Microsoft 365 Copilot in Outlook shows speech bubble icon instead of pen ("Draft with Copilot") icon

Lennart Schmitz 0 Reputatiepunten
2026-09-02T11:59:03.41+00:00

Hello,

I am using Microsoft 365 Copilot in Outlook and I have noticed a difference between my Outlook experience and that of several colleagues.

My colleagues see a pen/pencil icon when composing an email. Clicking this icon allows them to use Copilot to generate a draft email directly from the compose window.

In my Outlook client, I see a speech bubble icon in the same location instead of the pen icon. The draft generation experience appears to be different and I am unable to access the same functionality that my colleagues have.

Could you please clarify:

  1. What is the difference between the speech bubble icon and the pen icon in Outlook Copilot?
  2. Is the pen icon part of a newer Copilot experience or feature rollout?
  3. Are there specific licensing, policy, update channel, or tenant settings required for the pen icon to appear?
  4. How can I enable the same "Draft with Copilot" experience that my colleagues have?
  5. Is this functionality dependent on Outlook version, update channel, or targeted release settings?

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  1. Jade Ng 15,860 Reputatiepunten Extern personeel Microsoft Moderator
    2026-09-03T06:46:18.6066667+00:00

    Disclaimer: This platform is in Dutch. However, I noticed that your message was written in English, so I will respond in English to ensure clarity and provide better assistance.

    Dear Lennart Schmitz,

    Thank you for your questions and for sharing your observations. I would like to address your points below. If any part of my explanation is unclear, please feel free to reply to this comment and I will be happy to clarify further.

    1. What is the difference between the speech bubble icon and the pen icon?

    The speech bubble icon generally represents Copilot Chat (the conversational Copilot experience available inside Outlook).

    The pen/pencil icon is associated with Draft with Copilot or the newer inline drafting/co-authoring experience that helps generate or refine email content directly in the compose window. Draft with Copilot, Coaching by Copilot, and other compose-related experiences as distinct from Copilot Chat.

    In recent Outlook updates, Microsoft has been introducing a more integrated drafting experience that allows users to collaborate with Copilot directly while composing messages. This experience is separate from the traditional Copilot Chat pane.

    Afbeelding van gebruiker

    1. Is the pen icon part of a newer rollout?

    The expected entry point for Draft with Copilot and Coaching by Copilot is the Copilot button shown in the compose window, as illustrated below.

    Untitled

    Microsoft states that Copilot features are deployed using a safe deployment model, meaning features may appear for some users before others, even within the same tenant.

    Therefore, it is entirely possible that:

    • Your colleagues are already on the newer drafting experience.
    • Your account is still receiving the earlier or alternate Copilot entry point.
    1. Are there licensing or policy requirements?

    Yes, indicates that the exact Copilot experience depends on:

    • Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing
    • Tenant configuration
    • Outlook version

    In particular:

    • Users with only baseline Copilot Chat access may primarily see chat-oriented experiences.
    • Users with a full Microsoft 365 Copilot license receive the complete Outlook Copilot feature set, including drafting, coaching, summarization, and mailbox-grounded functionality.
    1. How can you get the same "Draft with Copilot" experience?

    I would recommend comparing the following with a colleague who has the pen icon:

    1. Outlook version
    2. Build number
    3. Microsoft 365 Apps update channel
    4. Licensing

    For more reference, please visit:

    Hope this helps. Welcome to share any updates when you have time if you need further help on this issue. Thank you very much for your valuable time and your cooperation.

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