Copilot Grayed Out in Report View but works in Workspace

[iangeerckeiqvia]

I have desktop connected to a Workspace which is using a Fabric capacity and the Dax / Narrative Copilot functions work fine, but for some reason the Copilot pane does not show in Report View. The icon on the ribbon is grayed out. If I upload the report to the connected workspace the Copilot pane shows & works fine. I have installed the latest version of desktop.

[v-kpoloju-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @iangeerckeiqvia,

Thank you for confirming those details. Since the Copilot features are functioning in the Power BI Service but not in Desktop even with the latest version and correct setup it suggests a potential issue related to your environment or tenant settings that may not be publicly documented.

We regret the inconvenience caused and acknowledges your requirements. Also, I recommend raising a support ticket with Microsoft so they can further investigate with access to diagnostic logs if necessary.
How to create a Fabric and Power BI Support ticket - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Thank you for using Microsoft Community Forum.

[Tonydee · Accepted solution]

Workaround to Enable a Copilot Button:

1. Enable the Preview Feature:
   Go to Settings and turn on On-Object Interaction.

2. Open the Pane Manager:
   Navigate to the Pane Manager section.

3. Enable Copilot:
   Click the “+” button, then find and enable Copilot.

Once these steps are completed, a Copilot button should appear on right hand pane

[iangeerckeiqvia]

Many thanks Tonydee! This solved the issue. 

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @iangeerckeiqvia,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum. Additionally, thank you to @PijushRoy, @Akash_Varuna, for his input regarding this issue. Along with the super user solution, I have identified several alternative workarounds that may assist in resolving the thread.

The issue of Copilot being greyed out in Report View within Power BI Desktop, while functioning correctly in the workspace, can be attributed to the following factors:

• Copilot in Report View is not enabled via Preview Features in Power BI Desktop.
• The report is based on a local (import mode) model rather than a semantic model published to a Fabric workspace, which is required for Report View Copilot.
• Tenant settings in the Power BI Admin portal may not have enabled Copilot or may have restricted it to specific security groups.
• The workspace or user may not fully meet the Copilot feature eligibility criteria, such as capacity or licensing requirements.

To enable the Copilot Preview Feature in Power BI Desktop: Open Power BI Desktop, navigate to File > Options and settings > Options. Under Preview features, enable "Modern pane for Copilot." Restart Power BI Desktop after making this change.

Ensure your report uses a cloud semantic model: Copilot in Report View requires a Power BI dataset (semantic model) hosted in a Fabric workspace. If your report uses an imported model, Copilot will be unavailable. Instead, publish the dataset to the workspace, then in Power BI Desktop: Use Get Data > Power BI datasets > Connect live to build the report.

Verify Copilot tenant settings: Ensure the tenant setting for "Copilot and other generative AI features in Power BI" is enabled. Go to Power BI Admin Portal > Tenant settings, enable the setting, and apply it to either the entire organization or your user/group.

Confirm Fabric capacity and licensing requirements: Verify that the workspace is backed by an eligible Fabric capacity (e.g., F64 or higher), your user account has the appropriate Power BI license (Pro + capacity access), and you have edit permissions on the dataset and report.

Kinly refer to the below following documentation links for better understanding:
Use Copilot in Power BI Desktop - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Use Copilot with semantic models - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Enable Fabric Copilot for Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

If this post helps, then please give us ‘Kudos’ and consider Accept it as a solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Thank you again for reaching out on the Microsoft Community Forum.

[iangeerckeiqvia]

Hi, this sentance is incorrect - "Confirm Fabric capacity and licensing requirements: Verify that the workspace is backed by an eligible Fabric capacity (e.g., F64 or higher)". It is now enabled for any Fabric capacity SKU as of this month.

I also cannot get the pane to appear with any report  - even if it is using a semantic model hosted in Fabric.

