Information Technology Services > Microsoft 365 Copilot App Updates

Microsoft 365 Copilot App Updates

Please see the following scheduled Microsoft change:

Date: July 2026 (An exact implementation date is unavailable for WSU’s Microsoft environment.)

The following work is being completed: Microsoft is updating the Microsoft 365 Copilot app to change the interface, navigation, and chat experience, including adding a Tasks tab and combining existing controls into a Work IQ toggle. Review visual examples of the upcoming Copilot updates.

All affected groups: Users accessing the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on web and desktop, including both Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) and Copilot Chat (Basic) tenants

All affected processes: 

  • Navigation Updates
    • Navigation pane will add a pinned section for quick access to frequently used agents, apps, and Copilot experiences.
    • App launcher will move to the “waffle” menu in the top right of the expanded navigation pane.
    • Agents section will change to a flyout menu showing pinned and recent agents, with access to the agent store and builder.
    • New Tasks tab will display long-running Copilot activities, including scheduled chats and agent actions.
    • Navigation pane will be collapsible.
  • Chat Updates
    • Work and web grounding controls will be combined into a single “Work IQ” toggle in the chat interface.
    • Work IQ will be enabled by default and will combine enterprise and web data, with an option to switch to web-only grounding when turned off.
    • When Work IQ is turned off, prompt suggestions and menus will be limited to web-based inputs, and the Sources menu will be disabled.
    • Chat layout will be simplified with improved formatting support, updated prompt suggestions, and a new content menu.
    • Chat responses will be reformatted to make information, citations, and suggested actions easier to scan.
  • Agent Updates
    • Agent home screen will display details about the agent’s origin, including the creator’s profile and organization name.
    • Agent chat input will include the agent’s name to clearly indicate that the interaction is with a specific agent.

Duration of impact: This is a permanent, Microsoft-driven change.

Necessary follow-up steps: None

Questions? Please contact Crimson Service Desk at crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu or 509-335-4357.

Visual Examples

The following image captures the new Microsoft 365 Copilot app home screen view:

Microsoft Copilot home screen showing a centered “Hi, how can I help?” message, an “Ask Copilot” input field with voice controls, and suggestion buttons. A left navigation sidebar and a top bar with “Work IQ” set to “Auto” are visible.

The following image captures the new Microsoft 365 Copilot app home screen with expanded navigation view:

Microsoft Copilot home screen with an expanded left navigation panel showing menu options, pinned items, and recent chats. The main area displays “Hi, how can I help?” with an “Ask Copilot” input field and suggestion buttons, and a top bar with “Work IQ” set to “Auto.”

The following image captures the new Chat response in the Copilot app view:

Microsoft Copilot chat screen showing a user question about recent incident analysis and a response titled “Recent Additional Incident Analysis Activities,” listing three files with descriptions. An “Ask Copilot” input field is visible at the bottom, and a “Work IQ” selector set to “Auto” appears in the top bar.