💡 Our Technical Review in summary
Summary
Microsoft is expanding access to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat adoption metrics within the Copilot Dashboard. Previously restricted to tenants with at least 50 Viva Insights or Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses, this feature will now be available to any tenant with at least one assigned Microsoft 365 Copilot license. This update allows organizations to track how users—including those not licensed for the full M365 Copilot—are utilizing the chat interface to drive productivity.
Impact on Organization
- Expanded Eligibility: Small and medium-sized organizations with fewer than 50 licenses will gain full access to the Copilot Dashboard’s adoption metrics.
- New Data Visualizations: The “Adoption” tab will feature new cards including usage trends over time, adoption by specific organizational groups (e.g., department or job function), and usage intensity/retention metrics.
- App-Level Insights: Admins can now see which entry points and applications are driving the most Copilot Chat engagement.
- Unlicensed User Tracking: The dashboard provides visibility into the usage patterns of users interacting with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat who may not yet have a dedicated Copilot license.
- Automatic Rollout: This feature is enabled by default. The rollout is scheduled to begin in mid-February 2026 and complete by the end of February 2026.
Action Required
- Review Metrics: Following the mid-February rollout, IT Admins should visit the Copilot Dashboard to review the new “Adoption” and “Impact” tab visualizations.
- Configure Access Control: If you wish to limit access to these insights, use the Viva Feature Access Management (VFAM) in the Microsoft Admin Center or PowerShell to create specific access policies.
- User Privacy: If your organization has strict privacy requirements, utilize the exclusion feature to prevent specific users or groups from being included in the aggregated analytics.
- Update Training: Inform stakeholders (HR, Change Management, and Department Leads) about the availability of these metrics to help them tailor their Copilot adoption strategies.
- Documentation: Update internal IT documentation regarding available reporting tools for Microsoft 365 services.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: stayInformed
Severity: normal
Updated January 23, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction]
We are excited to announce the upcoming rollout of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat Adoption Metrics in Microsoft Copilot Dashboard to tenants that have at least one Microsoft 365 Copilot license assigned. This feature has been previously released to tenants that have at least 50 assigned Viva Insights licenses, or 50 assigned Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses.
This feature empowers organizations with powerful insights into the adoption and usage of M365 Copilot Chat by users who are not licensed for M365 Copilot. Insights include usage trends, retention and usage intensity insights, app-level breakdowns, and filtering by organizational attributes.
Screenshot: Copilot chat adoption in Copilot Dashboard
This message is associated with Roadmap ID 501581.
[When this will happen:]
General Availability (Worldwide):
We will begin rolling out in mid-February 2026 (previously mid-January) and expect to complete by late February 2026 (previously end of January).
[How this affects your organization:]
Who is affected:
- Tenants with at least one Microsoft 365 Copilot license assigned.
- Admins and users enabled for Microsoft Copilot Dashboard.
What will happen:
- Feature will be enabled by default; no admin action required.
- New analytics cards and visualizations will appear in the Copilot Dashboard adoption tab.
- Insights will include:
- Usage Trends Over Time: Visualize how Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat adoption evolves at your organization, by measuring the number of active users over time.
- Adoption by Group: Compare adoption across organizational attributes, such as organization or job function to uncover where Copilot Chat is gaining traction and where further engagement may be needed.
- Usage intensity and retention insights: Analyze how consistently users return to Copilot Chat and how many Copilot actions are being taken, with metrics on recurring usage and usage intensity.
- App-Level Breakdowns: Identify which entry points and applications are driving Copilot Chat adoption.
- Filtering and drilldown capabilities will be available for both Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot views on the adoption and impact tabs.
- Filtering and Drilldown: Filter by org attributes to explore adoption patterns, enabling Copilot Dashboard users to tailor their change management and support approaches for maximum impact.
Administrator Controls:
Global administrators, Viva Insights Administrators, and AI administrators will continue to have the following controls:
- Create a policy for the Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat in Copilot Dashboard feature through Viva Feature Access Management (VFAM) in Microsoft Admin Center or PowerShell.
- Create a policy for access to the Viva Insights web app through Viva Feature Access Management (VFAM) in Microsoft Admin Center or PowerShell.
- Exclude certain users or groups of users of Microsoft 365 Copilot chat from being included in the aggregated insights through the exclusion feature.
Learn more:
- Manage access to Viva Insights web app for individual users and groups in Microsoft 365 admin center
- Control access to features in Microsoft 365
[What you can do to prepare:]
- Read the Microsoft announcement regarding Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.
- Review and assess the impact on your organization.
- Update training and documentation as appropriate.
- No additional configuration is required; metrics will be enabled by default.
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified; review as appropriate for your organization.
