Microsoft fixes classic Outlook bug that hid Copilot buttons

Microsoft says it has fixed a known issue that hid the Copilot Chat and Copilot buttons in the classic Outlook desktop app for some Windows users.

The issue affected users with a Copilot Chat (Basic) license or a Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) account. They could no longer see Copilot buttons in the side navigation or above the ribbon. Microsoft first said in June that a service change had fixed the bug. Last month, however, it began investigating again after updates caused the problem to return.

Microsoft traced the issue to a bug that prevented classic Outlook from retrieving some account information from a user’s Outlook profile. It cautioned that missing Copilot buttons can have other causes, including licensing, Microsoft 365 app configuration, update channel, privacy settings, or other environmental factors. It recommends using its Copilot troubleshooting guidance to identify the cause.

For users still affected, Microsoft’s temporary workaround is to enable “Show Apps in Outlook” in classic Outlook’s settings: go to File, then Options > Advanced, and check the box under “Outlook panes.” Users can also switch to the new Outlook client or Outlook Web Access, which Microsoft says the bug did not affect, or create a new Outlook profile.