Microsoft 365 Copilot: It’s Not an Office Rebrand
▼ Summary
– Recent online confusion stems from Microsoft’s Office.com domain displaying a message that the “Microsoft 365 Copilot app” was formerly called Office, leading some to mistakenly believe the entire Office suite was renamed.
– The Microsoft 365 Copilot app is a hub application that provides access to Copilot AI and the core Office applications, but it is not a rebranding of the Office software suite itself.
– Microsoft rebranded its Office suite to Microsoft 365 in 2022, and the subscription plan for the core apps remains under that name, unchanged.
– The standalone, one-time-purchase version of the software is still called Microsoft Office (e.g., Office 2024), separate from the Microsoft 365 subscription service.
– Microsoft declined to provide an official statement to clarify the branding confusion surrounding Office and the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
Recent online discussions have sparked confusion, with many believing Microsoft has officially renamed its Office suite to “Microsoft 365 Copilot.” This is not the case. While the company is heavily promoting its AI assistant, the core productivity software remains under the Microsoft 365 subscription umbrella, a branding shift that occurred back in 2022. The current mix-up stems from changes to a specific hub application, not a full-scale rebranding of the entire Office product family.
The source of the misunderstanding is Microsoft’s own Office.com website. For roughly the past year, this domain has prominently featured the “Microsoft 365 Copilot app.” This application serves as a centralized hub, providing access to the Copilot AI alongside individual apps like Word and Excel. A note on the site stating “The Microsoft 365 Copilot app (formerly Office)…” has understandably led to widespread misinterpretation.
This reference to “formerly Office” specifically points to an older application launched in 2019. That app was originally designed to encourage the use of online versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It was later renamed the Microsoft 365 app before undergoing another change. In November 2024, Microsoft announced it would rebrand this hub app once more, adding Copilot to its title. The updated “Microsoft 365 Copilot” app icon and name began appearing on Windows, iOS, and Android devices in January of last year.
The actual suite of applications, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and others, is still offered through a Microsoft 365 subscription plan. Its fundamental branding has remained consistent since the 2022 transition from “Office” to “Microsoft 365.” For those seeking even more complexity, Microsoft also sells Microsoft Office 2024, a standalone, one-time purchase version of the software that lacks the continuous updates and cloud features included with a subscription.
When asked to clarify the branding situation between Office and Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft declined to provide an official statement. Given the company’s history of iterative name changes, it likely won’t be long before another adjustment is made, continuing the cycle of confusion for users trying to navigate its product ecosystem.
(Source: The Verge)
