Quick answer: In classic Outlook for Windows, the Copilot button sits above the ribbon at the top right, with a Copilot icon in the app bar on the left. If both vanished after a mid-2026 update, it’s a known bug that Microsoft has since marked fixed. Install the latest Office update and restart Outlook, and if that doesn’t help, create a new Outlook profile. Otherwise, check that Show Apps in Outlook is on, that your account includes Copilot, and that your PC isn’t on an older update channel.
In this guide
This applies to Outlook for Microsoft 365 (classic and new Outlook) and Outlook on the web. Microsoft lists Copilot for Microsoft 365 versions; we found nothing official about one-time-purchase Outlook 2021 or 2024.
Find your symptom
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No Copilot button or app bar icon after an update since June 2026 | Known classic Outlook bug | Update, restart, then try a new profile |
| Copilot is in Add Apps but Open does nothing, or it’s greyed out in ribbon options | Same bug | Same fix |
| No app bar on the left at all | Show Apps in Outlook is off | Turn the option on |
| Copilot missing in every Office app | Licence or account | Check the licence, then Update License |
| A family member has no Copilot | Only the subscription owner gets it | Expected behaviour |
| Work PC on an older build | Update channel | Ask IT |
The 2026 classic Outlook bug
Microsoft’s known-issue page says Copilot buttons went missing in classic Outlook after updating to build 20026.20182 or higher (Version 2605, released June 16, 2026). It affected both Copilot Chat and paid Microsoft 365 Copilot users. The symptoms were:
- No Copilot button above the ribbon or in the side navigation.
- No Copilot icon in the app bar or under More Apps.
- Copilot listed under Add Apps, but selecting Open did nothing.
- Copilot unavailable or greyed out when customizing the ribbon.
Copilot kept working in Outlook on the web and the Microsoft Copilot app. Microsoft says classic Outlook couldn’t read some account information from the Outlook profile. The page was marked Fixed on October 15, 2026, without naming a fixed build. Press reports say an earlier fix in late June didn’t hold, so the bug came back for some people before the October fix.
What to do
- In classic Outlook, go to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.
- When the update finishes, close and reopen Outlook.
- If Copilot is still missing, create a new Outlook profile, which Microsoft lists as a workaround. Our guide to resetting Outlook covers this. Be careful if you use POP or IMAP accounts with PST files, and note where those files are first.
- In the meantime, use Copilot in new Outlook or Outlook on the web.
Some June advice suggested rolling Office back to an older build. Now that the bug is marked fixed, that’s no longer needed, and rolling back removes security fixes.
Turn on Show Apps in Outlook
Microsoft’s known-issue page also points to this setting, which can hide the app bar where the Copilot icon lives. Go to File > Options > Advanced and, under Outlook panes, tick Show Apps in Outlook. Restart Outlook.
Check that your account includes Copilot
Copilot depends on your licence and on which account you’re signed in with. Microsoft’s licence guide lists these types:
- Copilot Chat (free with many work and school plans): chat in Outlook works with a work or school account, but it isn’t available in Word, Excel, PowerPoint or OneNote.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot (paid business add-on): full Copilot across the apps.
- Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium: Copilot is included, but in Family plans only the subscription owner can use it in the desktop apps, and it’s off for users under the age limit.
To check, sign in at m365.cloud.microsoft (work) or account.microsoft.com/services (personal). If the licence is there, go to File > Office Account in Outlook, select Update License, and restart every Microsoft 365 app. The Get Help app also has a Copilot licence troubleshooter. For work accounts, Copilot features that use your mail need an Exchange Online mailbox.
Update Office and check your channel
Check your version under File > Office Account > Product Information. Microsoft’s missing Copilot button guide says Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel doesn’t support Copilot. Microsoft has since merged that channel into Monthly Enterprise Channel from Version 2606 (July 2026), so today this mainly affects PCs that IT has held on older builds. If that’s you, ask your admin.
Check privacy settings
Copilot needs connected experiences. Go to File > Office Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings and make sure Experiences that analyze your content and All connected experiences are on. If they’re greyed out, your organization controls them.
For admins: Copilot Chat pinning
In the Microsoft 365 admin center, Copilot > Settings > Pin Microsoft Copilot Chat controls whether Copilot Chat appears by default in Teams and Outlook. The default is pinned. According to Microsoft Learn, choosing Do not pin means users don’t see it by default but can still add it from the app store, and changes can take up to 48 hours.
New Outlook and Outlook on the web
Here the Copilot button is near the top of the window. If it’s missing and you use a personal Microsoft account, check Settings > Copilot and make sure Turn on Copilot is on. Microsoft says this choice follows your account across devices. Classic Outlook has no equivalent switch. If someone turned Copilot off earlier using our guide to disabling Copilot, reverse those steps. Not sure which Outlook you have? See how to tell classic and new Outlook apart.
Related guides
- How to disable Copilot in Windows 11 (and Office and Edge)
- How to reset Outlook to default settings (classic and new Outlook)
- Classic Outlook download: how to get it back on Windows 11 and 10
- How to remap the Copilot key on Windows 11 (Right Ctrl, another app or PowerToys)
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