How to Use Microsoft's Copilot AI, and 10 Things to Try Right Away

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ChatGPT has prompted a lot of companies to try to get in on the AI act. One of those is Microsoft, which has its own AI-infused chatbot known as Copilot. Available directly in Windows, on the web, as a sidebar in the Edge browser, and as a mobile app, Copilot will answer questions and perform tasks, potentially proving just as helpful as OpenAI's own tool.

What can Copilot do for you? It can generate different types of content, from poems to songs to stories to reports. It will analyze uploaded photos, artwork, and other images. Copilot’s Designer image creator will create a logo, drawing, or other image based on your text. Through the Edge sidebar, Copilot can also provide insights on the web page currently open in the browser.

The basic version of Copilot is free. For $20 a month, Copilot Pro offers a few additional perks, the most useful being its integration with Microsoft 365. That means you can tap into AI to help you create, edit, and analyze your work in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook.

Is Copilot better than ChatGPT? Both chatbots continue to grow and advance, and they have a lot in common. Copilot runs a customized version of GPT-4, and Microsoft itself has invested billions in ChatGPT creator OpenAI. But since the basic versions of both tools are free, why not see what Microsoft’s chatbot can do?

How to Access Microsoft Copilot

You can access Copilot directly in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Just click the Copilot icon on the Taskbar, and it opens in a floating window that you can resize and move around the screen.

To use Copilot on the web, head to the Copilot website. You can use any browser, however, Microsoft Edge offers a unique interaction with the chatbot through a sidebar. For this, just launch Edge and click the Copilot icon in the upper right. Further, you can also run Copilot on your mobile device by downloading and installing the official app for iOS/iPadOS or Android.

How to Use Microsoft Copilot

You interact with Copilot in much the same way you do with ChatGPT. In fact, Copilot’s interface has adopted some of the simplicity of ChatGPT with sample requests, a prompt to enter your message, and options to start a new chat and upload an image for analysis. Open Copilot on the web or in Windows. Select one of the suggested subjects or topics or enter your own request at the Message Copilot prompt.

After Copilot responds to your request, it often asks you a question or suggests a follow-up query to keep the conversation going. You can pose the suggested question to Copilot and see where the conversation goes. To segue to a different topic, click the plus icon, select Start new chat, and compose your new question. Now, here are 10 things to try with Copilot.

1. Rate or Copy a Response

After Copilot responds to your prompt, a few icons appear below its answer. From these icons, you can approve or reject what the AI has to say and copy the text to paste it elsewhere. Click the thumbs up icon if you like the response and the thumbs down icon if you don’t like it. With a thumbs down, you’re asked to provide feedback on why you didn’t like the response. Click the Copy icon if you wish to paste the response into a document, email, or other file.

2. Have a Voice Conversation With Microsoft Copilot

In Windows, at the website, and in the mobile app, you can use your voice to have a “real” conversation with Microsoft's AI. Tap the microphone icon at the bottom of the screen, and Copilot will greet you by name. Speak your question or request and wait for Copilot to chime in. You can then carry on a back-and-forth conversation solely by voice. When you’re done, tap the X to return to the main screen, which shows you a transcript of your conversation.

3. Manage Copilot's Voice

You're able to change the sound and even the speed of the voice. At the website or Windows app, click your profile icon in the upper right and select Voice. Choose among the four voices: Canyon, Meadow, Grove, and Wave. In the mobile app, tap your profile icon, and select Voice settings. Here, you can not only choose among the four voices but vary the speed.

4. Let Copilot Flex Its Creative Muscles

Besides conversing with Copilot, you can also ask it to create content. This can be something creative like a poem, song, or story, or a more practical use, like a report, essay, or computer code. In Windows, on the website, or with the mobile app, just type a request for the content you want. You can ask it to be long or short, funny or serious, professional or casual.

5. Use Copilot in Microsoft Edge

You may find it more convenient to use Copilot directly in Edge. Open the Edge browser on your PC or mobile device. On a PC, click the Copilot icon in the upper right. On an iPhone, the icon is in the upper left. On an iPad, it’s in the upper right. And on an Android device, it’s in the lower middle. Selecting the icon takes you to the dedicated Copilot screen where you can submit requests just as you would at the website or in Windows.

6. Get the TL;DR from Web Pages

Looking for key details or a synopsis on a specific web page? Here’s another trick you can perform with the Copilot sidebar in Edge. Browse to the page you want to analyze and open the Edge sidebar. In the prompt, ask Copilot to summarize the current page or article. In response, the AI serves up a concise summary of the page.

7. Analyze an Image

You can upload an image to Copilot and ask the AI to analyze it. In the mobile app, you can also analyze a new photo that you snap with your device’s camera.

To analyze an existing image from your library, click or tap the plus icon. On a computer, select Upload Image. On a mobile device, select Photo and then tap the Photos icons at the bottom to open your photo library. Select the image you want analyzed, and its thumbnail appears in the prompt. You can then enter your query, such as “Analyze this photo” or “Identify this image.” In response, Copilot scans the image and displays the requested information.

To take a new photo on your mobile device, select Photo and then snap the picture. Back at the prompt, ask Copilot to identify or analyze the image. The response then appears on the screen.

8. Create Your Own Image

Image creation is another skill offered by Copilot, courtesy of its Designer feature. Using OpenAI's DALL-E 3, Designer will generate photos, drawings, logos, and other types of images based on the text you submit. You can try this in Windows, at the website, with the Edge sidebar, and with the mobile app.

Describe the type of image you want at the prompt, including the style, such as photorealistic or anime. Add any details and submit your request. In response, Copilot displays an image that you’re able to download as a JPG file.

9. Access Past Conversations

Copilot keeps a history of your conversations so you can easily view and resume any previous one. From the home screen in Windows, the website, or the mobile app, click or tap the clock icon. You’ll then see the latest chats. Swipe or scroll up or down to view additional ones. Tap the three-dot icon and select Delete Conversation to remove a chat. Tap the chat itself to view it and resume it if you’d like.

10. Change the Appearance

You can modify the visual look of the Copilot site and mobile app and the icon for the app. From the home screen at the website or in the Windows app, click your profile icon at the top and select Theme. You can then switch between Light and Dark.

In the mobile app, tap your profile icon and select App appearance. Keeping the appearance at Auto applies whatever theme your operating system is using—Light or Dark. Choosing Day makes it light; choosing Night makes it dark. You can also change the icon for the mobile app by selecting one of the small images on display.