Here are a few recent updates coming to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app that are worth keeping an eye on. If you spend any time working in Copilot, you will likely notice that the experience is evolving quickly, with a strong focus on simplifying navigation and making it easier to stay in context. In this post, I’ll walk through a set of changes that together reshape how users interact with Copilot, both in terms of structure and day‑to‑day workflows.
Simpler and cleaner navigation experience in the copilot app
The Microsoft 365 Copilot app will soon feature a simplified navigation structure designed to make it easier for users to find key experiences. The update introduces a flattened menu with more logical grouping of features such as agents, notebooks, and recent chats directly in the navigation pane. For users with a Copilot license, the Apps entry point has also been repositioned to the navigation footer next to Settings, improving discoverability without adding clutter.
The goal is to reduce friction in how users move between features, especially as the app continues to expand with new capabilities. While this is primarily a user experience improvement, it also reflects a broader trend toward consolidating Copilot interactions into a more unified interface.
The rollout began for Targeted Release in mid‑November 2025 and after several delays, should be completed by now. This update is associated with Roadmap ID 518222. But keep an eye out for more updates on the layout, as more is scheduled to roll out.
A more chat-centered copilot experience with streamlined controls (The waffle is back!)
A broader set of updates is introducing a more chat‑centric experience across the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. The interface has been reworked with simplified headers, cleaner input components, and a more structured response layout to improve readability and usability.
Navigation is evolving further with the addition of a pinned section that allows users to keep frequently used agents, apps, and experiences readily accessible. The app launcher is moving into the waffle menu, aligning Copilot more closely with other Microsoft 365 experiences. A new Tasks tab provides a centralized view of long‑running Copilot activities such as scheduled chats and agent actions, helping users track ongoing work.
One of the more notable changes is the introduction of the Work IQ toggle in chat. This consolidates work and web grounding into a single control, which is enabled by default. Users can switch between combined enterprise and web grounding or web‑only responses, giving them more flexibility depending on the scenario. At the same time, chat prompts, suggestions, and agent interactions have been refined to create a more cohesive and predictable experience.
These changes began rolling out to Frontier users in late May 2026. General availability behind an opt‑in toggle is expected in June 2026, followed by full rollout with the experience enabled by default in July 2026.
Notebooks as a persistent workspace for copilot interactions
The updated Notebooks experience introduces a more structured way for users to organize their Copilot work across conversations, generated content, and supporting materials. Notebooks act as a lightweight, persistent workspace that keeps related activities together, making it easier to maintain context and continue work over time.
This update applies to users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) license and is available in the Copilot app on the web as well as in OneNote. Importantly, the existing OneNote experience remains unchanged, while Notebooks stay synchronized between the Copilot app and OneNote. This allows users to move seamlessly between environments without losing context or access to their work.
Content generated from within a Notebook, such as documents, presentations, and Copilot Pages, remains associated with that workspace. The feature is enabled by default when it becomes available to a tenant, and it is governed by existing Microsoft 365 Copilot policies, with no separate admin toggle required.
Public Preview rollout is scheduled to begin in mid‑June 2026 and complete by early July 2026. General Availability will follow, starting in early July 2026 and completing by late July 2026.
This update is associated with Roadmap ID 562662. As timelines can change, it is recommended to monitor the Message center or Microsoft 365 roadmap for the latest updates.
### Closing thoughts
Together, these updates continue to move the Microsoft 365 Copilot app toward a more unified, chat‑driven workspace with clearer structure and better continuity across tasks. Thanks for reading, and feel free to follow me on LinkedIn for more updates like this. You’ll find the link in the main menu on the front page.
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