Microsoft is fixing confusing Copilot apps on Windows and Mac, but you'll lose some features in the process

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Microsoft is streamlining the setup of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant Copilot, combining two separate applications into a single package. Until now, the Redmond-based firm offered Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Copilot was aimed at everyday personal tasks, like planning weekends, dreaming up itineraries for holidays, answering general knowledge queries, editing personal photographs, and more with AI. Basically, anything that you'd launch ChatGPT to do in your personal life.

Meanwhile, Microsoft 365 Copilot was built for enterprise and education, with AI features tightly integrated into productivity apps like Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook. In these apps, Copilot could see what you're working on and take action, suggesting formulas, infographics, or adjusting the tone of your text.

With the latest update, Microsoft is bringing both experiences together under a single app called — you've guessed it — Copilot. Instead of choosing between two versions, you'll have one place to use Copilot for both personal and work-related tasks, whether you want a quick answer, create an image, or work on a document.

A Microsoft support page said: "We're updating Copilot to create a simpler, more cohesive experience for everyone. Depending on the account and device you use, you will see changes to the Copilot app, including changes to appearance and functionality, such as navigation, feature availability, or sign-in experience."

One thing worth noting is that your personal and work data won't get mixed together. Microsoft has confirmed that organisational security, privacy, and compliance controls still apply to work or school accounts. The two experiences sit side by side within the app, but they remain completely separate behind the scenes.

However, this merge does come with a few losses, starting from August 18, 2026.

The first feature to be ditched is Group Chat. This feature is designed to allow multiple people to interact with Copilot in a single shared conversation. But now all your threads, messages, and shared images will vanish after the deadline, so you'll need to manually save anything you want to keep before that deadline.

The AI-generated podcast tool is being fully retired, so you won't be able to create new ones or access old ones afterwards. Once the tool is retired, you won't be able to download individual podcast files either.

Finally, Deep Research is also getting retired. If you've created reports using the feature, those will still be viewable, but you won't be able to run new research unless you're a Microsoft 365 Premium subscriber.

If you're using Windows or macOS, the unified app isn't quite ready for a full launch yet — but you can opt in to try it now as an early-access feature. Windows users must have Windows 11 installed, though, to be treated to the update.

Rollouts for the mobile update have already started, and the broader desktop rollout is pencilled in for mid-September for everyone.

The update comes just after Microsoft decided to back down on a controversial change to its Copilot assistant.

An AI button was added, which hovers in the bottom-right corner of its Office apps. The new location was designed to make it easier to summon the AI helper, which is designed to act as a “copilot” for your work — hence the name — by jumping in to draft documents, analyse spreadsheet data, summarise calls, generate images, and automate routine tasks.

But the shake-up didn't go down well with Microsoft Office users, who complained the new floating Copilot button in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint was getting in the way.

One frustrated user didn't hold back on the Microsoft Feedback portal, writing: "Please get rid of the floating Copilot icon at the bottom right of my Excel screen, or give me a way to turn it off. I do not want, nor need, Copilot in any capacity. Its presence is infuriating."

Another user called it a "horrible upgrade" and pleaded with Microsoft to "provide a way to turn it off."

Thankfully for those who complained, it seems like someone at Microsoft was listening, as the company is letting everyone toggle off the new addition if they no longer want to use it.

Microsoft was also found dialling back its Copilot assistant across Windows.

While Microsoft is supercharging Copilot across its Office apps, it’s taking a very different approach with Windows 11’s built-in tools like NotePad and Snipping Tool. This follows a promise Microsoft made earlier this year, when the company said it would reduce “unnecessary Copilot entry points” across Windows 11— the latest operating system for your device.

Microsoft explains in a statement: "You will see us be more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows, focusing on experiences that are genuinely useful and well-crafted."

For instance, Notepad — a preinstalled text editor — has quietly lost all its Copilot branding. Microsoft has simply renamed them "Writing Tools."

But its current AI features haven't actually gone anywhere. You can still generate text, rewrite content, change tone, and switch between casual and formal styles. The company now describes these as "Smarter writing tools" rather than anything AI-related.