TL;DR
- Copilot now remembers your preferences and work style
- Copilot Pages turns ideas into collaborative documents
- Proactive Actions gives smart nudges for daily tasks
- Connectors expand search across Gmail, Drive, Outlook and more
- Copilot Search blends AI answers with verified sources
- Edge gets its own Copilot Mode
- “Real Talk” makes AI more conversational, and more honest
Microsoft Copilot Fall Release – What’s New
In October 2025, Microsoft dropped its Copilot Fall Release, and it’s clear they’re not just adding features, they’re changing the tone of AI.
Less “robot overlord,” more “empathetic teammate.”
“Technology should work in service of people. Not the other way around. Ever.”
Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI
This update is all about personalisation, empathy, and usefulness. And while a few bells and whistles are still US-only, there’s plenty for Australians to get their hands on.
Features You Can Use in Australia
Memory & Personalisation
Copilot now remembers you.
Not in a creepy, “I’ve been watching your emails” way. More like a thoughtful colleague who’s finally figured out how you like things done.
It can recall preferences like:
- “I prefer bullet points”
- “Keep emails concise”
- “Use a formal tone”
- “I’m working on Project Alpha”
Basically, it’s like handing Copilot a sticky note with your quirks.
So next time you open Word or Teams, Copilot already knows your style and tone without you needing to repeat yourself.
Why it’s a game-changer:
- You save time not re-teaching it every session
- It adapts to how you work
- Suggestions feel more relevant (“Want to send a follow-up on Project Alpha?”)
- It starts anticipating what you might need next
Imagine walking into your favourite café and the barista already knows your order. That’s Copilot with memory.It just gets you.
Licensing Needed: Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium
Copilot Pages
Think of this as a smart canvas where Copilot’s responses turn into editable, shareable documents.
Use it for:
- Brainstorming ideas
- Planning projects
- Drafting content collaboratively
It’s a bit like working on a whiteboard that writes back. You toss in ideas, Copilot organises them, and together you refine until it’s ready to ship.
We know many people have been using Copilot Notebooks for similar work, so here’s how they differ and work together.
| Feature | Copilot Pages | Copilot Notebooks |
| Purpose | Quick collaboration | Deep contextual reasoning |
| Structure | Flat, editable canvas | Multi-page, structured |
| Collaboration | Real-time, shareable | Mostly solo, with selective sharing |
| Best For | Drafting, outlining, refining | Research, strategy, complex projects |
| Grounded In | Content from Microsoft 365 environment and web content (if enabled) | Information provided by the user |
| AI Integration | High – edit Copilot responses directly | Very High – grounded in notebook content |
How to use both:
Start in a Notebook to define your project scope and goals, then move to Pages for drafting and collaboration.
It’s like briefing a consultant (Notebook) and then working side-by-side on the deliverables (Pages).
Licensing Needed: Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium, or work/school accounts with SharePoint/OneDrive
Where to access: In Chat after receiving a response “Edit this response” to open it in a Page.
Proactive Actions (Preview)
This one’s for anyone who’s ever stared at an overflowing inbox thinking, “I swear I was meant to follow up with someone…”
Copilot now gives you helpful nudges based on what you’ve been doing.
It might say, “Want to send a summary of that meeting?” or “Do you need to review yesterday’s draft?”
In other words, it’s like your calendar and inbox had a baby that’s obsessed with helping you stay on top of things.
Use it for:
- Follow-ups
- Task reminders
- Document-sharing prompts
Available in: Copilot and Microsoft 365 apps. Requires Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium subscription and opt in via settings.
And because everyone loves a comparison: Planner vs Proactive Actions
Planner is for structured project management, while Proactive Actions handles the smaller, everyday stuff. Think of it as the difference between a personal assistant’s gentle reminders versus a full-blown project tracker.
| Feature | Proactive Actions | Planner |
| Trigger | AI-driven (based on recent activity) | Manual task creation |
| Use Case | Nudges like “Send a follow-up” | Structured project planning |
| Integration | Embedded in Outlook, Teams, Word | Standalone or with Teams |
| Best For | Daily productivity | Long-term team planning |
Connectors
Copilot can now search across Gmail, Google Drive, Outlook, OneDrive and more.
It’s like giving Copilot a master key to your entire digital filing cabinet.
So when you say, “Find that budget spreadsheet from last week,” it checks everywhere. And hands it to you in seconds.
Use it for:
- Unified search
- Calendar and email integration
- File summarisation
Licensing Needed: Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium
How to Set Up: Connectors can be set up in Copilot Settings
Copilot Search
Search now combines AI answers with traditional results. It’s like Google and ChatGPT had a well-cited baby.
Why It Matters:
- Avoids hallucinations
- Cites sources
- Understands your intent better
Licensing Needed: Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium
Copilot Mode in Edge
Edge now includes a Copilot Mode that turns your browser into a personal assistant. It can summarise tabs, compare products, and even book things for you.
Picture having a travel agent, researcher, and admin assistant living right in your browser tab.
Licensing Needed: Windows 11 with latest update
Real Talk Mode
Real Talk Mode pushes back when needed, asks clarifying questions, and adapts to your tone. It’s a step towards AI that feels collaborative.
Use it for:
- Strategy sessions
- Creative ideation
- Writing critique
It’s like having a colleague who says, “Are you sure that’s the best way to say it?” But in a helpful, not smug, way.
Licensing: Microsoft 365 Copilot
US Copilot Features We’re Hoping Will Roll Out to Australia Soon
Copilot Groups
Real-time collaboration with up to 32 people in a shared Copilot session.
Think campaign planning or incident response on steroids.
It’ll be interesting to see how this fits with Teams. Could it overlap, or make collaboration even smoother?
Imagine
A collaborative space for generating, remixing, and sharing AI visuals.
It’s like Pinterest meets Nano Banana, with remix buttons.
Use it for:
- Moodboards
- Branding concepts
- Training visuals
Mico
Say hello to Mico, the new animated face of Copilot.
Think Clippy 2.0, but cuter and less intrusive.
Mico reacts to your tone, changes colour, and adds warmth to voice interactions.
Basically, your AI just learned emotional intelligence (and maybe a few cartwheels).
Getting Copilot Ready
Before diving into these features, make sure your organisation’s foundations are solid.
That means:
- Migrating to Microsoft 365 and cleaning up your SharePoint
- Reviewing permissions and governance
- Training your team
- Auditing and tagging your documents
- Setting up metadata and connectors
From Assistant to Ally
The buzz on the street with this Copilot Fall Release is that it signals a recognition to move from flashy hype to features that are genuinely useful and grounded in real-world workflows.
We know big features don’t automatically translate into big value. It all comes down to adoption. Some of these new capabilities will integrate so seamlessly into your day-to-day that you’ll wonder how you ever worked without them (think Copilot Search and Memory). Others might require a bit of hunting and hands-on effort to unlock their full potential (think Copilot Groups and Connectors).
We’re excited to see Copilot continue its evolution, growing smarter, more intuitive, and more human with every release.
Sources
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/blog/2025/10/23/human-centered-ai/