Copilot’s new Record feature: the consent question Microsoft has left to you
Copilot’s mobile app is getting a Record feature: capture a conversation or a voice note, and get a transcript and summary back in Copilot Chat once it’s finished.
The transcription and storage side of this is genuinely well governed. The part worth pausing on is simpler and has nothing to do with technology: it’s whether the person being recorded knows about it.
What’s changing
A Frontier preview becomes available from late July 2026, with general availability rolling out worldwide from late August and expected to complete by late September (Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 498640). It applies to the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile app on iOS and Android.
Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence will see a new Record option, accessed from the plus menu in the Copilot Chat prompt box alongside existing attachment options like photos and files.
Recording can run in the background while a user switches between apps, for up to 120 minutes per recording, and the audio uploads to the user’s OneDrive for Business once recording stops, generating an AI transcript and summary in Copilot Chat.
The recording, transcript and summary inherit existing OneDrive for Business permissions and governance, and Microsoft states plainly that customer recordings, transcripts and summaries are not used to train its foundation AI, large language, or speech recognition models.
The feature is enabled by default for licensed users.
Quick summary
Microsoft 365 Copilot’s mobile app is adding a Record feature, rolling out from late August 2026, covering:
- recording in-person conversations or voice notes, with an AI-generated transcript and summary appearing in Copilot Chat afterwards
- recordings up to 120 minutes long, continuing in the background as users switch apps, then uploaded to the user’s OneDrive for Business
- existing retention policies, sensitivity labels, DLP and eDiscovery controls applying automatically, with Microsoft confirming recordings aren’t used to train its AI models
- enabled by default for licensed users, with an actual admin control available this time, an Intune App Configuration Policy that can turn it off entirely
But there’s a detail buried in the recommendations, not the compliance section, that matters more than any of the technical safeguards: Copilot does not notify other participants when a user starts recording them. Whether that’s acceptable in your organisation is a policy decision Microsoft has explicitly left to you.
Why this matters
The technical governance here is genuinely solid, which makes the one gap more conspicuous rather than less:
- Existing retention, sensitivity label, DLP and eDiscovery policies apply automatically, with no additional configuration needed. This is one of the better-governed AI features Microsoft has shipped in this space.
- An admin control actually exists this time. Disabling Record entirely is possible through an Intune App Configuration Policy, setting
com.microsoft.office.officemobile.Dictation.IsAllowed = false. That’s a real, specific technical lever, not just a user-level toggle. - None of that addresses consent. Microsoft’s own recommendations state directly that recording laws and organisational policies vary by location, that users are responsible for obtaining any consent required before recording a conversation, and that Copilot does not notify other participants when a user starts recording. In the UK, recording your own conversations is generally lawful, but recording others without their knowledge still raises real data protection and workplace conduct questions, particularly for anything involving personal data about a third party who hasn’t agreed to it.
The result is a feature where the technology is trustworthy and the risk is entirely behavioural: an employee recording a client call, a colleague, or a meeting, without anyone else in the room knowing, because nothing in the interface tells them to ask first.
Who’s affected
- Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence on iOS or Android, where the feature is enabled by default
- Admins managing Microsoft 365 productivity apps and Intune app configuration policies
- Anyone whose conversations might be recorded by a colleague without their knowledge, which is as much an HR and conduct question as an IT one
What we’d recommend doing now
No action is required to enable this feature, since it’s already on by default, which makes an active decision more urgent, not less:
- Decide deliberately whether Record should stay enabled, rather than letting the default stand by inaction. This is a genuine policy decision, not a configuration checkbox.
- If you want it disabled, deploy the Intune App Configuration Policy now: set
com.microsoft.office.officemobile.Dictation.IsAllowed = falseahead of the August rollout, rather than reacting after users already have access. - Write or update a clear consent policy for recording conversations, covering client calls, internal meetings and anything involving third parties, and communicate it before the feature reaches users, not after an incident.
- Brief users explicitly that Microsoft does not notify other participants when recording starts. That single fact is the one most likely to catch people out if it isn’t spelled out plainly.
Where this fits with your wider Copilot governance
The technical side of this pairs naturally with our recent work on Copilot readiness, but the more pressing question here sits closer to HR and conduct policy than IT governance. Getting the Intune configuration right is the easy part; deciding, and communicating, what your organisation considers acceptable use of a covert-by-default recording tool is the part worth getting ahead of.
If you’d like support with either side of this, we can help:
- Talk to a consultant about Copilot readiness, including whether Record should remain enabled for your organisation.
- Get in touch with our support team if you’d like help deploying the Intune App Configuration Policy to disable Record before rollout.
- Explore our Copilot security and compliance training if your team needs a wider refresher on Copilot governance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Microsoft 365 Copilot tell other people when you start recording them?
No. Microsoft has confirmed that Copilot does not notify other participants when a user starts recording a conversation. Obtaining any necessary consent is the user’s responsibility, not something the app handles automatically.
Is it legal to record a conversation without the other person’s consent in the UK?
Recording your own conversations is generally lawful in the UK, but recording others without their knowledge can still raise data protection and conduct concerns, particularly where personal data about a third party is involved. Requirements vary by situation and location, so organisations should set their own clear policy rather than relying on general legality alone.
Can admins disable Copilot’s Record feature?
Copilot updates, this one has a genuine admin control: deploying an Intune App Configuration Policy with com.microsoft.office.officemobile.Dictation.IsAllowed set to false disables Record entirely.
Where are Copilot voice recordings stored?
Recordings upload to the user’s OneDrive for Business once recording stops, inheriting existing OneDrive permissions and governance, including retention policies, sensitivity labels, DLP and eDiscovery controls.
Does Microsoft use Copilot recordings to train its AI models?
No. Microsoft states that customer recordings, transcripts and summaries are not used to train its foundation AI models, large language models, or speech recognition models.
When is this rolling out?
A Frontier preview is available from late July 2026, with general availability rolling out worldwide from late August 2026 and expected to complete by late September 2026, associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 498640.
This update is based on Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 498640, published 23 July 2026. Rollout dates are provided by Microsoft and may change.