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Microsoft 365 Copilot is cloud-based and has no access to on-premises mailboxes. There are hybrid deployment scenarios where a user with a primary mailbox on-premises also has access to Microsoft 365 services and Microsoft 365 Copilot, but in those scenarios, because the primary mailbox is located on-premises and not in the cloud, grounding Copilot with mailbox content, including calendar information, is not supported.
The table that follows details the Copilot in Outlook user experience based on Outlook version, license assignment, and location of user mailbox.
| Outlook type | Microsoft 365 license assigned | Microsoft 365 Copilot license assigned | Location of User Mailbox | Copilot Experience in Outlook | Copilot Experience outside Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outlook (on-premises version) | N | N | On-premises | Copilot nonexistent | Copilot nonexistent |
| Outlook (on-premises version) | Y | N | On-premises | Copilot nonexistent | Copilot not available |
| Outlook (on-premises version) | Y | Y | On-premises | Copilot nonexistent | Copilot available outside Outlook for cloud content; mailbox grounding not supported |
| Outlook (on-premises version) | Y | N | Cloud | Copilot nonexistent | Copilot not available |
| Outlook (on-premises version) | Y | Y | Cloud | Copilot nonexistent | Copilot available outside Outlook for cloud content; mailbox grounding supported |
| Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps) | N | N | On-premises | Copilot icon exists but is grayed out and no user experience (UX) can be called | Copilot not available |
| Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps) | Y | N | On-premises | Copilot icon exists but is dimmed / grayed-out and no UX can be called | Copilot not available |
| Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps) | Y | Y | On-premises | Copilot icon exists but is dimmed / grayed-out and no UX can be called | Copilot available outside Outlook for cloud content; mailbox grounding not supported |
| Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps) | Y | N | Cloud | Copilot icon exists but is dimmed / grayed-out and no UX can be called | Copilot not available |
| Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps) | Y | Y | Cloud | Copilot icon exists and Copilot is available in Outlook | Copilot available across all surfaces; mailbox grounding supported |
The text that follows describes Copilot user experience based on Outlook version, license assignment, and location of user mailbox, line-by-line.
- Outlook (on-premises version) without Microsoft 365 license or Copilot license assigned, with on-premises mailbox:
- Expected Copilot Behavior in Outlook: Copilot nonexistent (no icons, user experience (UX), or functions).
- Expected Copilot Behavior outside Outlook: Copilot nonexistent (no icons, UX, or functions).
- Outlook (on-premises version) with Microsoft 365 license, but without Copilot license assigned, with on-premises mailbox:
- Expected Copilot Behavior in Outlook: Copilot nonexistent (no icons, UX, or functions).
- Expected Copilot Behavior outside Outlook: Copilot not available.
- Outlook (on-premises version) with both Microsoft 365 and Copilot licenses assigned, with on-premises mailbox:
- Expected Copilot Behavior in Outlook: Copilot nonexistent (no icons, UX, or functions).
- Expected Copilot Behavior outside Outlook: Copilot available outside Outlook for cloud content; mailbox grounding not supported.
- Outlook (on-premises version) with Microsoft 365 license but without Copilot license assigned, Cloud mailbox:
- Expected Copilot Behavior in Outlook: Copilot nonexistent (no icons, UX, or functions).
- Expected Copilot Behavior outside Outlook: Copilot not available.
- Outlook (on-premises version) with both Microsoft 365 and Copilot licenses assigned, Cloud mailbox:
- Expected Copilot Behavior in Outlook: Copilot nonexistent (no icons, UX, or functions).
- Expected Copilot Behavior outside Outlook: Copilot available outside Outlook for cloud content; mailbox grounding supported.
- Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps) without Microsoft 365 license and without Copilot license assigned, with on-premises mailbox:
- Expected Copilot Behavior in Outlook: Copilot icon exists but is dimmed / grayed-out and no UX can be called.
- Expected Copilot Behavior outside Outlook: Copilot not available.
- Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps) with Microsoft 365 license but without Copilot license assigned, on-premises mailbox:
- Expected Copilot Behavior in Outlook: Copilot icon exists but is dimmed/grayed-out and no UX can be called.
- Expected Copilot Behavior outside Outlook: Copilot not available.
- Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps) with both Microsoft 365 and Copilot licenses assigned, on-premises mailbox:
- Expected Copilot behavior in Outlook: Copilot icon exists but is dimmed / grayed-out and no UX can be called.
- Expected Copilot behavior outside Outlook: Copilot available outside outlook for cloud content; mailbox grounding not supported.
- Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps) with Microsoft 365 license, without Copilot license assigned, Cloud mailbox:
- Expected Copilot behavior in Outlook: Copilot icon exists but is dimmed / grayed-out and no UX can be called.
- Expected Copilot behavior outside Outlook: Copilot not available.
- Outlook (Microsoft 365 Apps) with both Microsoft 365 and Copilot licenses assigned, Cloud mailbox:
- Expected Copilot behavior in Outlook: Copilot icon exists and Copilot is available in Outlook.
- Expected Copilot behavior outside Outlook: Copilot available across all surfaces; mailbox grounding supported.
What's next?
How does Microsoft 365 Copilot work?