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Beginning Wednesday, April 15, 2026 Microsoft discontinued the free, built-in Copilot AI experience within Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
Who is affected
This change affects all University of Oklahoma account holders who currently use the basic (no-cost) Copilot feature in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote with their university provided Microsoft 365 account.
What is changing
Effective April 15, Microsoft restricted the in‑app Copilot experience to users who have a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) subscription. As a result, OU users will no longer see the Copilot icon in the ribbon of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote when using the standard university license.
This change does not eliminate Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium). Instead, Microsoft is ending access to the free/basic Copilot across all Microsoft 365 licenses, not just those associated with the University of Oklahoma.
Users who wish to continue to use the Copilot in-app features may purchase an annual license through the Microsoft Add-On License Request.
What is staying the same
Microsoft Copilot Chat will remain available to all university account holders:
- On the web at http://portal.office.com
- In the Microsoft 365 Copilot app
- In the Outlook app, including the inbox and calendar features
- In the Teams app