Microsoft Gives Admins More Control Over Copilot Cowork Browser Access

Microsoft is giving organizations more control over how browser access works in Copilot Cowork, introducing new administrative settings that allow IT teams to decide exactly who can use the capability.

The new controls are being made available through the Microsoft 365 admin center, giving tenant administrators the ability to enable browser access for everyone, keep it disabled, or make it available only to selected users and security groups.

The update is part of Microsoft’s broader effort to give organizations more granular control over AI-powered capabilities as they become increasingly integrated into workplace workflows.

Microsoft says the feature will begin rolling out worldwide in mid-September 2026, with the rollout expected to be completed by late September 2026.

What is changing in Copilot Cowork?

Copilot Cowork is gaining administrative controls for browser use, allowing organizations to determine whether the AI capability can use the Microsoft Edge browser to perform tasks on behalf of users.

Previously, organizations looking at browser-based AI functionality faced the challenge of balancing productivity benefits with administrative control. The new settings provide a more targeted way to manage access.

Instead of simply making the capability available across an entire Microsoft 365 tenant, administrators can now configure access for:

No users
All users
Specific users or security groups

That means an organization could, for example, start by giving browser access to a small group of employees involved in an internal pilot. After evaluating the experience, administrators could gradually expand access to additional teams.

This approach can be particularly useful for businesses that want to test new AI functionality without immediately deploying it across their entire workforce.

Browser access is disabled by default

One of the most important details for Microsoft 365 administrators is that browser access for Copilot Cowork is disabled by default.

Organizations will therefore need to take action if they want users to access the capability.

Microsoft’s rollout announcement recommends that administrators review which users or security groups should receive access and consider starting with a limited pilot before expanding deployment.

This gives IT teams an opportunity to establish internal processes around the feature before making it broadly available.

For organizations with strict security, compliance or governance requirements, the ability to control access at the user or group level may also make it easier to align browser-based AI functionality with existing administrative policies.

How administrators can enable Cowork browser access

Tenant administrators can configure the feature through the Microsoft 365 admin center.

According to Microsoft’s instructions, administrators should follow these steps:

Open the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Go to Copilot.
Select Settings.
Choose View All.
Open the Cowork settings.
Under Allow browser access, select Allow Cowork to use the Microsoft Edge browser to perform tasks on behalf of users.
Configure the appropriate users or security groups.

Only users included within the configured scope will receive access to the capability.

Administrators should make sure the selected scope matches their organization’s intended deployment strategy before enabling the feature.

Why granular controls matter

The most significant part of this update may not simply be the ability to turn browser access on or off. It is the addition of more granular access management.

AI tools are increasingly moving beyond generating text and answering questions. Capabilities that can interact with browsers and perform tasks introduce another layer of organizational considerations.

A browser-enabled AI assistant may interact with websites, navigate online workflows and perform actions on behalf of users. That makes administrative control particularly important for businesses that need to determine where and how such functionality can be used.

By allowing access to specific security groups, Microsoft gives organizations a way to separate testing from full deployment.

For example, an IT department could establish a small pilot group consisting of employees who understand the organization’s AI policies. The team could then collect feedback, review workflows and identify potential issues before expanding access.

This staged approach can also help organizations prepare documentation and user guidance around the new capability.

A useful option for controlled AI pilots

The timing of the update is significant as businesses continue experimenting with AI agents and more autonomous workplace tools.

Organizations are increasingly interested in AI that can do more than provide information. The ability to interact with applications and websites can potentially reduce repetitive work and streamline certain workflows.

At the same time, organizations need visibility and control over which employees can use those capabilities.

The new Copilot Cowork browser settings provide a middle ground between completely blocking browser functionality and immediately enabling it for an entire tenant.

A company could start with no users, move to a small security group, and eventually expand access if the initial deployment meets its internal requirements.

This makes the feature particularly relevant to organizations that use Microsoft 365’s existing security and group-management infrastructure to control access to services.

What Microsoft 365 admins should do

For administrators, the first step is to determine whether Copilot Cowork browser access is relevant to their organization.

If the capability is useful, IT teams can identify a suitable pilot group and decide what success criteria they want to use during testing.

It may also be useful to review existing policies covering AI assistants, browser automation, data access and employee use of AI tools.

Because browser access allows Cowork to use Microsoft Edge to perform tasks on behalf of users, organizations may want to make sure employees understand what the feature can do and what their responsibilities are when using it.

Microsoft specifically recommends starting with a small pilot group before expanding deployment more broadly.

That recommendation also gives administrators an opportunity to assess the practical experience of Cowork in their own environment rather than treating a new AI capability as a one-size-fits-all deployment.

Worldwide rollout begins in September 2026

Microsoft says the Copilot Cowork browser-access controls will begin rolling out worldwide in mid-September 2026 and are expected to reach general availability globally by late September 2026.

As of September 19, 2026, organizations should therefore be preparing for the setting to become available as the rollout progresses.

Because Microsoft 365 features can arrive at different times across tenants, administrators may not necessarily see the option at exactly the same moment.

Organizations should monitor the Microsoft 365 admin center and Microsoft’s documentation as the rollout continues.

What this means for businesses

The update reflects a broader trend in enterprise AI: giving administrators more control as AI systems become capable of taking actions rather than simply producing responses.

For businesses, that means AI deployment is increasingly becoming an administrative and governance question as well as a productivity decision.

Copilot Cowork’s new browser-access controls give IT teams a way to introduce the capability gradually. Instead of choosing between organization-wide access and no access, administrators can now define a more targeted deployment.

That could make controlled experimentation easier for organizations that want to understand the benefits and implications of browser-enabled AI before expanding its use.

For now, the key takeaway for Microsoft 365 administrators is straightforward: Copilot Cowork browser access is off by default, and organizations must explicitly configure who can use it.

With the worldwide rollout underway in September 2026, administrators should review their Copilot settings, identify potential pilot users or groups, and decide how they want to approach deployment.

For detailed technical instructions, Microsoft provides documentation on configuring local browser access for Copilot Cowork through Microsoft Learn.