Summary
Themes by Copilot in Microsoft Outlook will be retired worldwide from mid- to late October 2026. Users with a Copilot license will lose the ability to select or revert to these themes, though current themes remain until changed. No action is required.
Message ID: MC1492954
Published: Oct 9, 2026
Service: Exchange Online
Tag: Major change, User impact, Admin impact, Retirement
Microsoft Message
We are retiring Themes by Copilot in Microsoft Outlook. Themes by Copilot currently allows users with a Copilot license to create and apply a Copilot-generated theme in Settings. As part of this change, Themes by Copilot will be removed from Settings, and users will no longer be able to select or return to a Theme by Copilot after changing to a different theme.
Rollout schedule
General Availability (Worldwide): Retirement begins in mid-October 2026 and is expected to complete by late October 2026.
Impact on your organization
Who is affected
Users with a Copilot license.
Platforms and services
- New Outlook for Windows
- Outlook for Android
- Outlook for iOS
- Outlook for Mac
- Outlook on the web
What will happen
- Themes by Copilot will be removed from Settings. Users who are currently using a Theme by Copilot will retain their current theme until they change it.
- Themes by Copilot configured to automatically refresh will remain applied but will stop refreshing. Users will retain the current theme imagery until they change their theme.
- Users can change from their existing Theme by Copilot to a non-Copilot theme but cannot return to a Theme by Copilot after doing so.
Action required and recommendations
No action is required.