Tech Outlets Correct Viral Claim That Microsoft Renamed Office to 'Microsoft 365 Copilot'

Overview

• Reports from The Verge, Windows Central, and ZDNET clarify that only the Microsoft 365/Office hub app took the Microsoft 365 Copilot name last year.
• The new app name and icon rolled out around January 15, 2025 to Windows, iOS, and Android, marking the completion of that app rebrand.
• Microsoft’s product page wording — “The Microsoft 365 Copilot app (formerly Office)” and references to Microsoft 365 for the web “formerly Office” — is the direct source of the confusion.
• The Office suite itself was not renamed, with Microsoft 365 remaining the subscription brand since 2022 and a separate one-time purchase edition still sold as Microsoft Office 2024.
• Windows Central cites a Microsoft 365 marketing executive saying there have been no recent naming changes to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, while The Verge reports Microsoft declined an on-the-record comment on the branding confusion.