Copilot Tips: Keyboard Shortcuts – Tech Tip for August 6, 2025

In this week’s tech tip, we highlight Copilot keyboard shortcuts designed to help you work faster and stay focused—especially when using Excel and other Microsoft 365 apps. If you’re frequently switching between mouse clicks and toolbars, these shortcuts can streamline how you launch and interact with Copilot, giving you quicker access to its powerful features without breaking your workflow. Let’s get started!

Open Copilot Across Microsoft 365

Instead of searching for the Copilot icon in each app, you can use a few simple shortcuts to launch Copilot wherever you are. Whether you’re working in Excel, Outlook, or Teams, Copilot can be summoned with a keystroke.

In Windows:

• Windows + C: Press the ‘Windows’ logo key and ‘C’ at the same time to launch Copilot in Windows 11 (if enabled).
  • Not enabled? Modify keyboard text personalization in Windows ‘Settings’ by selecting ‘Personalization’ from the menu, and ‘Text input.’
  • Select the drop-down for ‘Customize Copilot key on keyboard’ to make ‘Copilot’ the selected option.

In Excel:

• CTRL + Shift + I: In Excel, select ‘Ctrl’ and ‘Shift’ and ‘I’ to open the Copilot pane directly (in supported versions).

TIP: This regular keyboard shortcut method may not be present in all Windows builds. If it does not work in yours, we recommend using the ‘Alt’ key method instead.

Activate the ‘Alt’ Key:

• When ‘Alt’ is selected alone in Office apps, little letters or numbers will appear over the ribbon menu tabs. Ex. ‘H’ for the ‘Home’ tab, and ‘N’ for the ‘Insert’ tab.
  • Try selecting ‘Alt’ and a number or letter combination associated with a function, ex. ‘Alt’ and ‘H’ for the ‘Home’ tab.
• To use this shortcut method to open the Copilot pane, using the above image example, we would select ‘Alt’ with ‘H’ and ‘FX.’
• Be sure to give this ‘Alternate’ keyboard shortcut method a try!

TIP: Save your favorite alternate shortcuts in a sticky note, Notepad, or OneNote file so you can quickly reference them until they become second nature.

Use Your Keyboard to Navigate and Prompt

Once Copilot is open, you can use your keyboard to type in commands and interact without relying on your mouse. This can make tasks like data entry, summarization, or generating insights more efficient.

With the Copilot Pane Active in Excel:

• Press ‘Tab’ to move between the input ‘prompt area’ and suggestions.
• Use ‘Enter’ to submit a prompt such as “Summarize this worksheet” or “Insert a pivot table.”

TIP: Keep prompts short and focused for quicker responses—Copilot doesn’t need full sentences. Ask Copilot to “show examples” if you are unsure how to phrase a request.

Reach Out to TechWise Group

Interested in learning more about Microsoft Copilot and Excel? Reach out to TechWise Group. We’ll help you make the most of your Microsoft tools.

Important Microsoft Announcements:

• Prepare for Windows Server 2016 End of Support (EoS):
  • Extended Support ends on January 12, 2027.
• Windows 10 reached End of Support (EoS) on October 14, 2025:
  • Put a plan in place to upgrade to Windows 11.
• Maximize your organization’s Security with Secure Score and MFA:
  • Get to know your Secure Score—your essential tool for proactive threat management.
  • Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is the best way to prevent cyberthreats.
• Give your business a productivity boost with Microsoft Copilot:
  • Get started with Copilot consulting services to organize and secure your data, while also training you and your team.
• Contact TechWise Group to get started.