Microsoft 365 Copilot app: Unified plus (+) menu

Updated March 3, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

Introduction

Microsoft is introducing a unified plus (+) menu to make it easier for users to add grounding, tools, and sources when prompting in Microsoft 365 Copilot. Grounding refers to the content users connect to Copilot—such as files, sites, or other organizational data—that helps improve response relevance. This update consolidates related actions into a single menu, improving discoverability and streamlining the workflow for adding entities or updating inputs. This simplified menu will be available for Copilot Chat users (without a Microsoft 365 Copilot license) and Microsoft 365 Copilot users (with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license).

Note: The Tools menu will be consolidated under the unified plus (+) menu and no longer exist as a separate menu in the prompt box after this change.

When this will happen

General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in early March 2026 (previously late February) and is expected to complete by mid-April 2026 (previously mid‑March).

How this affects your organization

Who is affected

Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot users that rely on the unified plus (+) menu.

What will happen

• Users will see a redesigned and unified plus (+) menu.
• Grounding options, tools, and data sources will be consolidated in one menu.
• Users will be able to add entities and update sources from this unified location.
• The feature will be enabled by default and replaces the current experience; no admin configuration is required.
• Existing admin policies related to Copilot input sources remain unchanged.

What you can do to prepare

No action is required for administrators.

• Inform helpdesk and training teams about the unified plus (+) menu layout.
• Update internal documentation or screenshots that reference the previous menu.

Compliance considerations

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.