Clarifying: Office is Not Renamed to Microsoft 365 Copilot

You've got every reason to feel perplexed.

Once again, Microsoft has sparked confusion across the internet. A flurry of posts on platforms like Reddit, Hacker News, and X recently claimed that Microsoft Office had been rebranded as Microsoft 365 Copilot. Despite Microsoft's fondness for splashing its Copilot branding far and wide, Office retains its original name.

The source of this misunderstanding stems from Microsoft's own Office.com platform, which over the last year has served as a conduit for directing both businesses and individual users to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. This app serves as a comprehensive hub, granting users access to Copilot alongside the suite of traditional Office applications. Previously, this was known simply as Office.

Visiting Office.com presents visitors with a warm greeting for the Microsoft 365 Copilot app and an easily misinterpreted Microsoft message noting it as 'formerly Office.'

The 'formerly Office' note refers to the earlier strategy of enticing users toward online iterations of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This hub was called the Microsoft 365 app until it morphed into the Copilot app in November 2024. This shift caught many by surprise, leaving confusion in its wake. As of January 15th last year, this new branding, with its revised icon, was unveiled to users on Windows, iOS, and Android.

It's puzzling why the internet recently stumbled upon these changes, considering that the core Office applications continue under a subscription model that has remained consistent since 2022.

If the seeming contradictions of Microsoft's branding intrigue you, you might even purchase Office as a standalone package, which excludes the cloud features and regular updates available with the Microsoft 365 subscription.

Despite seeking Microsoft’s take on the branding confusion revolving around Office and Microsoft 365 Copilot, they declined to provide an official statement.

Now that you're familiar with the current state of Microsoft's Office branding, it might not be long before another rebranding occurs.