What’s new in Microsoft Copilot: monthly updates for small business
What changed in Microsoft Copilot each month, in plain English: new features, who gets them (free or paid seat) and what each one means for a small business.
By Daniel Will · Published · 5 min read
What Microsoft changed in Copilot each month, kept to what matters for a small business. Newest month first; tap an earlier month to open it. Each change says who gets it: Free Copilot Chat (everyone with Microsoft 365) or Paid seat (Copilot Business, see prices).
September 20267 changes
The month in 30 seconds
- Cowork is here: hand Copilot a whole multi-step job and get finished work back.
- Outlook, Forms and Planner got easier: just ask Copilot in plain English.
- A new Copilot app (Home, Code, Autopilot) is coming, but it is early access for now.
Cowork does whole jobs for you
Paid seatDescribe the result you want and Copilot gathers your emails, meetings and files, does the steps, and hands back finished work.
For you: Hand off chores like a weekly status report or meeting prep. Billed per task, with a monthly cap you set.
Clean up your inbox by asking
Paid seatCopilot in Outlook can delete, move and sort emails, make folders and set up rules when you ask.
For you: Say “move every invoice email from our supplier to Bills” instead of building rules by hand.
Copilot in Microsoft Forms
Paid seatCopilot improves your form, writes the invitation and sums up the answers.
For you: Customer and staff surveys get read, not left in a spreadsheet.
Chat with your Planner tasks
Paid seatAsk Planner “what’s overdue?” and update tasks by typing.
For you: Check on projects without clicking through every plan.
Find a meeting by what was said
Paid seatSearch the last two months of meetings by topic, including the chat and transcript.
For you: “Which meeting did we agree the new prices in?” now has an answer.
Copilot can see your screen or camera
Coming: Rolling out over the coming weeksIn a voice chat, share your screen or phone camera and ask about what Copilot sees.
For you: Point your phone at a part, a form or a job site and ask, hands-free.
A new Copilot app: Home, Code and Autopilot
Coming: Early access and preview onlyHome puts chat and Cowork on one screen, Code builds simple apps and trackers from a description, and Autopilot handles recurring work on its own.
For you: Code could replace small tools you pay someone to build. Code and Autopilot are billed by use.
Sources: Microsoft 365 Copilot release notes, September 23, 2026 (learn.microsoft.com); “Introducing the new Copilot with Home, Code and Autopilot”, Official Microsoft Blog, September 25, 2026.
We read Microsoft’s release notes, the Microsoft Copilot blog and the Microsoft 365 roadmap each month and leave out changes only for large companies or IT departments. Microsoft rolls changes out over a few weeks, so a feature may reach your account a little later. New to Copilot? Try these prompts to copy.