New Copilot keyboard shortcuts are coming to Microsoft 365

Microsoft is ditching scattered Copilot entry points in favor of a unified icon across Office. (Image credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto)

Microsoft is making it easier to access Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps. But instead of adding a bunch of ways to access the AI assistant, Microsoft is giving users just two options.

The two main ways to access Copilot will be an icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen and through a contextual entry point like selecting text.

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Platform	Shortcut	Action
Windows (Win32 and Web)	Alt + C	Sets focus on the Copilot button in the canvas. If the Copilot Chat pane is already open, focus moves to the chat edit box so you can begin typing immediately.
Mac (Desktop and Web)	Cmd + Control + I	Sets focus on the Copilot button in the canvas.
All platforms	F6	Moves focus to the Copilot button in the canvas.

People will have to wait a bit to use the Alt + C and Cmd + Control + I shortcuts in all Microsoft 365 apps. But the new Copilot button and other shortcuts are rolling out to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and will become generally available in June.

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Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.