Microsoft has recently faced some confusion online regarding the rebranding of Microsoft Office to Microsoft 365 Copilot. Contrary to circulating claims, Microsoft has not renamed Office to the ‘Microsoft 365 Copilot app’.
The misunderstanding stems from Microsoft’s Office.com domain, which has been promoting the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as a central hub providing access to Copilot and all Office apps. This hub was previously known simply as Office before Microsoft rebranded it to Microsoft 365 in 2022.
Visitors to Office.com might encounter a message welcoming them to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, leading to further confusion. However, this reference to ‘formerly Office’ pertains to the old Office app introduced in 2019 to encourage the use of online Word, Excel, and PowerPoint versions.
While the Copilot app was rebranded in November 2024 to Microsoft 365 Copilot, the core suite of Office apps remains under the subscription plan Microsoft 365, retaining the same branding since 2022. Despite the clarified branding distinctions, some users may still find Microsoft’s naming conventions perplexing.
Source: The Verge