MC940142 - Microsoft 365 Copilot: New user license requests

Coming soon: A new license request feature for Microsoft 365 Copilot will be widely available. This new capability allows users to request a Microsoft 365 Copilot license directly from their admin. This helps you efficiently assign unused licenses or purchase additional ones as needed. Global admins, license admins, and user admins will be able to manage these requests seamlessly in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Microsoft will enable users to self-service purchase or request a license from you for Microsoft 365 Copilot, honoring your settings, from within Microsoft 365 apps like Microsoft Copilot. This message is related to MC853238 (Updated) Microsoft 365 admin center: New self-service purchase and trial settings (published August 2024, updated September 2024).

This message is also related to MC886385 Copilot for Microsoft 365 available for self-service purchase (November 2024).

When this will happen:

General availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out early December 2024 and expect to complete by mid-January 2025.

How this will affect your organization:

After this rollout, global admins, license admins and user admins will be able to manage license requests in the Microsoft 365 admin center, where you can approve or deny the request.

Notifications in the Microsoft 365 admin center of pending license requests from users:

Admins can manage user requests in the Microsoft 365 admin center on the Licenses page:

This change will be available by default to users. Admins can choose to set up their own custom license request process outside of Microsoft Admin Center (Use your own request process).

What you need to do to prepare:

License admins and user admins should familiarize themselves with the licensing process and self-service purchase settings at Manage self-service license requests in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn.

Please be aware that Copilot for Microsoft 365 requires the users’ managed devices to be on the Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel to enable experiences in desktop apps. If a user is not on the correct channel, they will not be able to use their license in their desktop applications and you as the admin will receive a notification.

Learn more

• Help and support: Manage self-service license requests in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn
• Deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot and AI at Microsoft with our works councils - Inside Track Blog
• Manage self-service license requests in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn
• Manage self-service purchases and trials (for admins) | Microsoft Learn

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before the rollout. Review your current configuration to determine the impact for your organization. You may want to notify your admins and users about this change and update any relevant documentation.