How to keep Copilot home ribbon in WORD and EXCEL

To restore Copilot on the Home ribbon and regain in‑document “Keep” and “Replace” functionality in Word and Excel, follow these steps in order.

1. Confirm the correct account and license

• Make sure the primary account shown at the top of the Microsoft 365 window is the one that has a Copilot license.
  • Home users: Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, or Copilot Pro.
  • Business users: Microsoft 365 Business Basic/Standard/Premium, E3, E5, F1, or F3 plus Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• For new/unsaved or local files, the current primary account must be the licensed one.

2. Update Office to the latest build

• On Windows or Mac, install the latest Office updates so Copilot features (including the Home ribbon button and in‑text suggestions) are available.
• Use the guidance in “Install Office updates” (Windows) or “Update Office for Mac automatically” (Mac) from the referenced article.

3. Refresh the Copilot license in the apps

• Windows:
  1. Open Word (repeat later in Excel if needed).
  2. Go to File > Account.
  3. Select Update License.
  4. Close all Microsoft 365 apps, then reopen Word/Excel and check the Home tab for Copilot.
• Mac:
  1. Open Word (repeat later in Excel if needed).
  2. From the menu bar, select Word > About Word.
  3. Select More Info….
  4. Select Refresh License.
  5. Close all Office apps and reopen.

4. Ensure the correct update channel (business users on Windows)

• If using Microsoft 365 Apps for business/enterprise on Windows:
  1. Open Word.
  2. Go to File > Account.
  3. In Product Information, check the update channel.
  4. If it shows Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel, Copilot features will not appear. Contact the internal help desk or Microsoft 365 admin to move the device to Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel.
  5. While waiting, use Word and Excel on the web, where Copilot is available without a channel change.

5. Check privacy settings (Copilot visibility)

• Windows:
  1. Open Word.
  2. Go to File > Account.
  3. Under Account Privacy, select Manage Settings.
  4. Turn on Experiences that analyze your content.
  5. Turn on All connected experiences.
• Mac:
  1. Open Word.
  2. Go to Word > Preferences > Privacy.
  3. Turn on Experiences that analyze your content.
  4. Turn on All connected experiences.

6. If Copilot is still missing or disabled

• Follow the troubleshooting flow in “Copilot is missing, disabled, or doesn't work correctly,” which points back to the “How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps” steps above.
• If using an organization account, ask the Microsoft 365 admin to:
  • Confirm a Copilot‑supported license is assigned.
  • Ensure Copilot is not blocked by organizational policies.

Once the Copilot button is visible again in Word and Excel, in‑document features such as writing suggestions with Keep and Replace will be available when using Draft with Copilot / Writing suggestions on selected text or the whole document.

References:

• How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps
• Copilot is missing, disabled, or doesn't work correctly
• Use Writing suggestions to review content in Word
• Use Coaching to review content in Word for the web
• Customize the ribbon in Word
• Turn off Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps