Microsoft adds floating Copilot button

Microsoft is rolling out a floating Copilot button in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, moving the AI entry point from the ribbon to a persistent icon in the corner of documents, spreadsheets and slides. Microsoft said the change is coming to Windows and Mac first, with web versions to follow. The company said the feature is intended to make Copilot easier to reach while users are working inside a file. Office Watch reported the change on May 20 and said general availability is expected in early June. ### Where is the new Copilot button showing up? Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 Insider blog said the new button is rolling out in Word, Excel and PowerPoint for Windows and Mac, with web “coming soon.” The company described it as a more discoverable Copilot entry point and said it appears inside the document area rather than on the Home tab. Microsoft Support said the feature is called the “Copilot Dynamic Action Button.” The support page says it appears in a consistent corner location in Word, Excel and PowerPoint on Windows, Mac and the web, and opens the Copilot pane on the right when selected. Outlook is not part of the change, according to that page. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) ### What changed from the earlier Office layout? Office Watch reported that Microsoft removed the older Copilot button from the Home tab in Word, Excel and PowerPoint and replaced it with a floating icon at the bottom right of the file window. The publication said the icon is persistent and appears in every document, worksheet and presentation. (support.microsoft.com) Microsoft’s support documentation says users can right-click the button and select “Dock” to move it out of the main content area. The Microsoft 365 Insider blog said a later update will also let users drag the icon to dock it to the right of the content they are focused on, or to the left in right-to-left locales, and minimize it. (office-watch.com) ### Can users turn the floating button off? Office Watch said there is “no off switch” for the floating button itself, though it can be reduced or moved. That criticism appeared in the publication’s May 20 report and in an earlier May 13 item that described the icon as permanent unless Copilot itself is disabled. Microsoft Support says users who want to turn off Copilot in Word, Excel or PowerPoint can clear the “Enable Copilot” checkbox in the app on Windows or Mac. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) That action disables Copilot capabilities in the app, rather than only removing the floating button, according to the support page. ### What else is changing with access to Copilot? (office-watch.com) Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 Insider blog said the update also adds new keyboard shortcuts for opening Copilot from within the apps. Office Watch said one of the shortcuts is Alt+C. Microsoft framed the broader redesign as a “keyboard-first” and more discoverable experience. (support.microsoft.com) Microsoft has been expanding Copilot’s role inside Office in recent months. In an April 22 Microsoft 365 blog post, the company said agentic capabilities in Word, Excel and PowerPoint had become generally available, allowing Copilot to take multi-step actions directly in files. ### When will the rollout be complete? (techcommunity.microsoft.com) Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 Insider blog said the new button and updated shortcuts “will reach general availability by early June.” Office Watch, in its May 20 report published May 21 in search results, also said Microsoft expected general availability in early June 2026. (microsoft.com) Web users are next in line. Microsoft said the web release is coming after Windows and Mac, and its support page already describes the same Dynamic Action Button behavior across Word, Excel and PowerPoint as the rollout expands. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)