Lesson 1: What You Have: Plans, Copilot Access and IT Settings

Welcome, and an important note

This course is independent. It is not made, sponsored or endorsed by Microsoft. It teaches you to use PowerPoint and Copilot well, but it does not reproduce Microsoft's documentation. When a detail depends on your plan, the lesson tells you, and it points you to Microsoft's own pages so you can check it yourself.

Microsoft changes plans, prices and AI features almost every month. Every plan detail in this lesson was checked on 1 November 2026. If you are reading this later, assume that something has changed and check again.

The goal of this level is simple: before you learn any skill, find out what your copy of PowerPoint can actually do.

Task 1: Identify your plan

Your plan falls into one of three groups. Each group gets Copilot in a different way.

• Consumer: Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium or Pro, bought with a personal Microsoft account.
• Small business: Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard or Premium, signed in with a work account, sometimes with Copilot Business added.
• Corporate (enterprise): a work account that your employer's IT team manages, with or without a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot licence.

Do this now:

1. Desktop (Windows or Mac): open PowerPoint and go to File > Account (on a Mac, PowerPoint > About or the account menu). Write down the product name and the account you are signed in with.
2. Web: sign in at office.com, select your profile picture and open your account details. Note whether it says personal or work/school.
3. Mobile: open the PowerPoint app, tap your profile picture and note the account.
4. Write down the date you checked.

Task 2: Match your plan to its Copilot features

This is what Microsoft's pages said on 1 November 2026:

Example: Priya works at a start-up on Business Standard without the Copilot add-on. She finds no Copilot pane in PowerPoint. Nothing is broken. Her plan does not include Copilot in the app, but she can still use Copilot Chat in a browser and upload a file there.

Do this now: find your row and write down what it says, along with today's date.

Task 3: Understand usage limits and credits

Copilot is not unlimited on any plan. It works like a mobile data allowance: once you have used your share, you are told so and have to wait for it to reset or upgrade your plan.

• Consumer plans: Microsoft's support page on AI credits and limits (updated October 2026) describes usage in tiers (Standard, More, Extensive, Highest), and the tier rises from Personal up to Pro. Many sources quote 60 credits a month for Personal and Family. The current Microsoft page does not state that number, so treat it as unconfirmed.
• Check your balance: sign in to your Microsoft account and open Services & subscriptions. PowerPoint also notifies you when you are close to a limit or have reached it.
• Business plans: the Copilot licence covers everyday AI use. Microsoft says advanced agent features, such as Cowork, Code and Autopilot, use pay-as-you-go Copilot Credits on top of the licence. Industry reports say a default monthly cap per user applies from mid-November 2026. That detail is reported, not yet confirmed on a Microsoft page.
• Preview features: if a feature has a Preview or Frontier label, it may change or disappear. Note that it is in preview.

Do this now: open Services & subscriptions (consumer) or ask your admin (work), and record your limit and the date it resets.

Task 4: Check whether IT has switched features off

On a work account, IT can turn Copilot off, even when the licence exists. Admins can do this in the Microsoft 365 admin center for each app or each user. They can also do it by turning off connected experiences, the cloud features that analyse your content. Designer and Copilot both depend on them.

Do this now:

1. In desktop PowerPoint, go to File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings.
2. Look at connected experiences. If the options are greyed out or show "managed by your organisation", IT controls them.
3. Check whether the Copilot button appears on the Home tab.
4. If it is missing or greyed out, contact your IT help desk or Microsoft 365 administrator. Microsoft's consumer support cannot change your employer's settings.
5. When you ask, state the feature, the app (desktop, web or mobile) and what you see. For example: "Copilot button missing in PowerPoint desktop; is Copilot licensed and enabled for me?"

Your task: build a "What I have" card

On one page, record:

• Your plan and account type
• Whether Copilot works in PowerPoint on desktop, web and mobile
• Your usage limit and reset date, marked confirmed or unconfirmed
• Any features in preview
• Who to ask (IT contact or account owner)
• The date you checked

Keep it handy. Later lessons say when a feature depends on your plan, and this card lets you check straight away.

Key takeaways

• This course is independent of Microsoft. Always check plan details on Microsoft's current pages, and date them.
• Consumer, small business and corporate plans each get Copilot differently.
• On Family and the other consumer plans, AI benefits belong to the subscription owner only.
• Since 15 April 2026, work users without a paid Copilot licence have no Copilot inside PowerPoint, only Copilot Chat (Basic).
• Every plan has usage limits. Check yours in Services & subscriptions or with your admin.
• A missing Copilot button on a work account usually comes down to the licence or an IT setting. Ask your IT admin.