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🤖Microsoft Merges Copilot Apps for Simpler AI Experience

Copilot gets a makeover to compete better with ChatGPT and Gemini

TL;DR

Microsoft is merging its consumer and business Copilot apps into one streamlined version. The move simplifies the user interface but means some features like Group Chats will be gone by August 2026.

Microsoft announced it's consolidating its consumer-facing Copilot app with Microsoft 365 Copilot to create a more cohesive AI experience. This shift acknowledges that personal and professional uses of AI often overlap, aiming to simplify the user interface for better competition against rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini. Users will lose access to features such as Group Chats by August 18, 2026, but paying users will get a replacement for Researcher. The goal is to make Copilot more cohesive and easier to use.

Microsoft Merges Copilot Apps for Simpler AI Experience — TechCrunch

Key Points

1

Microsoft will merge its consumer-facing Copilot app with Microsoft 365 Copilot by August 18, 2026

2

Features like Group Chats and AI-generated podcasts will be discontinued during transition

3

Paying professional users will receive a replacement for the Researcher feature

4

The goofy animated character Mico will no longer appear in the app

5

Files generated by standalone Copilot will migrate to OneDrive

Why It Matters

If you're using Microsoft's Copilot apps, this change simplifies your workflow but means losing some features. Paying users get a Researcher replacement, while others lose Group Chats and other perks. The move aims to make Copilot more competitive against rivals like ChatGPT.

microsoftcopilotchatgptgemini

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this matter?

If you're using Microsoft's Copilot apps, this change simplifies your workflow but means losing some features. Paying users get a Researcher replacement, while others lose Group Chats and other perks. The move aims to make Copilot more competitive against rivals like ChatGPT.

What happened?

Microsoft is merging its consumer and business Copilot apps into one streamlined version. The move simplifies the user interface but means some features like Group Chats will be gone by August 2026.

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