Which Copilot can do what (2026)

What Copilot Chat can do without a licence, what needs Microsoft 365 Copilot, and what changed on 15 April 2026.

As of 2026-09-29. Licensing changes often; check with your IT team.

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat (included, no Copilot licence)

Can

  • Web-grounded chat in the Copilot app and browser with enterprise data protection (work account)
  • Upload files and ask questions about them
  • Copilot Pages
  • Copilot in Outlook and in Teams chat
  • Word, Excel and PowerPoint agents inside the Copilot app

Can't

  • Since 15 Apr 2026: no Copilot side panel inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint for organisations over 2,000 users; smaller organisations keep a capacity-limited version
  • No Copilot in OneNote
  • No grounding in the organisation's mail, files and Teams data (Microsoft Graph)

Microsoft 365 Copilot (paid licence)

Can

  • Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams
  • Grounded in the user's permitted work data via Microsoft Graph (emails, files, meetings)
  • Teams meeting recap and summaries (where transcription is enabled)

Can't

  • Access data the user doesn't have permission to see
  • Guarantee accuracy: output must be verified

Rules TFCD follows

  • State which tier a demo assumes. Prefer approaches that work on Copilot Chat with file upload.
  • Never claim Copilot can read CCTV, LIMS or production systems directly; data must be exported or uploaded.
  • Use anonymised or dummy data in every demo.
  • Always verify outputs against source records.

Sources: A Guide to Cloud: M365 Copilot Chat April 2026 changes; Office Watch: Copilot Chat removed from Word, Excel, PowerPoint

TFCD content is general guidance, not professional advice for your site. Always check requirements against your own licensed copy of the BRCGS Standard and your customers' codes of practice.