Microsoft 365 Copilot – Wave 2 – Spring release

Microsoft 365 Copilot has rolled out another wave of updates. Wave 2 is part of Microsoft’s broader push to embed AI more deeply across its productivity suite—this time with a noticeable emphasis on agents, automation, and streamlining how people interact with tools like Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook.

But if you’re still figuring out how Copilot fits into your day-to-day workflow, you’re not behind. These updates are incremental and still focused on improving the basics: faster access to information, simpler document creation, and less time spent on repetitive tasks.

Here’s what’s new in this release and where it might start making a difference.

AI-Powered Search

Microsoft has updated its search experience across Microsoft 365 with AI support. The goal is to surface relevant content faster—whether it’s buried in your inbox, hidden in Teams messages, or part of an old document you forgot existed. It’s more context-aware and less dependent on perfect keywords.

Create for Business

A new “Create” experience offers templates and suggestions across apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, with AI-assisted generation for common business tasks. This is aimed at users who need clean, branded content without the manual formatting or design work. It’s helpful, especially for teams that generate repeatable documents or slide decks.

Copilot Notebooks

Notebooks provide a more open-ended space to interact with data and ideas. Instead of rigid prompts, you can write more freely—asking Copilot to explore, iterate, or summarise as you go. It’s useful if you’re doing early-stage planning, drafting, or data review and want to stay in one place without jumping between apps.

Agent Store

Microsoft is starting to introduce the idea of “AI agents”—task-specific Copilot modules that can be dropped into workflows. These agents can automate repetitive jobs, monitor information, or handle standard queries. They’re still early, and probably better suited for advanced users or teams with very defined processes. That said, the Agent Store makes it easier to find and test what’s available.

Copilot App Updates

The standalone Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app now offers quick access to Search, Chat, and Create modules. It’s built for users who want to reference files, ask Copilot questions, or generate content while away from their desk.

Teams: Multilingual & On-Screen Content Analysis

Copilot in Teams has expanded language support and can analyse what’s happening on screen—whether it’s summarising content or helping you follow a meeting you joined late. It adds a helpful layer of context without requiring much effort from the user.

People Skills

Copilot now helps surface relevant information about colleagues—things like recent collaborations or shared files. It’s not invasive, but it does help when you’re dropped into a new project or working with someone you don’t regularly interact with.

Copilot Pages

Pages continue to evolve into a collaborative workspace, not unlike a smart document hub. With this update, they’re easier to navigate and better at pulling in relevant information across your files, chats, and notes.

Audio Overviews

For those who prefer listening to reading, Copilot can now generate audio summaries of documents, meetings, and other content. It’s a small but useful feature for catching up while commuting or multitasking.

Updates Across the Core Apps

• Word: Improved draft generation, rewrite suggestions, and document structure support.
• Excel: Easier table creation, smarter data insights, and better text analysis.
• PowerPoint: Enhanced layout options and content suggestions for quicker slide creation.
• Outlook: Inbox prioritisation, with Copilot surfacing important threads and suggesting responses.
• Phone Image Uploads: You can now snap a photo on your phone and drop it directly into Word, Excel, or PowerPoint via the app.

Final Thoughts

Microsoft 365 Copilot Wave 2 doesn’t change everything overnight—and that’s probably a good thing. There’s a growing emphasis on agents and automation, but many of the updates still focus on improving the core experience: writing, presenting, organising, and analysing with less manual effort.

If you’re just getting started with Copilot, don’t feel pressured to jump straight into the advanced features. Get comfortable with how it works in Word or Outlook first—then explore agents and Notebooks when the time is right.

Link to Microsofts announcements: What’s New In Microsoft 365 Copilot | April 2025 | Microsoft Community Hub and Microsoft 365 Copilot: Your window into the world of agents | Microsoft 365 Blog