Outlook-Specific Copilot Settings

Overview

When IT administrators start managing Microsoft 365 Copilot, one of the first questions is: “How do I configure Copilot specifically for Outlook?” The answer might surprise you—there’s no separate Outlook Copilot toggle in the admin center.

Copilot in Outlook is controlled by the same app deployment and pinning controls that manage the Copilot app tenant-wide. This means understanding the broader Copilot app architecture is essential to managing Outlook access effectively, especially in government environments like GCC, GCC High, and DoD.

This video gives you the practical admin playbook for controlling Copilot in Outlook. You’ll learn which controls actually affect Outlook, how pinning works across different clients, and what requirements must be met for Outlook users to access Copilot features.

What You’ll Learn

• Copilot App Architecture: How the Copilot app controls access across Outlook, Teams, and the standalone Copilot app
• Deployment Controls: Where to manage user and group access to the Copilot app in the Microsoft 365 admin center
• Pinning Behavior: How pinning controls work for Outlook, including government cloud-specific differences
• Client Requirements: Which Outlook clients support Copilot and what mailbox requirements must be met

Script

Hook: Outlook Copilot is not a separate setting

If you’re looking for an “Outlook Copilot switch” in the Microsoft 365 admin center, you won’t find one.

There’s no separate Outlook-specific toggle. Copilot in Outlook is controlled by the same app deployment and pinning controls that manage the Copilot app tenant-wide.

This trips up a lot of admins the first time. You think you’re looking for granular app-by-app controls. But the architecture works differently.

Understanding this saves you time and helps you configure access correctly the first time. Let’s walk through how it actually works.

The Copilot app controls Outlook access

Here’s the key architectural fact: the Copilot app is an integrated app that delivers Copilot Chat to multiple surfaces.

Specifically, it provides Copilot functionality to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on web, desktop, and mobile. It also provides Copilot in Outlook across web, desktop, and mobile. And it connects to Teams, though Teams has some separate pinning behaviors we’ll talk about in a moment.

The important thing to understand is this: blocking the Copilot app blocks it across all these surfaces, including Outlook.

So how do you manage who gets the app?

You navigate to the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Integrated Apps, and find Copilot. From there, you have two deployment options.

You can choose “All users in the organization can install.” This makes the app available to everyone with a license. Or you can choose “Specific users/group in the organization can install” and then specify which users or groups should have access.

This control is scoped at the tenant level. It affects Outlook, the standalone Copilot app, and the web experience all at once.

And this applies equally across GCC, GCC High, and DoD environments. The control path is the same. The behavior is the same. You’re managing one app deployment that touches multiple user experiences.

Pinning Copilot Chat in Outlook

Once the app is deployed, the next question is: do you want Copilot pinned in the Outlook navigation bar?

Pinning is a separate control from deployment. Deployment determines who has access. Pinning determines UI visibility.

To manage pinning, you go to Copilot in the admin center, then Settings, then User access, then Pin Copilot Chat.

This control lets you pin or unpin Copilot Chat in Outlook’s navigation, the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, and in some configurations, Teams.

Now here’s where government clouds get a little different.

In GCC, GCC High, and DoD environments, the pinning control only affects Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. For Outlook and Teams in government clouds, pinning behavior is controlled by the Copilot app deployment setting, not the separate pinning toggle.

So if you’re in a government cloud and you’re trying to unpin Copilot from Outlook, you need to manage that through the Integrated Apps deployment control, not the pinning setting.

If you’re in commercial clouds, the pinning setting works as expected across all apps including Outlook.

By default, if a user has a Copilot license and the app is deployed to them, Copilot will appear in Outlook. The pinning control just changes whether it’s pinned to the navigation bar or available through a menu or search.

Outlook client requirements and support

Now let’s talk about which Outlook clients actually support Copilot and what the mailbox requirements are.

Copilot works in classic Outlook on both Windows and Mac. It works in new Outlook on Windows and Mac. It works in Outlook on the web. And it works in Outlook mobile on both iOS and Android, with new voice summarization features rolling out in 2026.

But there are important requirements you need to verify before users can access Copilot in Outlook.

First, the user’s primary mailbox must be hosted on Exchange Online. This is a hard requirement. If you’re still running Exchange on-premises for primary mailboxes, Copilot won’t work in Outlook for those users.

Second, the user needs a Microsoft 365 Copilot license assigned. This is obvious, but worth stating explicitly.

Third, the Copilot app cannot be blocked for that user through the Integrated Apps control we talked about earlier.

Now, what doesn’t work?

Shared mailboxes don’t support Copilot. Users accessing shared mailboxes won’t see Copilot features in that context.

On-premises Exchange mailboxes don’t work. We already mentioned that, but it’s worth repeating because it’s a common blocker.

And delegated access scenarios have variable behavior. If a user is accessing someone else’s mailbox through delegation, Copilot behavior is not guaranteed and often doesn’t work as expected.

So before you roll out Copilot to Outlook users, verify these requirements are met. Check that primary mailboxes are on Exchange Online. Confirm licenses are assigned. Make sure the app isn’t blocked.

Close: three-step admin playbook

Let’s bring this together into a simple three-step admin playbook.

Step one: control app deployment. Go to Integrated Apps, find Copilot, and decide whether you’re deploying to all users or specific groups. This is your primary access control for Outlook and other Copilot surfaces.

Step two: set your pinning preference. Go to Copilot Settings and configure whether Copilot Chat should be pinned in the navigation bar. Remember, in government clouds, this setting doesn’t affect Outlook—you manage Outlook pinning through the app deployment control.

Step three: verify Outlook client requirements. Make sure your users are on supported Outlook clients and that their primary mailboxes are hosted on Exchange Online. If you have on-premises mailboxes or shared mailbox scenarios, document those as out of scope for Copilot.

The key thing to remember: there’s no separate Outlook-specific toggle. You’re managing a tenant-wide Copilot app that affects Outlook along with other surfaces.

When you document your Copilot deployment for governance or ATO purposes, capture your deployment scope decision, your pinning configuration, and your client support posture. That gives auditors and leadership a clear picture of how Copilot is controlled in your tenant.

That’s your admin playbook for Outlook Copilot settings. Simple, tenant-wide controls. No hidden toggles. Just deployment, pinning, and client requirements.

Sources & References

• Microsoft 365 Copilot app settings for IT admins — Primary admin guidance for Copilot app deployment and settings, including Outlook
• Manage Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat — Copilot Chat management including pinning controls and user access configuration
• Manage Microsoft 365 Copilot Scenarios — Manage Microsoft 365 Copilot scenarios across apps including Outlook
• Copilot in Microsoft 365 Admin Centers — Admin center overview for Copilot controls including app deployment and pinning
• Copilot in Outlook — Outlook-specific Copilot capabilities and user experience overview
• Get started with Copilot in Outlook — End-user guide for Copilot in Outlook