How to Use Microsoft Copilot to Recap a Teams Meeting When Late

Showing up late to a Microsoft Teams meeting can throw you out of sync with your colleagues and leave you in the dark about critical updates at work. Whether it’s news of a coworker’s resignation, an upcoming promotion for you, or even plans for the company’s future — these are just a few of the significant developments that might have come up while you were busy waiting for your coffee.

You could awkwardly interrupt the meeting to catch up on what you missed, but that’s not the best way to endear yourself to your teammates. Instead, why not make use of Copilot to quickly summarize the meeting in your absence?

Before You Start…

To utilize the Copilot recap feature in Teams, you need an active subscription to Microsoft 365, as well as access to Copilot. If you possess both but can’t find Copilot at the top of your Teams meeting window, check the three-dot menu to enable it.

It’s also essential for the meeting host to have “transcription or recording enabled,” or to select “Copilot without Transcript” within the meeting settings for it to function properly.

Keep in mind that Copilot will only work if the meeting was created by someone in your organization and there’s been sufficient interaction among participants beforehand for a recap to be generated. So, if your coffee is taking a while, just take your time and enjoy your drink before logging into your PC.

What to Do Next…

Once you are in the Teams meeting window, click the Copilot icon situated at the top of the screen. This will open Copilot in your sidebar. Now simply type: What did I miss in the meeting so far? This request will prompt Copilot to summarize the discussions that occurred while you were absent. And that’s all there is to it!

With the summary of the meeting now at your fingertips, you’re ready to engage effectively. Your colleagues may not be aware of this handy feature, so you can impress them with your newfound “insight.”

Pro Tip: After the meeting wraps up, a transcript will be automatically created. If you want to share a recap with all participants highlighting the vital action points discussed, just type: Write an email for all participants with meeting summary and include action points.