Summary
- Microsoft Viva Engage is retiring Copilot v1 (Writing Assistant), the standalone post-writing assistance experience.
- Writing assistance in Engage will be consolidated into Microsoft 365 Copilot in Engage.
- Users with Viva Suite or Viva Communications and Communities licenses will lose the standalone writing assistant unless they also have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
- Admins should identify affected users, check Copilot licensing, communicate the change, and update internal documentation and support materials.
Primary Service: Viva
Admin Impact: Medium
User Impact: Medium
Release Start: 30 Sept 2026
Release End: 30 Sept 2026
Services: M365 Copilot, Viva
Category: Plan for change
Tags: Admin Action, Retirement, User Adoption
History
8/25/2026 Item Added to Message Center
Microsoft Message
We’re retiring Copilot v1 (Writing Assistant) in Microsoft Viva Engage. This is the standalone writing assistance experience available when creating new posts in Viva Engage.
This change simplifies the Copilot experience in Viva Engage by consolidating writing assistance capabilities within Microsoft 365 Copilot in Engage. It also enables continued investment in a single Copilot experience for users who have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
After this retirement, Copilot v1 (Writing Assistant) will no longer be available in Viva Engage.
Rollout schedule
Worldwide: Beginning in late September 2026 and expected to complete in late September 2026
Impact on your organization
Who is affected
Organizations using Microsoft Viva Engage with users licensed through:
- Microsoft Viva Suite
- Viva Communications and Communities (C&C)
Platforms and services
- Microsoft Viva Engage
- Microsoft 365 Copilot in Engage
What will happen
Today, Viva Engage includes two separate Copilot experiences:
Experience License requirement Status
Copilot v1 (Writing Assistant) Microsoft Viva Suite or Viva Communications and Communities (C&C) Retiring
Microsoft 365 Copilot in Engage Microsoft 365 Copilot No change
After rollout:
- Copilot v1 (Writing Assistant) will be removed from Viva Engage.
- Users will no longer be able to access the standalone writing assistance experience.
- Writing assistance capabilities remain available through Microsoft 365 Copilot in Engage for users licensed for Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- Users assigned Viva Suite or C&C licenses, but not Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses, will lose access to writing assistance capabilities previously provided through Copilot v1.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot in Engage will not be automatically enabled as a replacement because it requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Action required and recommendations
We recommend that administrators:
- Identify users who currently rely on Copilot v1 (Writing Assistant) through Viva Suite or Viva Communications and Communities licensing.
- Review whether affected users also have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license assigned.
- Evaluate Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing needs for users who require continued writing assistance capabilities in Viva Engage.
- Communicate this change to affected users before rollout.
- Update internal documentation, training materials, and support content that reference Copilot v1 (Writing Assistant).
No administrative action is required to remove the feature. Retirement will occur automatically during rollout.
Compliance considerations
No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.