Microsoft 365 Copilot: 8 User Gripes and Possible Fixes for 2025

Microsoft 365—formerly known as Office—has long been a cornerstone of productivity for countless users around the globe. But 2025 is shaping up to be a year of adjustments, as Microsoft faces backlash for both strategic decisions and feature shortcomings that consumers claim are holding the platform back. Spoiler alert: Changing the name to Microsoft 365 Copilot is not winning over many hearts. Let's unpack the top eight gripes users have and explore how Microsoft could level up its game for everyone’s benefit.

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1. The "Copilot-Only" Pricing Dilemma​

Here's the deal: Microsoft slapped a new logo on its productivity suite, baked in the AI-based Copilot feature, and raised the monthly price by $3 per user. Sounds straightforward, right? Except that many users don’t need or want Copilot. This new approach feels like a "take it or leave it" ploy, whereby users pay extra for a feature they never asked for in the first place. It's the equivalent of going to your favorite diner for eggs and bacon, only to find out they’ve added gold shavings to the dish and doubled the price without asking if you were cool with that.
A small adjustment could work wonders: offer a Copilot-less version of Microsoft 365 for those who are perfectly fine without advanced AI tools. Inflation and platform upgrades would have softened the blow of a price hike much more effectively than attaching it to an unwanted feature.

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2. Pushy Upsells with OneDrive​

If you've set up a Windows 11 PC recently, then you’ve likely encountered Microsoft’s incessant push for OneDrive backups. Initially, it sounds innocent—back up your documents, pictures, and desktop items. But here’s the catch: Microsoft only provides 5GB of free OneDrive space, and these backups can eat through that quickly. Once users hit their cap, they’re frequently nudged to buy more storage, sometimes with persistent reminders even after disabling the feature. Honestly, it starts to come across as shady business.
What’s the fix?

• Be transparent and upfront during setup. Offer concise options like "Enable backups with a paid plan" or "Skip the backup feature entirely."
• Let disabled backups stay disabled without nagging users about returning.

OneDrive is great for those who need more storage, but eyebrows are justifiably raised when users are nudged into purchases without knowing the full scope of consequences.

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3. Middling Web Apps​

When it comes to productivity, there’s Microsoft… and then there’s Google. And let’s be honest: Google Docs has become the gold standard for simple, effective, and collaborative online document editing. By comparison, Microsoft’s web-based Office apps (like Word Online and Excel Online) are clunky, sluggish, and don’t deliver the same seamless experience. While their desktop apps remain superior, they lose ground when it comes to competing for anyone who values ease-of-use on the go.
Improvements Microsoft Should Consider:

• Commit to making real-time collaboration smooth and intuitive.
• Speed up performance for browsers so the web apps don’t feel like a frustrating compromise.
• Throw in more polish, like offline editing options that can sync smoothly later.

Collaboration drives the future of work, and if Microsoft wants to rule that space, its focus can’t be squarely on AI features alone.

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4. App Overlap Explodes Confusion​

Okay, Microsoft. We need to talk. Why are there so many versions of the same thing? Here’s the landscape:

• On Windows, you have the Microsoft 365 app alongside individual apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• On mobile, the Microsoft 365 app tries to do it all—editing documents, scanning files, hosting meeting tools—but Word and Excel still exist as standalone apps.
• Oh, and don’t forget about the Microsoft Lens app, which offers scanning but overlaps with features in the main Microsoft 365 app.

The inconsistency across platforms is confusing for users. Many just want to know which app does what and whether they need multiple downloads for full functionality.
Suggested Fixes:

• Clearly define app purposes and reduce redundancies.
• Streamline the Microsoft 365 app so it mirrors functionality on both mobile and desktop platforms—it’s currently an identity crisis on steroids.

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5. Say Hello to a Storage-Only Plan​

Not everyone uses Microsoft 365 for its Office apps (surprise, surprise). For many, OneDrive storage is the real prize here. But the options are wildly restrictive if you only want ample storage on a budget. Sure, Microsoft offers the Basic plan with 100GB for $1.99/month, but… what if you need 1TB? You’re suddenly vaulted into the full $9.99/month tier, which includes Office apps that a fraction of users might actually need.
Compare that to Google, which offers 2TB of storage for $9.99 per month with full family-sharing capabilities, and you can see where Microsoft stumbles hard.
What could Microsoft do?

• Offer a $4.99/month plan with 1TB of OneDrive storage. No frills, no extra apps—just value for those who love cloud storage.

This would close a glaring gap in their subscription tier strategy and pull more users into their ecosystem.

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6. Native Apps > Web Apps​

Microsoft acquired Clipchamp, a capable web-based video editor, and folded some of its premium features into the Microsoft 365 subscription. Yet, Clipchamp runs as a full-on web app, and herein lies the problem: video editing is a heavy workload. Doing this through a browser app feels both sluggish and incomplete, with limits like lacking native 4K export options.
A native desktop app for Clipchamp could:

• Improve performance significantly for creators.
• Offer a more tailored UI for power users.
• Streamline exporting via straightforward save options instead of bouncing through a browser save dialog.

Frankly, Microsoft needs to decide if Clipchamp is core to Windows or merely an optional add-on. If it's the former, it’s overdue for a redesign as a native app.

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7. Authenticator Is Mobile-Only? Really?​

Password management is not just convenient—it’s a necessity in 2025. And yet Microsoft's Authenticator app, which includes a great password manager alongside two-factor authentication (2FA), is still stuck on mobile devices. This forces desktop users to manually transfer passwords or log in exclusively via Microsoft Edge.
To compete with top-tier password managers like Bitwarden or LastPass, Microsoft Authenticator needs to be platform-agnostic, available natively on Windows and Mac. Make life easy, Microsoft!

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8. Adding a VPN Could Be a Game-Changer​

For a subscription that promises productivity, security, and privacy, the lack of a built-in VPN is conspicuous. Whether you’re the Netflix globetrotter trying to access geofenced shows, or someone who values privacy while "torrenting" (wink wink), an integrated VPN would sweeten the deal for Microsoft 365 users.
Many existing tools like NordVPN or ExpressVPN marry speed with encryption. With Microsoft's cloud infrastructure and resources, this addition could further solidify the platform’s value.

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Final Thoughts: Beyond Branding Changes​

Rebranding Microsoft 365 as Copilot might feel like fresh paint on the walls, but what users really want is a remodeled interior. Enhancements in functionality, transparency in pricing, and a touch of modernization in overlapping apps would do far more to justify those price hikes than tacking on a feature only some users want.
Rather than frustrating the consumer base further, it's an opportunity to impress. Here’s hoping Microsoft re-evaluates its approach in 2025 and turns an AI-centric rebrand into a broader effort at delivering true value. After all, a productivity suite is only as good as how productive its users feel using it.

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Source: XDA https://www.xda-developers.com/things-microsoft-365-actually-needs-change-be-better/