Copilot not responding

Overview

Copilot is Microsoft’s AI assistant that can help with writing, analysis and answering questions. If Copilot isn’t responding, follow the checks and troubleshooting steps below.

Quick Checks

1. Verify Subscription and Copilot licence

Copilot is an enterprise‑level add‑on for Microsoft 365. It requires a qualifying Microsoft 365 licence (e.g., Business Standard, Business Premium, E3, E5) plus the Copilot add‑on to be assigned to the user.

Check your licence in the Microsoft 365 admin centre or ask your IT administrator.

2. Confirm Internet connectivity and network access

• Copilot requires an active internet connection.
• Verify outbound DNS and TCP access to *.microsoft.com and *.openai.com.
• Ensure no firewall, proxy or Conditional Access policy is blocking these domains.
• Open a regular website to confirm you can browse.
• If possible, switch from Wi‑Fi to a wired connection.

3. Check Microsoft 365 service health

Visit status.office.com to verify the Copilot service is operational.

4. Ensure Copilot is enabled for the tenant

In the Microsoft 365 admin centre go to Settings → Services & add‑ins → Copilot and confirm it is turned on. Also verify the setting in the Teams admin centre under Teams apps → Setup policies.

5. Verify Office version

Copilot requires Microsoft 365 version 2308 or later. Update Office via Office update guidance if you are on an older build.

Troubleshooting Steps

Copilot in Microsoft Teams (Desktop)

1. Sign out and back into Teams
   • Click your profile picture → Sign out.
   • Sign in again.
2. Clear the Teams cache (Windows)
   • Close Teams completely.
   • Delete the contents of %AppData%\Microsoft\Teams (e.g., Cache, blob_storage, databases, GPUCache, IndexedDB, Local Storage, tmp).
   • Restart Teams.
3. Clear the Teams cache (macOS)
   • Quit Teams.
   • Delete the folder ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams or its contents.
   • Restart Teams.
4. Clear Teams credentials (Windows)
   • Open Control Panel → Credential Manager → Windows Credentials.
   • Remove any entries that contain “Teams”.
   • Sign in to Teams again.
5. Update Teams
   • Click your profile picture → Check for updates.
   • If the update fails, download the latest installer from the Microsoft Teams download page and reinstall.
6. Verify Teams admin policies
   • Ask your admin to confirm that the Copilot app is allowed in the Teams admin centre under Teams apps → Manage apps and that it is included in the relevant setup policy.
7. Test on another device or network
   • Switch to a different Wi‑Fi network or use a wired connection.
   • Try the Teams web client in Edge or Chrome.
   • If the issue persists, see Computer running slow for performance checks.

Copilot in Microsoft Teams (Mobile)

1. Force‑close the Teams app and reopen it.
2. Clear the app cache: Settings → Apps → Teams → Storage → Clear cache.
3. Ensure the device has an active internet connection and that any corporate VPN or firewall is not blocking *.microsoft.com or *.openai.com.
4. Sign out of the app, then sign back in.
5. If the problem remains, reinstall the Teams app from the App Store or Google Play.

Copilot in Web Browsers (Edge, Chrome)

1. Sign out and back in
   • Click your profile → Sign out.
   • Sign in again at copilot.microsoft.com.
2. Clear browser cache and cookies – see How to clear browser cache/cookies.
3. Allow third‑party cookies
   • Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Allow third‑party cookies.
   • Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data → Allow all cookies.
4. Disable tracking protection for copilot.microsoft.com
   • Edge: Click the shield icon → Turn off tracking prevention for this site.
   • Chrome: Ensure no extensions are blocking scripts from the site.
5. Try InPrivate/Incognito mode
6. Disable extensions that may block scripts
7. Check network connectivity – see How to restart router/modem if you suspect a network issue.

Copilot in Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

1. Update Office to the required version – see Office update guidance for instructions.
2. Confirm Copilot is available in the ribbon
   • If the Copilot button is missing, verify your licence and that the feature is enabled for the tenant.
3. Restart the Office application
4. Repair the Office installation
   • Open Settings → Apps → Microsoft 365 → Modify → Quick repair.
5. Check for conflicting add‑ins – see Browser not loading pages for guidance on disabling problematic extensions that may affect Office web components.

Common Issues

Getting Better Responses from Copilot

Write clear prompts

• Be specific: “Write a professional email to a client about the project timeline”.
• Provide context: “As a project manager, summarise this document”.
• Request a format: “Create a bulleted list” or “Make a table”.

Need More Help?

For further assistance, contact your IT support desk or visit the Copilot documentation.