grayed out and cannot be used.

    Since Copilot works in Outlook on the web and on iPhone, the account and license are likely fine, and the problem is specific to classic Outlook on Windows.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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