You open Microsoft 365 and see the message Copilot is currently unavailable. This notification blocks access to Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. The cause is usually a license issue, a service outage, or a local cache problem. This article explains the specific reasons for this error and provides clear steps to restore Copilot access.
Key Takeaways: Fixing the Copilot Unavailable Notification
- Microsoft 365 admin center > Billing > Licenses: Verify that each user has an active Copilot for Microsoft 365 license assigned.
- Microsoft 365 admin center > Health > Service health: Check for active service advisories or outages affecting Copilot.
- Sign out and sign back into Microsoft 365: Clears stale authentication tokens and forces a license re-verification.
Why Copilot Shows ‘Currently Unavailable’
The Copilot is currently unavailable notification appears when the Copilot service cannot verify your subscription or when a network or service interruption occurs. The most common root causes include:
License Assignment Not Applied
Copilot for Microsoft 365 requires a per-user license assigned in the Microsoft 365 admin center. If an administrator recently purchased licenses but did not assign them to specific users, those users see the unavailable message. License propagation can take up to 24 hours in some tenants.
Service Outage or Maintenance
Microsoft 365 services occasionally undergo planned maintenance or experience unplanned outages. When Copilot’s backend services are affected, the client displays the unavailable notification. Service health information is available in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Stale Authentication Tokens
Microsoft 365 applications cache authentication tokens locally. If these tokens expire or become corrupted, the app cannot verify the user’s Copilot license. This is common after a license change or after the user’s password is reset.
Network Restrictions
Corporate firewalls or proxy servers may block the endpoints that Copilot uses to communicate with Microsoft 365. Without access to these endpoints, the service appears unavailable. Network administrators must allow the required URLs and IP ranges.
Steps to Clear the Unavailable Notification and Restore Copilot
Follow these steps in order. Test Copilot after each step by opening a new Word document and clicking the Copilot icon in the ribbon.
- Sign out and sign back into Microsoft 365
In any Microsoft 365 app, click your profile picture in the top-right corner. Select Sign out. Close all Office apps. Reopen Word or Outlook and sign in with your work or school account. This forces the app to fetch a fresh authentication token and re-check your license. - Clear cached credentials in Windows Credential Manager
Open Control Panel and select Credential Manager > Windows Credentials. Scroll to Generic Credentials. Remove any entry that includes MicrosoftOffice or Microsoft.Office. After removal, restart all Office apps and sign in again. - Verify Copilot license assignment in the admin center
If you are an administrator, go to the Microsoft 365 admin center > Billing > Licenses. Select the Copilot for Microsoft 365 product. Under Assigned users, confirm that the affected user’s name appears. If not, select Assign licenses and add the user. If you are not an administrator, ask your IT team to verify this step. - Check service health for Copilot
Open the Microsoft 365 admin center > Health > Service health. Look for any advisory or incident labeled Copilot for Microsoft 365. If an incident is active, wait for the status to change to Service restored before retrying. - Run Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant
Download and run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant tool from the official Microsoft website. Select Office > I have a problem with Office and follow the on-screen prompts. The tool can automatically detect and fix common license and connectivity issues. - Repair Microsoft 365 installation
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps on Windows 11. Find Microsoft 365 in the list. Click the three dots and select Modify. Choose Quick Repair first. If the problem persists, run a Online Repair. This reinstalls all Office components without removing your files.
If Copilot Still Shows Unavailable After the Main Fix
Copilot works in the web app but not in the desktop app
This indicates a local app issue rather than a license problem. Run the repair steps described in step 6 above. If the desktop app still fails, uninstall Microsoft 365 completely using the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant tool and reinstall from the Microsoft 365 portal.
Copilot unavailable in Outlook but works in Word
Outlook uses a separate cache for Copilot features. Close Outlook. Open Run by pressing Windows key + R. Type outlook.exe /cleanviews and press Enter. This resets the Outlook view cache. Restart Outlook and test Copilot again.
Copilot unavailable after a tenant migration
If your organization recently migrated to a new Microsoft 365 tenant, licenses may not transfer automatically. Administrators must reassign Copilot licenses in the new tenant. Users must also sign out of all Office apps on all devices and sign in again with the new tenant credentials.
Copilot Unavailable vs Copilot Disabled: Key Differences
| Item | Copilot Unavailable | Copilot Disabled |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Service or license issue prevents connection | Feature turned off by admin or user policy |
| Typical message | Copilot is currently unavailable | Copilot is disabled or Copilot is not available for this account |
| Root cause | License not assigned, service outage, network block | Admin disabled Copilot in Microsoft 365 admin center or group policy |
| Fix method | Assign license, check service health, clear cache | Enable Copilot in admin center > Settings > Copilot > Allow Copilot for this organization |
| User action required | Often requires IT admin intervention | Admin must change policy setting |
The unavailable notification means Copilot cannot reach its backend. The disabled state means the feature has been deliberately turned off. If you see a disabled message, ask your IT administrator to check the Copilot settings in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Settings > Copilot > Allow Copilot for this organization.
To prevent the Copilot is currently unavailable notification from appearing again, ensure your Microsoft 365 license is active and that your apps are updated to the latest version. Test Copilot in the web version of Word to confirm the service itself is working. If you manage a tenant, use the Microsoft 365 admin center > Health > Service health to monitor Copilot availability proactively. For persistent issues, run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant tool with the Office scenario selected to automate the diagnostic process.