Microsoft Reinstates Mandatory Copilot App on Select Windows PCs

Late last year, Microsoft announced plans to automatically install the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on select Windows PCs. By March 2026, a technical snag forced the company to halt the rollout, promising to notify users when it could resume.

In a recent Message Center update for IT administrators, Microsoft confirmed that the automatic deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot will restart on commercial Windows PCs that already host Microsoft 365 applications. This means that users with Office apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint installed under a Microsoft 365 license can expect the Copilot app to appear in their Installed Apps list shortly.

Fortunately, IT admins retain some control over the rollout. By opting out, devices within their tenant will not receive the Copilot app automatically. A phased rollout via feature flags has already begun and is slated to conclude by the end of June.

Microsoft has not yet clarified the exact steps for toggling these feature flags in the Message Center, and the public support documentation remains silent on the process.

Microsoft, the tech powerhouse headquartered in Redmond, has issued a proactive advisory to IT administrators: inform end‑users ahead of time so they’re not blindsided by a new application appearing seemingly on its own, without any manual installation or explicit permission.

Those who already have the software installed, or who reside within the European Economic Area (EEA), will not be affected by this change, a move that Microsoft has labeled a “major change” in its deployment strategy.