Microsoft Copilot brings Microsoft’s AI assistant to Windows for chat, voice, image creation, and task support.

Microsoft Copilot is not a local or offline AI assistant: prompts are processed in Microsoft’s cloud, so using it requires an internet connection and sign-in with a Microsoft account. Features and usage limits also depend on the account and Microsoft 365 plan, and an organisation’s administrator may disable some capabilities.

Within those conditions, the Windows app provides a dedicated window for asking questions, getting web-based answers, summarising files, and drafting text. A free personal Microsoft account includes these core chat functions, along with voice and image creation, subject to usage limits. Personal and work accounts are supported, but the content Copilot can use differs by account type.

For interactive assistance, Microsoft Copilot can respond by voice and help with what is on screen or a camera, while its Create tools generate images, posters, infographics, and videos. Users can also switch between OpenAI and Anthropic models, giving them a choice of model within the app rather than changing how they access Copilot.

Using Copilot with personal and work content

With a personal account, Copilot works with the user’s own content and the web. A work or school account can connect its assistance to organisational files, email, and Teams meetings through Work IQ, within the access permissions already granted to that user. This makes account choice important: it determines which information is available for work-related questions and summaries.

Chat is suited to individual prompts, such as producing a summary or drafting text. On eligible plans, Cowork handles longer, multi-step tasks by planning and completing work while the user remains in control. For work accounts, Code supports coding tasks, and the app also includes Notebooks and Pages. Researcher and Analyst are additional capabilities available with Microsoft 365 Premium or Pro, subject to applicable limits.

Accounts, plans, and availability

Microsoft 365 is optional for basic use. Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 per month raises usage limits for chat, image creation, and visual assistance, and adds Copilot in the Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook desktop apps. Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro add Cowork, Researcher, and Analyst with larger limits. Availability can vary by country, account, and licence.

The app is available for Windows, macOS Sonoma 14 or later, web, iOS, and Android. Its Windows installer is a small online installer that downloads the current app. After installation, users sign in with a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account; the available features then reflect that account and its plan.

Practical fit

Copilot is most relevant to Windows users who want Microsoft’s assistant in a separate app window and already use a Microsoft account. Its chat, drafting, summaries, voice interaction, and content creation cover common individual tasks, while work-account access can bring permitted organisational content into relevant requests. Users who need offline processing or do not want to sign in should note that those needs are incompatible with the app’s cloud-based operation.