Microsoft Merges Copilot Apps Into a Single User Experience
Microsoft recently announced it is consolidating its consumer Copilot app and Microsoft 365 Copilot app into a single destination, addressing a fragmented product strategy that has required users to navigate separate applications for AI chat and productivity tools.
Starting Aug. 18, users are being moved to an updated Copilot app that supports personal, work, and school accounts. Microsoft described the change as an effort to create a "simpler, more cohesive experience for everyone."
The unified app will combine Copilot chat and image generation with access to Word, Excel, Outlook, and other Microsoft 365 apps. Users will also be able to connect Copilot to their e-mail, calendar, and cloud storage, allowing the assistant to draw on additional context.
The consolidation follows a Fortune report in May that Microsoft was developing a Copilot "super app." According to the report, Microsoft found that customers disliked moving among its growing collection of Copilot products and wanted users to see more value from the platform.
Microsoft had introduced separate Copilot tools across Windows, Microsoft 365, GitHub, and other products, creating uncertainty about which app customers should use. The reported super app initiative was intended to provide a central interface for those tools, although the current announcement does not mention GitHub Copilot or confirm that all Copilot experiences will be absorbed into one application.
For personal users who currently use both Microsoft Copilot and the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, chat histories and created content will be combined in the updated app. Users of only the standalone Copilot app will be migrated with most of their existing data.
Files shared with or generated by the standalone Copilot app will be transferred to OneDrive.
Work and personal accounts will remain separated. Microsoft said existing commercial data boundaries, tenant controls, compliance protections, and administrative policies will continue to apply. Users will be able to move between accounts with an account switcher, but data will not flow between personal Microsoft accounts and work accounts managed through Microsoft Entra.
Orgs using Microsoft 365 Copilot should see relatively minor changes, including updated navigation, branding, and icons. Most updates will occur automatically, and Microsoft said no preparation is required from users or administrators.
The consolidation also brings several feature retirements. Copilot Podcasts and the consumer version of Deep Research will now be unavailable. Group chats will be converted into individual conversations with Copilot, preserving a user's own messages and artifacts but removing access to content contributed by other participants.
For more information, read the Microsoft post here.