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @iangeerckeiqvia,

Thank you for clarifying the Fabric capacity. You are correct, as of May 2025, Copilot in Report View is supported on all Fabric SKUs, not just F64+. 

Since you are still unable to access Copilot in Report View despite using a Fabric-hosted semantic model, please check the following key areas.

Confirm Live Connection Mode: Copilot requires a live connection to a semantic model. If your PBIX uses Import mode (even from Fabric), the Copilot icon will remain grayed out. Use Get Data > Power BI datasets to connect live.

Verify Copilot Preview Feature is Fully Enabled: Ensure "Modern pane for Copilot" is enabled under: File > Options > Preview Features (Global). Then restart Power BI Desktop fully after enabling it.

Reset Panes / Display Settings: Sometimes UI rendering glitches prevent the Copilot pane from appearing:

• Go to View > Reset Panes
• Try setting Windows Display Scaling to 100%
• Use a clean PBIX connected live to a semantic model as a test

Run Desktop as Admin: Try running Power BI Desktop as Administrator once—this may bypass any permission-level blocks. Clear Cache (Optional): File > Options > Global > Data Load > Clear cache, then restart Desktop.

Kindly refer to the below mentioned link for better understanding:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/create-reports/copilot-power-bi-desktop

If this post helps, then please give us ‘Kudos’ and consider Accept it as a solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Thank you for using Microsoft Community Forum.

[iangeerckeiqvia]

None of those options worked, it is still the same, connected live to fabric sematic model which connects to a lakehouse. The Narrative visual works fine, but the Copilot pane is greyed out which does not make sense.

Any humans out there got any ideas instead of AI responses?

[v-kpoloju-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @iangeerckeiqvia,

Thank you for confirming those details. Since the Copilot features are functioning in the Power BI Service but not in Desktop even with the latest version and correct setup it suggests a potential issue related to your environment or tenant settings that may not be publicly documented.

We regret the inconvenience caused and acknowledges your requirements. Also, I recommend raising a support ticket with Microsoft so they can further investigate with access to diagnostic logs if necessary.
How to create a Fabric and Power BI Support ticket - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Thank you for using Microsoft Community Forum.

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @iangeerckeiqvia,

Could you kindly confirm if you have raised a support case? If a solution has been found, it would be greatly appreciated if you could share your insights with the community. This would be helpful for other members who may encounter similar issues.

Thank you for your understanding and assistance.

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @iangeerckeiqvia,

If the issue has been resolved, we kindly request you to share the resolution or key insights here to help others in the community. If we don’t hear back, we’ll go ahead and close this thread.

Should you need further assistance in the future, we encourage you to reach out via the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum and create a new thread. We’ll be happy to help.

Thank you for your understanding and participation.

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @iangeerckeiqvia,

May I ask if you have resolved this issue? If so, please mark the helpful reply and accept it as the solution. This will be helpful for other community members who have similar problems to solve it faster.

Thank you.

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @iangeerckeiqvia,

I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions. If my response has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a 'Kudos' so other members can easily find it.
Thank you.

[iangeerckeiqvia]

Hi, no it has not resolved the issue.

[PijushRoy]

Hi @iangeerckeiqvia 
In Power BI Desktop, the first time you select the Copilot ribbon button, a dialog should prompt you to pick a

Copilot-compatible workspace. If this step was skipped, you might need to manually associate the workspace via

Options & Settings > Options > Copilot (preview)

[iangeerckeiqvia]

Thanks but I have already done that, and if I upload it to the selected workspace the pane is available. It is only in desktop it has an issue

[Akash_Varuna]

Hi @iangeerckeiqvia  This might happen because Copilot in Report View requires specific prerequisites. Ensure your workspace and report are connected to the correct Fabric capacity and confirm you're using the latest Power BI Desktop version. Verify you have the necessary permissions for Copilot.

[iangeerckeiqvia]

Thanks but it meets the pre-reqs. It works when uploaded to the worspace, just not in desktop.