Microsoft will add a more prominent Copilot button above the ribbon in Classic Outlook from late August, making the AI assistant easier to access for licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot users. The change aligns Classic Outlook with Word, Excel and PowerPoint, but may prompt extra support queries from administrators and users who dislike more visible AI features.

The button will open the existing Copilot side pane, which can suggest actions such as summarising emails and drafting replies; it will not float over messages. Microsoft says the feature will be enabled by default, while Classic Outlook remains supported until at least 2029 and the opt-out migration to new Outlook has been delayed until 2027.