Copilot from Explorer Window no SSO activation possible

Question

Is Copilot (licensed within M365) working in File Explorer for you??
When in File Explorer, right click on a file > ask Copilot I get the screen below, however after logging in (and pinning the app) I still can't access the logged in version with this same process. The only ways to get acces to my subscription is from within the apps and Edge, not from File Explorer.
Has anyone got an explanation/fix for this?

Answer 1

Hi Sara Borremans,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum! I completely understand how uncomfortable it can be when you expect the same Copilot experience everywhere but run into limitations in File Explorer.

As far as I know, the “Ask Copilot” option in File Explorer is part of Windows Copilot, not the full Microsoft 365 Copilot experience. Even after signing in and pinning the app, File Explorer still routes to the Windows Copilot pane, which currently doesn’t unlock your enterprise Copilot features.

Office apps (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Microsoft Edge have native integration with M365 Copilot, so they authenticate your subscription and provide full functionality. At this time, Copilot in Windows and Copilot for Microsoft 365 are separate experiences. Unfortunately, File Explorer integration is limited to basic Windows Copilot capabilities for now.

Here are my suggested workarounds that you can use:

• Open the file in its app (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and use Copilot there for full enterprise features.
• Upload to OneDrive or SharePoint and access Copilot in the web app for richer functionality.

In the meantime, please keep an eye on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, as deeper File Explorer integration is planned. Your feedback is valuable to us, it helps shape future improvements. Thank you for your patience while these experiences evolve.

I look forward to receiving your update. Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment". Thanks for your effort.

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