Copilot buttons are missing in classic Outlook for Windows

Last Updated: August 5, 2026

ISSUE

After classic Outlook for Windows updates to build 20026.20182 and higher, you no longer have Copilot Chat or Copilot entry points in Outlook. This issue happens if you have a Copilot Chat (Basic) license or a paid M365 Copilot (Premium) account. For more information about how to check your license, go to What Copilot license do I have.

For example, the button on the side navigation and the button above the ribbon are missing.

Affected users may notice one or more of the following symptoms:

  • The Copilot button is missing from the top-right area above the ribbon.

  • The Copilot icon is missing from the left app bar or More Apps area in classic Outlook.

  • In Add Apps, Copilot may appear as an available app, but selecting Open does nothing.

  • Adding Copilot through ribbon customization may show the command as unavailable or grayed out.

  • Copilot remains available from other entry points, such as Outlook on the web or the Microsoft 365 Copilot standalone app or web experience.

STATUS: INVESTIGATING

The Outlook Team is actively investigating this issue. Current analysis indicates that, in affected environments, Outlook is unable to locate the MAPI property PR_PROFILE_USER_SMTP_EMAIL_ADDRESS_W within the null profile section. As a result, the Outlook Copilot component cannot persist in Copilot-related settings, which may prevent the Copilot entry point from appearing in the Outlook navigation pane.

WORKAROUND

To work around the issue, use new Outlook or Outlook Web Access (OWA).

The following actions have been attempted in some cases without consistently restoring the Copilot button:

  • Creating a new Outlook profile.
  • Clearing Outlook cache and local configuration data.
  • Re-signing into Office applications.
  • Restarting Outlook and Windows.

If the issue persists, continue to use Copilot through other supported Microsoft 365 applications where available while the investigation is ongoing.

Additional Resources

Chat with Copilot in Outlook

Frequently asked questions about Copilot in Outlook

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See Also

Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in classic Outlook for Windows