Microsoft fixes classic Outlook bug that hid Copilot buttons
Microsoft says it has fixed the classic Outlook bug that hid Copilot buttons for some licensed Windows users, although other causes can produce the same symptom.
Microsoft says it has fixed a bug that hid Copilot Chat and Copilot entry points in classic Outlook for Windows. The issue affected some users with either a Copilot Chat Basic licence or a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot Premium account after Outlook updates to build 20026.20182 and later. 1
The missing controls could appear in several places. Users might lose the Copilot button above the ribbon, the Copilot icon in the left app bar or the entry in More Apps. In some cases, Copilot appeared under Add Apps but selecting Open did nothing, while ribbon customisation showed the command as unavailable or greyed out. 1
Microsoft says Copilot remained available through other entry points, including Outlook on the web and the standalone Copilot app or web experience. Its support page now lists the issue as fixed and says the underlying problem prevented classic Outlook from retrieving required account information from a user’s Outlook profile. 1
BleepingComputer reports that this is the latest turn in a problem Microsoft previously said it had resolved. The company first announced a fix in June, then began investigating again after later updates caused the missing buttons to resurface. 2
What affected users can try
Microsoft says the symptom can have several causes beyond this particular bug, including licensing, Microsoft 365 configuration, update channel and privacy settings. It recommends using its Copilot troubleshooters if the buttons remain absent. 1
The support page also points to a setting that can affect the Outlook app bar: Show Apps in Outlook. In classic Outlook, open File, choose Options, select Advanced, then enable Show Apps in Outlook under Outlook panes. Users can alternatively switch to new Outlook or Outlook Web Access, or create a new Outlook profile. 1
Our opinion
This is a useful fix, but Microsoft’s own wording matters: a missing Copilot button is a symptom, not proof of one single fault. The repaired profile-information bug should remove one cause, yet users who still cannot see Copilot may need to check licensing, update channels and Outlook’s app-display settings as well. That is less satisfying than a single switch, but it is a more honest explanation of why the same missing button can persist for different reasons.