Asger Risom
Millions of users opened a familiar app last week and were greeted with something unexpected.
Millions of users opened a familiar app last week and were greeted with something unexpected. What they saw instead has reignited a long-running debate about branding, identity and the growing role of AI in everyday software.
The reaction has been swift, loud and deeply divided.
A familiar name fades
Microsoft has begun rolling out a rebrand that changes how users see its long-standing Office software hub. The package that brings together Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote is now labelled the “Microsoft 365 Copilot app”.
The software suite dates back to 1990 and serves around 400 million users worldwide. Many first encountered the new name through an on-screen message explaining that the app “formerly Office” had been updated to reflect Copilot’s integration.
Copilot is Microsoft’s AI assistant, introduced in 2023 as the successor to Cortana, and designed to help with tasks such as writing, summarising and automation.
Users push back
The change quickly sparked criticism online, with users arguing that Microsoft is discarding one of tech’s most recognisable brands.
Software developer and business owner Peter Dedene wrote: “RIP MS Office. RIP Microsoft 365. Now it’s ‘Microsoft 365 Copilot’. We’re one rebrand away from Excel being a prompt box that says ‘trust me bro, the math checks out’.”
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Another user said: “Microsoft Office is one of the most recognisable brands in the world. This is worse than renaming Twitter to X. I want to have a 2-hour podcast discussion with the middle manager who approved this decision.”
Others argued the damage had already been done. “It’s dumb and brand destroying, yes, but note that the brand destruction actually happened back in 2020 when they renamed Office to ‘Microsoft 365’,” one comment read.
AI takes centre stage
Some critics see the move as symbolic of a broader shift inside the company. One user wrote: “They spent decades building the most recognisable brand in productivity only to hide it behind a new AI label! It is a clear signal that they want to be seen as an AI company first and a software suite second.”
Despite the backlash, many users admitted they would continue using the old name regardless of the branding.
Microsoft responds
Microsoft has defended the change, saying the rebrand reflects how Copilot now sits at the centre of its productivity tools.
“The Microsoft 365 (Office) app is now called the Microsoft 365 Copilot app,” the company said, adding that the update applies across web, mobile and Windows platforms.
Gareth Oystryk, Senior Director of Marketing at Microsoft 365, later clarified: “We have not made any recent naming changes to our Office apps. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint … remain unchanged.”
He added that only the central “hub” app had been renamed to reflect its evolving role.
What users will see
Microsoft said existing users should see the updated name and icon once their apps refresh. Those who do not are advised to restart the app while connected to the internet.
Whether users accept the change or ignore it, one thing is clear: for many, it will still be “Office” for a very long time.
Sources: Microsoft, X
