April 2026 was a massive month for Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft has rolled out a comprehensive suite of powerful updates designed to give administrators, power users, and IT teams far more control and flexibility over their workflows.
By exploring these new capabilities, your organisation can streamline complex processes, govern data more securely, and improve productivity across the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Teams can now choose specific AI models for distinct tasks, build interactive visualisations directly in their browsers, and manage everything from a centralised admin centre.
This post covers all the major announcements you need to know. We will highlight the features that will make the biggest impact on your daily operations and show you exactly how to leverage them.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Mobile App: A fresh new look
Tired of clunky mobile interfaces? The Copilot mobile app just got a much-needed facelift.
Think of it like swapping an old, dusty control panel for a sleek, modern dashboard. The new chat-first layout features gorgeous “liquid glass” styling that feels incredibly smooth in your hands.
It brings serious functionality too. Here is what you can actually do now:
- Format text straight from your prompts.
- View, copy, and reference citations with ease.
- Watch your voice conversations light up with brand new visualisers.
Simple. Fast. Brilliant.
Copilot Pages: Build interactive visuals with Work IQ
Need to show data instead of just talking about it?
You can now generate custom dashboards, reports, and apps straight from Copilot Pages using Work IQ.
Think of Work IQ like a brilliant designer sitting right next to you. Just tell it what you need, and it builds the visual. Want to tweak it further? Open your new creations directly in App Builder to customise every detail and get it looking perfect.
Copilot Notebooks: The Frontier Programme preview
Wish your notes could actually do the work for you? If you are in the Frontier Programme, they now can.
This wave of previews turns Copilot Notebooks into an absolute powerhouse. You can pull in references from your existing SharePoint content and OneNote notebooks without breaking a sweat.
Here is what else you can do:
- Edit Copilot Pages directly using Copilot chat.
- Export your notebook content straight to Word and PowerPoint.
- Share everything instantly with your Microsoft 365 Groups.
- Generate visual mind maps and handy study tools.
Magic. Just pure magic.
Copilot in PowerPoint: Three game-changing updates
Struggling to build the perfect slide deck? PowerPoint just got three major brain boosts.
First, you now have model choice for your images. Pick between GPT-Image, Flux, or just leave it on Auto to let the AI decide what works best for your prompt.
Next, the Microsoft AI Image 2 Efficient model is here. It generates and edits your visuals noticeably faster, saving you precious minutes before that big presentation.
Finally, web grounding. Need external facts? Use public webpages as the source material to outline and build your slides. No more copying and pasting from your browser.
Copilot in Word: Hello, Claude
Ever wish you could choose the exact AI brain writing your documents? Now you can.
Anthropic’s Claude model is officially available alongside the standard OpenAI models. This gives your team the flexibility to pick the AI behaviour that best fits your specific writing style.
Oh, and a quick bonus. Claude Opus 4.7 is now available in Copilot Chat too.
Copilot in Excel: Edit like an absolute pro
Data analysis can be terrifying. But what if you had an expert checking your maths before you hit save?
Enter the new Edit with Copilot upgrades. The new Chat/Edit switcher lets you control exactly how Copilot interacts with your spreadsheet, keeping you in the driver’s seat.
Then there is Plan mode. Think of Plan mode like a safety net. Copilot explains its step-by-step reasoning before making a single change to your data.
You also get:
- Visual indicators, like highlighted cells and green tab markers, to track edits.
- Python in Copilot for advanced data analysis and complex visualisations.
- Brand new GPT-5.5 and Claude Opus 4.7 model options.
- Local file editing for both Windows and Mac. No cloud upload required.
Boom. Spreadsheet sorted.
Copilot Chat in Teams: Everywhere you need it
Tired of jumping between windows to ask your AI a question?
Copilot Chat is now fully expanded. It is accessible across your Teams chats, channels, calling, and meetings. Soon, it will be rolling out to mobile too. The context you need is always exactly where you are already typing.
Researcher in Copilot: One-click magic
Done the research but dreading formatting the report?
With the new one-click export feature, Researcher in Copilot does the heavy lifting for you. Convert your deep-dive reports instantly into a PowerPoint presentation, a PDF, a visual infographic, or even an audio overview. Done.
Admin and governance updates
Managing AI across a company can give anyone a headache. Let’s make it simple.
Admins get some fantastic new toys this month:
- Configure a branded footer for your organisation’s Copilot app.
- Set up simple OAuth connections for Gong, GitHub, and Monday.
- Give smaller tenants a tailored “Basic vs Premium” Copilot experience.
- Manage all your agents centrally with the newly available Microsoft Agent 365.
Bonus: Meet Copilot Cowork
Want a sneak peek at the future? The Frontier Programme is currently testing Copilot Cowork.
Think of it like a digital teammate. It takes your high-level goals and breaks them down into multi-step plans across your different apps. It doesn’t just answer questions — it actually gets the job done for you.
What to do next
April was all about giving you more. More model choices, better governance controls, and deeper AI capabilities that act on your behalf.
So, what should you try first? Open up Excel and test out Plan mode, or fire up PowerPoint and build a slide deck using a web link.
Subscribe to our updates, drop a comment below with your favourite new feature, and be sure to read last month’s roundup to stay completely up to date.
