Microsoft to force Copilot draft email into classic Outlook | on by default late 2026, despite 'move to new Outlook' push
TL;DR
Microsoft confirmed it will roll out Copilot's "Draft an email" feature to classic Outlook (Windows 10/11) by end of 2026, on by default. Microsoft is reversing its "classic Outlook goes into maintenance" line, actively pushing AI back into the old client. Requires an active Microsoft 365 Copilot license ($30/user/month).
Microsoft confirmed it will roll out the "Draft an email with Copilot" feature to classic Outlook (Windows 10 / 11) by end of 2026, on by default, no manual install required — Windows Latest reported first, Windows Report followed. Microsoft is officially abandoning its "classic Outlook goes into maintenance" line and pushing AI back into the old client.
The conflict is with Microsoft's own strategy. For two years Microsoft has put development weight on new Outlook and publicly told enterprise users to migrate. But enterprise IT pushed back hard — offline gaps, unstable PST support, add-in compatibility issues. Rolling Copilot drafting back into classic Outlook effectively admits forced migration isn't working.
The feature is a fixed flow — in classic Outlook, Home → New Email, click the Copilot icon → Draft with Copilot, enter the prompt, hit Generate. Copilot writes a draft that can then be revised for tone or length.
Licensing: requires an active Microsoft 365 Copilot license (enterprise-tier at $30/user/month). Personal M365 subscriptions don't include it. That's the real monetization play in this rollout — the massive classic-Outlook install base becomes the funnel for Copilot license upsell.
Want it off? Manual opt-out after rollout. Microsoft's pattern here is enable-by-default, then let users switch it off — the same playbook it used for Bing search, Edge sidebar, and Windows 11 Start Menu Copilot.
via Windows Latest / IT 之家
The conflict is with Microsoft's own strategy. For two years Microsoft has put development weight on new Outlook and publicly told enterprise users to migrate. But enterprise IT pushed back hard — offline gaps, unstable PST support, add-in compatibility issues. Rolling Copilot drafting back into classic Outlook effectively admits forced migration isn't working.
The feature is a fixed flow — in classic Outlook, Home → New Email, click the Copilot icon → Draft with Copilot, enter the prompt, hit Generate. Copilot writes a draft that can then be revised for tone or length.
Licensing: requires an active Microsoft 365 Copilot license (enterprise-tier at $30/user/month). Personal M365 subscriptions don't include it. That's the real monetization play in this rollout — the massive classic-Outlook install base becomes the funnel for Copilot license upsell.
Want it off? Manual opt-out after rollout. Microsoft's pattern here is enable-by-default, then let users switch it off — the same playbook it used for Bing search, Edge sidebar, and Windows 11 Start Menu Copilot.
via Windows Latest / IT 之家
