Microsoft Copilot: Your AI Assistant
Microsoft Copilot is the AI backbone built directly into Microsoft 365. Rather than switching between apps and tools, Copilot works alongside you inside the applications you already use every day. In Outlook, Copilot drafts and refines emails based on a short prompt you provide — no more staring at a blank compose window. In Microsoft Teams, it can summarize entire meeting conversations so you never miss a key decision or action item, even if you joined late. In Word and PowerPoint, Copilot generates first-draft content, rewrites passages in a different tone, and even builds full slide decks from a simple text description. Copilot learns your context — your documents, your calendar, your emails — to give responses that are relevant and grounded in your actual work, not generic filler.Copilot requires a Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan or higher, or the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on license. It is not included in Microsoft 365 Basic or Personal plans. Check your subscription at account.microsoft.com to confirm eligibility.
Focus Sessions in Microsoft To Do & Teams
Staying focused in a world of constant notifications is one of the biggest productivity challenges at work. Microsoft 365 addresses this with built-in focus tools that work across Teams and To Do. In Microsoft Teams, enabling Do Not Disturb mode silences all notifications — calls, chats, and meeting alerts — so you can work without interruption. You can schedule Do Not Disturb windows automatically based on your calendar or set them manually when you need a deep work block. Teams also surfaces a Focus status so your colleagues know you’re heads-down without you having to explain yourself. Microsoft To Do integrates directly with Teams and Outlook to give you a unified task list. Tasks flagged in Outlook automatically appear in To Do, and Teams tasks from Planner sync there as well. You can organize your day using My Day — a curated daily task list — and combine it with Focus sessions (available through the Windows 11 Clock app’s Focus feature) to work in structured Pomodoro-style intervals. The result is a seamless loop: plan your tasks in To Do, block your time in Outlook Calendar, and protect that time with Focus mode in Teams.Power Automate: Automate Repetitive Tasks
Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) is Microsoft’s automation platform, and it’s included with most Microsoft 365 business subscriptions. It lets you build workflows — called flows — that connect your apps and services together, triggering actions automatically so you don’t have to do them manually. You don’t need to write code to get started; a visual drag-and-drop builder handles the logic. Here are three automation examples you can set up today:- Auto-save email attachments to OneDrive — Whenever you receive an email with an attachment in Outlook, Power Automate automatically saves the file to a designated OneDrive folder, keeping your files organized without any manual effort.
- Send a Teams message when a SharePoint list is updated — Keep your team in the loop automatically. When someone adds or modifies a row in a SharePoint list, a notification is posted directly to a Teams channel of your choice.
- Schedule weekly report emails — Set up a recurring flow that compiles data from Excel or SharePoint and sends a formatted summary email to stakeholders every Monday morning — no manual prep required.
Cross-App Productivity Workflows
One of Microsoft 365’s biggest strengths is how seamlessly its apps work together. These cross-app workflows eliminate friction and reduce the number of steps it takes to get things done.Word → Teams
Share documents directly from Word into Teams chats or channels without leaving the app. Use the Share button in Word to send a link or attach the file directly to a Teams conversation, keeping collaboration in one place.
Outlook → Calendar
Convert emails into calendar events with a single click. Drag any email from your Outlook inbox onto the Calendar icon to instantly create an event pre-populated with the email’s subject and body — perfect for scheduling follow-ups.
OneDrive → SharePoint
Sync your personal OneDrive files to a SharePoint team site to give your entire team shared access. Files updated in OneDrive reflect in SharePoint in real time, so everyone always works from the latest version.
Teams → OneNote
Create shared meeting notes automatically by connecting a OneNote notebook to any Teams channel. Meeting agendas, notes, and action items are captured in a shared notebook every team member can access and edit.
Top Keyboard Shortcuts Across Microsoft 365
Keyboard shortcuts are one of the fastest ways to claw back time throughout your workday. Here are the most impactful shortcuts across the core Microsoft 365 apps:Microsoft 365 Mobile Apps
Your Microsoft 365 productivity doesn’t have to stop when you step away from your desk. Microsoft publishes full-featured mobile apps for iOS and Android covering all the core apps — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and OneNote. The Microsoft 365 mobile app also combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a single app on your phone, making it easy to view, edit, and share documents on the go. Outlook for mobile keeps your inbox, calendar, and contacts in sync with your desktop. Teams mobile gives you full access to chats, meetings, and calls — including the ability to join a video meeting directly from your phone. OneDrive’s mobile app lets you access, upload, and share files from anywhere, even offline with the right settings enabled. To get started, search for each app by name in the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account credentials.Ready to make sure your productive Microsoft 365 environment is also a secure one? Head over to our Microsoft 365 Security Best Practices guide to learn how to protect your account, enable multi-factor authentication, and keep your data safe.