It depends on which Copilot you use and whether you’re signed in with a personal or work account. Microsoft says personal Copilot conversations are saved by default and may be used to train generative AI models, subject to exclusions and account settings. For work and school Copilot, Microsoft says prompts and responses aren’t used to train foundation models—but they may be logged and retained for organizational purposes. Files, Vision images, web searches, and connected agents can follow different rules.
First, identify your Copilot and account
“Microsoft Copilot” covers different products and account types, so one product’s retention or training policy does not automatically apply to another. Microsoft’s personal Copilot privacy guidance applies to use with a personal Microsoft account; its work and school documentation addresses organizational accounts, including Microsoft Entra ID accounts. Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps for home is another distinct context.
Microsoft says an updated Copilot app for web, desktop, and mobile has been available since August 18, 2026, and points users of that app to updated personal privacy guidance. If you’re checking a setting or policy, make sure the guidance matches the app experience and account you actually use.
How the main Copilot experiences differ
| Experience | What Microsoft says about data | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Copilot | Conversation history is saved by default; Microsoft states an 18-month default storage period. Personal conversation activity may be used for generative AI training, subject to exclusions and settings. | History, training, and personalization are separate matters. Microsoft also describes automated and human review for some conversations. |
| Copilot Chat with a work or school account | Microsoft says prompts and responses are not used to train foundation models. Prompts, related Bing searches, and responses are logged. | Enterprise data protection does not mean the data is never stored. Retention and audit capabilities can depend on the organization’s subscription and controls. |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot for an organization | Microsoft says interaction records, including prompts, responses, and citations, are stored under the organization’s Microsoft 365 commitments and are not used to train foundation models. | Administrators can use Microsoft Purview or Content Search to view and manage interaction data. |
| Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps for home | Microsoft says prompts, responses, and file contents are not used to train foundation models. | Optional customer feedback may be used to improve Copilot in these apps, but Microsoft says it is not used to train their foundation models. |
These are Microsoft’s stated practices in its support and product documentation, not independent verification of implementation. The applicable terms and controls can vary by product and organizational configuration.
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Does personal Copilot save your chats?
Yes. Microsoft says personal Copilot conversations are saved by default and appear in conversation history. Its personal Copilot FAQ states a default storage period of 18 months; the cited FAQ does not state a publication year. You can delete an individual conversation or your conversation history.
Microsoft also describes a cross-experience visibility feature: conversations originating in Microsoft 365 Copilot may appear read-only in Copilot when you use the same personal account. The personal FAQ says you can manage or turn off that visibility, and that these Microsoft 365 Copilot conversations are not used to train Copilot’s generative AI models. That does not make the two experiences subject to one shared data policy.
Can personal Copilot chats be used to train AI?
Microsoft says personal Copilot conversation activity may be used to train generative AI models unless an exclusion or opt-out applies. Its stated exclusions include people signed in with an organizational Entra ID account; users of Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps with Personal or Family subscriptions; people who are not signed in; signed-in users under 18; users who have opted out; and users in Brazil, China excluding Hong Kong, Israel, Nigeria, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Microsoft also says it does not train on personal account profile data or email contents, and that it removes identifying information from data used for training. These are Microsoft’s descriptions of its practices; they should not be read as a promise that every personal Copilot interaction is always included or always excluded.
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Training and personalization are separate controls
Microsoft says opting out of training can coexist with personalization. If personalization remains enabled, Copilot may remember key details to tailor responses even when conversation activity is not used for generative AI training. Review both settings in your account if you want to manage these separately.
Can people review personal Copilot conversations?
Microsoft says some personal Copilot conversations are subject to automated and human review for product improvement and digital safety. Conversations flagged as suspected Code of Conduct violations may also be reviewed; Microsoft says limited human review is required to investigate a suspected violation and that this investigation cannot be opted out of.
“Some Copilot conversations are subject to both automated and human review for product improvement and digital safety purposes.”
Microsoft advises users not to provide confidential or sensitive personal information they would not want used for the purposes described in its FAQ and Privacy Statement.
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What happens to files, screenshots, and camera images?
Files shared with personal Copilot
Microsoft says a file shared with personal Copilot is stored securely for up to 18 months and then automatically deleted. The file and its associated conversation are subject to the user’s training and personalization choices; deleting the conversation is also an available control. Microsoft’s cited FAQ does not state a publication year for this retention figure.
Copilot Vision images
Microsoft describes different handling for screenshots and camera images used with Copilot Vision: they are processed to respond to the request, are not used to train AI models or personalize the experience, and are not stored after the session ends. Microsoft advises avoiding Vision if you do not want biometric data processed, and not sharing images of other people without their consent. These statements apply to Vision, not every type of image or file shared with Copilot.
What does work or school data protection cover?
Microsoft says signing in to Copilot Chat with a work or school account provides enterprise data protection (EDP). It describes prompts, responses, and accessed organizational data as covered by relevant enterprise contractual commitments, and says chat data is encrypted during the session. Microsoft says prompts and responses are not used to train foundation models.
That training commitment is not the same as saying chats are not stored. Microsoft says prompts, Bing search queries triggered by prompts, and responses are logged. Its Copilot Chat FAQ says EDP prompts and responses are retained and available for audit, eDiscovery, and advanced Microsoft Purview capabilities; the specific controls vary by subscription plan.
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For organizational Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft says interaction records include the user’s prompt and Copilot’s response, including citations used to ground an answer. The organization’s Microsoft 365 commitments govern processing and storage; Microsoft says the records are encrypted while stored and are not used to train foundation models. Administrators can use Content Search or Microsoft Purview to view and manage this interaction data.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can your employer see your Copilot prompts?
For work or school Copilot, organizational retention and audit tools may make prompts and responses available to authorized administrators, depending on the product, subscription, and tenant controls. Microsoft’s documentation does not establish that every employer can read every chat, nor does it establish that organizational chats are inaccessible to administrators. Ask your organization’s Microsoft 365 administrator which license, retention policies, audit settings, and access controls apply to your account.
What happens when Copilot searches the web or uses an agent?
Enterprise web searches
Microsoft says enterprise Copilot web search queries are generated from a prompt and sent to Bing over a secure connection with user and tenant identifiers removed. It says those queries are not shared with advertisers and are not used to train its foundation models. This is a separate data flow from the organizational prompt, response, and Microsoft Graph content, and the description should not be assumed to cover every consumer feature or configuration.
Connected agents
Microsoft cautions that agents used with Copilot may have their own privacy statements and terms. Check the terms for the specific agent before sharing organizational information with it.
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What is not one-size-fits-all?
Microsoft’s published materials do not establish one universal retention period, processing geography, or third-party handling rule for every Copilot product, plan, region, feature, and agent. The 18-month defaults described above are specific to personal Copilot conversation history and personal Copilot file handling; they are not a general retention period for work Copilot Chat or Microsoft 365 Copilot.
For personal use, consult the privacy guidance and controls for the Copilot experience and account you use. For work or school use, your organization’s administrator is the right source for tenant-specific retention, audit, subscription, and connected-agent settings.
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