Standard versus priority access to features in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat

_{Last updated: March 2026}

Standard and priority access to features in Copilot Chat

The level of access to some Copilot capabilities differs based on whether a user has a Microsoft 365 Copilot license or not.

Priority access: Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license receive priority access to Copilot capabilities, which is designed to provide faster response times and more consistent availability compared to standard access, including during peak usage periods, subject to service availability.
Standard access: Users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license have standard access to Copilot capabilities, which is subject to service capacity and may vary throughout the day. See more details under the following Notes.

These capabilities include but are not limited to file upload, image generation, voice features*, models, and advanced reasoning. Availability of these features may change over time and can vary based on service conditions.

Notes:

*Voice features in Copilot are currently only available to users with priority access to Microsoft 365 Copilot.
During periods of high demand, access to Copilot capabilities with standard access may be temporarily restricted. This isn't an error or product malfunction but a way to help ensure a reliable Copilot experience for the most users.
Quality and performance of some capabilities with standard access may vary throughout the day depending on the service availability. This variation may include longer response times, limited availability of certain features, or temporary use of other models/functionality to accomplish your task. If the service isn't available, Copilot notifies you. It won't interrupt any task in progress. For more details, see How Copilot Chat works with and without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.

Standard versus priority access to features in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat

Standard and priority access to features in Copilot Chat

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