Effective and efficient communication is very important when managing your business. Whether you're collaborating with colleagues, discussing project details, or simply sharing updates through chat, the way you communicate your thoughts depends on who you're talking to. Microsoft Copilot, part of Teams' chat and channel creation box, is a powerful tool that can help you take your messaging to the next level. In this blog, we'll explain what this AI-powered tool is, how to access it and display your messages, as well as an exciting new feature: custom tones.
Rewrite messages using Copilot in Teams chats and channels.
Copilot can help you create more polished, consistent messages right from the text composition box in your chats and channels. This is more than just spell checking and grammar correction. Copilot also suggests improvements, rewrites, and adjustments to improve the clarity, tone, and impact of your message. Whether you want to quickly respond to a colleague or share detailed project updates with a VP, Copilot can help. If you have a Copilot license for Microsoft 365, you can start composing a message by going to the message composition box in Teams. To start rewriting, click the Copilot icon in your chat box, press “Rewrite” and you will see your message converted in no time!
Use “Adjust” to get a more specific rewrite.
Copilot allows me to improve my messages with just a few clicks before sending them to my team. But this is just the beginning. Next to the “Rewrite” button is the “Adjust” option, which allows you to specify how you would like to change your message. This allows you to apply that message to whoever you're talking to: colleagues, friends, larger teams, and even managers. Simply choose from a variety of options in the “Adjust” menu and change the length (succinct or longer) or tone (casual, professional, confident or passionate) of your message.
Not only is this an easy way to perfect your message, but it also allows you to do it without having to type a prompt. Just choose how you want to edit your message and Copilot will do the work for you! If you need further editing, you can always refine your message by stacking different tones and lengths together. “Rewrite” can be used if you don’t have a specific request in mind for Copilot and want to use it like a proofreader, while “Adjust” exists to provide specific information about what you want to change in the message. Copilot is the foundation of your message, but it's always important to proofread and check the content you create before you hit send.
Currently Available: Custom Tones
Letting Copilot do the work using preset adjustment options is a great, immediate way to rewrite your messages quickly and efficiently, but there's a new feature that lets you tell Copilot exactly how you want your writing to be converted to text. The best version by itself: custom tone.
Custom tones do all the work for you with the “tweak” feature, giving you the freedom to choose how Copilot can rewrite your message via public prompts. This gives you the freedom to request multiple changes and Copilot will complete them simultaneously on your rewrite. Want to add persuasive language to make your message more compelling? Or do you want to add additional context to your tone to make the right impression? Or do you want to convert long sentences into bulleted lists before sharing them with your team? Custom tones give you control over how Copilot behaves exactly the way you want by asking you how to change the message.
Custom tones can even bridge language barriers between global colleagues! Ask Copilot to translate your message into a specific language. For example, you can ask Copilot to make your message “longer, cheerier, and more Spanish,” and Copilot can make those changes, instantly translating from the compose box, without having to leave your workflow. Now with Copilot in Teams, you can reach a global audience like never before, making it easier to create and receive messages that are tailored to you.
Teams Messages – The Next Superpower
Most of my work time is spent responding to messages in Teams. This can mean that you're flooded with messages waiting for a response, some of which are truly urgent and may get buried in all your other unread chats and channels. Copilot allows you to respond faster and more effectively, fostering collaboration. As a writer, it helps you get your message across to each audience faster and easier by reducing complexity. And you also benefit as a recipient of the message. Easy-to-understand messages help you take more deliberate action. Thanks to Copilot, writing messages in Teams has never been easier. All of this is thanks to the AI capabilities you provide.
Additional Resources
Check out the Copilot Lab for more examples of prompts that Copilot can help you with! Filter by specific Microsoft 365 apps to find out which prompts to use for meetings and chats, and get tips for more optimized prompts with Copilot!
What comes next
If you're already using Copilot in Teams, share your favorite prompts in the comments for a chance to be featured in an upcoming “Prompt Like a Pro” blog highlighting some of our community's favorites! And be sure to follow the Teams MTC site so you don't miss any future blogs. You’ll be receiving messages like a pro before you know it!
Copilot in Teams is constantly evolving and improving thanks to your input and feedback. If the Copilot prompt doesn't work as expected, please let us know using the dislike button that appears after the response.