Forum Discussion
How to enable/access Copilot Chat in Outlook for Mac (Version 16.106)
Hi Microsoft Support,
I am looking for assistance on how to enable or access the Copilot Chat feature within the Outlook for Mac sidebar.
Importantly, I can confirm that Copilot Chat is fully functional and visible when I use Outlook on the Web (OWA). This indicates that my license is active and correctly assigned, but the feature is missing from my desktop client.
My Environment Details:
- Outlook Version: 16.106 (Build 25122912)
- Update Channel: [Beta Channel / Insider]
- Interface: "The New Outlook" for Mac
- License: Microsoft 365 [Business/Enterprise] with Copilot
Problem Description: The Copilot Chat icon does not appear in the left-hand navigation bar in the desktop app. When I check the "More Apps" section to customize the sidebar, Copilot is not listed as an option to add.
I would appreciate your help with the following:
- Since the feature works in the web version, why is it not syncing/appearing in the Mac Desktop app (Version 16.106)?
- Are there any specific "Connected Experiences" or local settings I need to toggle to force the Copilot app to appear in the sidebar?
- Is there a way to reset the local app configuration or cache to recognize my Copilot entitlement?
Thank you for your assistance in getting the desktop integration working.
2 Replies
hi janytter you need to raise a support tkt with microsoft. this is community support site where you will get the response if any one have similar issues. Being a mac user and knowledge here is my response.
Firstly, You’re not missing anything here, this doesn’t look like a configuration or licensing problem on your side. Even though Copilot Chat works in Outlook on the Web, Microsoft doesn’t roll out Copilot features to all Outlook clients at the same time. Web usually gets new capabilities first, Windows desktop next, and Outlook for Mac typically lags behind, even on Insider or Beta builds.
Right now, Copilot Chat isn’t fully available in the Outlook for Mac sidebar, which is why:
The Copilot icon doesn’t show up in the left navigation
It’s not listed under “More Apps”
Reinstalling Outlook or resetting profiles doesn’t change anything
There also isn’t a hidden setting or “Connected Experiences” toggle that will force it to appear. Since it works in OWA, your license and tenant setup are already confirmed to be correct.
For now, the only real workaround is to use Outlook on the Web (or copilot.microsoft.com) alongside the Mac client until Microsoft finishes rolling this out to macOS. When it does arrive, it usually just shows up automatically , no extra configuration needed.
First and foremost, thank you for the prompt response; it was very clarifying. Nevertheless, I seem to recall that this feature was available to me previously, but that at some point it appeared to have “disappeared.”
Could you please confirm or deny whether this functionality was available in an earlier version of Outlook for Mac, but may have been withdrawn later for various reasons?
It is, of course, possible that I am mistaken. Thank you once again for your assistance.
