What Copilot access do I have?
Most people start with Copilot Chat and assume they have 'Copilot'. This page explains what that usually means, what becomes possible with Microsoft 365 Copilot, and why some features may still depend on admin settings or permissions.
Last reviewed 2026-09-05
What changes as access increases?
| Access | Typical capabilities |
|---|---|
| Copilot Chat | Ask questions, draft, rewrite, summarise, reason over supplied material, research and use available personal agents. |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Adds richer work context and broader Microsoft 365 capabilities, including Copilot experiences in supported apps and more work-grounded scenarios. |
| Admin-enabled capabilities | Some features may still need an administrator to expose, enable, configure or assign access even after you have the relevant licence. |
| Usage-billed capabilities | Some advanced experiences can additionally depend on billing setup, spending controls or credits. |
What should I do next?
If you are trying to use something you have seen in another person's account, do not start by assuming it is broken. Check whether it is included in your current access, whether your organisation has enabled it, and whether any dependent service or data source must also be configured.
Next steps
- Personal Agents: useful helpers before you upgrade
- What changes with Microsoft 365 Copilot Premium?
- Copilot inside Microsoft 365 apps
- Copilot Notebooks: build a controlled working context
- Summarising safely: tell Copilot what matters
- Why can't I use that feature?
- What is Microsoft Copilot Cowork?
- Back to Start here
Sources
- Overview of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat — checked 2026-09-05
- Microsoft 365 Copilot overview — checked 2026-09-05
- Agents for Microsoft Copilot Chat — checked 2026-09-05
- Choose the right tool to build a declarative agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot — checked 2026-09-05
- Microsoft 365 Copilot release notes — checked 2026-09-05