Copilot inoperative

Angela Harris 0 Reputation points
2026-11-13T00:11:46.6466667+00:00

I have been experiencing difficulties accessing Microsoft Copilot on both my desktop computer and mobile phone. When I attempt to use Copilot on my desktop, only a blank page appears. Additionally, I am unable to use Copilot within my documents or access it on my phone.

Microsoft Copilot | Other
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  1. Vikki-T 14,285 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-13T08:14:06.78+00:00

    Hi Angela Harris,

    I’m sorry to hear that you are having trouble with the Microsoft service.

    Microsoft is currently reporting a global outage affecting some of its services. Since Copilot relies on online services to load, it may be related to what you are seeing, although this cannot be confirmed from your description alone. You can monitor the current status here: Service Health Status.

    Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators, contributors including external Microsoft employees cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. My role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas.

    Thank you so much for your understanding.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-13T00:16:43.8266667+00:00

    Check Microsoft 365 service health and confirm that the same licensed account is being used on every device before repairing individual clients, because simultaneous desktop, document, and mobile failures can share a service- or account-level dependency.

    1. Check the shared service and account

    • Work or school account: Ask a Microsoft 365 administrator to open Microsoft 365 admin center → Health → Service health and review Active issues Microsoft is working on for Microsoft 365 or Copilot. If no relevant incident appears, the administrator can select Report an issue. Service Support and Helpdesk administrators can also view this page.^1^
    • Personal account: Sign out of Copilot and Microsoft 365 on each device, then sign back in using the same account associated with the subscription.
    • Embedded Copilot in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams requires the applicable Microsoft 365 Copilot entitlement; web-based Copilot Chat and consumer Copilot do not necessarily use the same licensing model.^2^

    On Windows, also run:

    1. Open Start → Get Help.
    2. Search for Copilot connectivity troubleshooter and run it.
    3. If Copilot is absent from eligible Microsoft 365 applications, run Copilot License Troubleshooter as well.^3^

    2. Follow the branch matching the blank page

    If the blank page is in a browser:

    1. Open Copilot in a normal browser window using the affected account.
    2. If this is a Microsoft 365 web app or a license-validation error appears, allow third-party cookies:
      • Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data → Block third-party cookies: Off
      • Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Allow third-party cookies
    3. Reload the page. Private/InPrivate mode can help isolate cached data or extensions, but it may block third-party cookies and therefore prevent Copilot from validating the license.^4^

    If the blank page is in a Windows Copilot app:

    First identify whether it is Microsoft Copilot or Microsoft 365 Copilot, because they are separate apps. Then:

    1. Open Start and search for the affected app.
    2. Right-click it and select App settings.
    3. Scroll to Reset, select Reset, and reopen the app.
    4. If it remains blank, return to App settings, uninstall it, and reinstall the same app from Microsoft Store.^5^

    Resetting removes that app’s local data and sign-in state, but not cloud-hosted documents.

    3. Restore Copilot inside documents

    On Windows:

    1. In Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, select File → Account → Update Options → Update Now.
    2. Return to File → Account → Update License.
    3. Close every Microsoft 365 app and reopen the document.
    4. Look for the newer Copilot Dynamic Action Button in the document’s lower-right corner, not only on the ribbon.
    5. Under File → Account → Account Privacy → Manage Settings, enable:
      • Experiences that analyze your content
      • All connected experiences
    6. For a managed business installation, check File → Account → Product Information. If it says Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel, ask IT to move the device to Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel; embedded Copilot features are unavailable on Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel.^6^

    On Mac, use the application menu → About Word/Excel/PowerPoint → More Info → Refresh License, restart all Microsoft 365 apps, then check Preferences → Privacy for the two connected-experience settings.^6^

    If only particular documents fail and they are stored outside Microsoft storage, copy one test file to OneDrive or SharePoint and retry.^4^

    4. Mobile access

    The updated Microsoft Copilot mobile app no longer performs all file-management and editing tasks itself:

    • Use Search for recent files.
    • Use OneDrive for the complete file list.
    • Use the dedicated Word, Excel, or PowerPoint mobile app to edit documents.
    • Sign in to those apps with the same account that can access the file.^7^

    If all branches still fail, personal/home users should use Microsoft Support’s Contact Support route; work or school users should have their administrator open a Microsoft 365 support request. Send feedback is useful for supplying diagnostics, but it is not a replacement for a support case.

    For precise routing, specify whether the account is personal or work/school, whether the desktop is Windows or macOS, and whether the blank page occurs in a browser, Microsoft Copilot app, or Microsoft 365 Copilot app.

    References

    1. How to check Microsoft 365 service health
    2. Plan licensing and cost
    3. Copilot troubleshooters | Microsoft Support
    4. I am getting license validation errors with Copilot | Microsoft Support
    5. Microsoft 365 Copilot is not working - Microsoft Q&A
    6. [Mac](https://support.microsoft.com/office/foundations-experiences/how-to-find-and-enable-missing-copilot-button-in-microsoft-365-apps)
    7. Understand changes to Microsoft Copilot mobile app
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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