Can you tell me how to add and enable Copilot in outlook to help summarize my emails

Question

I need help to enable copilot in outlook to summarize my emails

Answer 1

To use Copilot in Outlook to summarize emails, two things are needed:

1. Copilot must be available and licensed on the account.
2. The Summarize/Summary by Copilot feature must be used in Outlook.

If the Copilot button or Summarize option is missing, first confirm the account and license, then use the summarization feature as described below.

1. Make sure Copilot is available on the account

1. Confirm that the signed-in account has a Copilot license:
   • For home users: a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription, or Copilot Pro.
   • For business users: a Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, E3, E5, F1, or F3 subscription, plus Microsoft 365 Copilot.
2. In any Microsoft 365 app (for example, Outlook or Word on the desktop):
   • Go to File > Account.
   • Select Update License.
   • Close and restart all Microsoft 365 apps so the updated license is applied.

Once the license is active and refreshed, Copilot features (including summarization) appear in Outlook.

2. Access Copilot summarization in Outlook (desktop/web)

When Copilot is available, summarization is exposed as Summary by Copilot:

1. Open Outlook and select the email conversation (thread) to summarize.
2. At the top of the message thread, use the Summarize button in the Summary by Copilot area. Copilot scans the thread and generates a summary of key points.
3. The summary appears at the top of the email. In some Outlook clients, it may include numbered citations that jump to specific emails in the thread.

In Outlook with a screen reader, the same feature is accessed via keyboard:

• Classic Outlook (desktop):
  1. Open the email to summarize.
  2. Press Shift+Tab until focus is on the Summarize button just below the email ribbon, then press Enter.
  3. Copilot generates the summary in the Summary by Copilot dialog. Use Tab to reach Stop generating if needed.
• New Outlook (desktop/web) with a screen reader:
  1. Open the email to summarize.
  2. Press Tab to move to the Summarize button below the ribbon, then press Return.
  3. Review the generated summary in the Summary by Copilot dialog; use Tab to reach Stop generating if required.

3. Access Copilot summarization in Outlook for Mac

1. Use the latest Outlook for Mac (legacy Outlook is not supported).
2. Select the conversation to summarize.
3. In the Summary by Copilot box at the top of the thread, select Summarize.
4. Copilot generates a summary at the top of the email. Citations, if present, link to specific emails in the thread.

On Mac, summarization defaults to the language of the email content. The summarization language can be temporarily changed to match Outlook’s UI language, but this change does not persist after restarting Outlook.

4. Access Copilot summarization in Outlook for iOS/Android

1. Open Outlook on iOS or Android and select the conversation.
2. Tap the Copilot icon on the toolbar.
3. Copilot scans the thread and generates a summary, which appears under the email.

With a screen reader on mobile:

1. Open the Inbox and navigate to the email using flick gestures.
2. Open the email, then flick until hearing “Summarize conversation button” and double-tap.
3. Review the summary with VoiceOver or TalkBack; use the Stop generating button if needed.

5. Where to find Copilot entry points in Outlook

When Copilot is enabled and licensed, Outlook exposes multiple Copilot features:

• Summary by Copilot: via the Summarize button at the top of each message thread.
• Draft with Copilot and Coaching by Copilot: from the Copilot button on the ribbon while composing.
• Schedule with Copilot: from an email thread to create a meeting invitation.
• Chat with Copilot: from the Copilot icon in the navigation header (for organizations with a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription).

If the Copilot button is still missing after confirming the license and updating apps, use File > Account > Update License again and ensure Outlook is updated to the latest build as described in the Office updates documentation.

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References:

• How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps
• Frequently asked questions about Copilot in Outlook
• Summarize an email thread with Copilot in Outlook
• Use Copilot in Outlook with a screen reader
• Use Copilot in Outlook for Android and iOS with a screen reader