How to get started with Microsoft Copilot on Windows 11 and 10

Windows has a dedicated app to access Copilot, and in this guide, you’ll find everything a beginner person needs to get started.

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You can still use the Copilot chatbot onWindows 11(and 10), but with a different integration than the original release, and in this guide, I will explain how.

When Microsoft introduced Copilot on Windows 11, it was deeply integrated into the operating system to replace Cortana on laptops, tablets, and desktop computers. It was an experience planned to be something like an assistant you can interact with using natural language to answer any question from any topic with the ability to perform other tasks, such as changing system settings.

However, this experience never took off, and shortly after, the company removed the integration in favor of a web application since Copilot relies on the cloud to analyze queries and answer your questions using up-to-date information from the web. As a result of this change, there were no more side panels or the ability to change system settings through the chatbot.

OnWindows 10, the story was different because Copilot was never integrated into the operating system. Instead, the chatbot has always been available as a web application with the ability to change system settings.

In thishow-to guide, I’ll review the Copilot experience you can access on Windows 11 and 10.

How to navigate on Copilot

On Windows 11, the Copilot experience is minimal and straightforward. You can access the chatbot in multiple ways and configure a few settings.

Launch Copilot

To launch the Copilot experience on Windows 11 (or 10), use these steps:

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You may also find the Copilot button already pinned to the Taskbar. If it’s not available, launch the chatbot from the Start menu, right-click the button, and choose the pin option.

Since Copilot is now an app, the “Taskbar” settings page no longer includes the chatbot’s settings control.

You can also invoke the chatbot with the Copilot button when performing a query in the Windows Search experience. However, when you click this button, it will access the chatbot website (atCopilot.Microsoft.com) using the Microsoft Edge browser.

If you use the Microsoft Edge browser, you can also access the same version of Copilot with the button at the top-right corner. This experience remains virtually the same since Copilot was originally known as Bing Chat.

Sign in account

To login to your account (if required), use these steps:

Once you complete the steps, you can start interacting with Copilot using natural language.

Customize experience

To customize the experience of Copilot, use these steps:

After you complete the steps, the new settings will apply immediately.

Change Copilot privacy settings

To prevent Microsoft from using your data to train its AI models, use these steps:

Once you complete the steps, when using Copilot on Windows 11 (or 10), mobile, or web, you will no longer be sending your data for training and personalization to the Microsoft servers.

How to interact on Copilot

Using the Copilot chatbot is straightforward with the new warmer and cozy interface that only includes a message box at the bottom of the page. You will also notice that the latest experience no longer includes the option to change the conversation style like before.

Text prompt

To interact with Copilot, use these steps.

Once you complete the steps, it’s recommended to check the answer as AI usually makes mistakes.

Voice prompt

To start a voice conversation with Copilot, follow these steps.

You can ask the chatbot anything and interrupt it like you would during a normal conversation with another human. However, at the time of this writing, it appears that this feature still needs some work as during my interaction, the chatbot voice was choppy and didn’t answer the query until it was a simple question-and-answer query.

Copilot discovery

To interact with the Copilot discovery, use these steps:

The discovery page allows you to interact with content without typing prompts. This part of the experience also includes a virtual news presenter, known as “Copilot Daily. " Think of it as an AI-generated short podcast with a summary of news and weather tailored to your liking.

Currently, the company is using a limited number of media outlets as sources for the information, but in the future, it will continue to partner with more outlets.

As you scroll down the page, you will find different prompt suggestions that can help you find more ideas on how to interact with Copilot.

While on the discovery page, you can click the history button at the bottom to access your previous conversations. If you want to delete all your activities with Copilot, you must complete this task from yourMicrosoft account.

How to install and remove Copilot

If Copilot isn’t available on your computer, you can install it from the Microsoft Store, and if you have it but are interested in using it, you can remove it like any other app.

Remove Copilot app

To uninstall the Copilot app, use these steps:

Once you complete the steps, the Copilot app will be removed from your computer. However, you will still see the button inside the Windows Search experience from the Taskbar.

Also, the Copilot feature from Microsoft Edge is independent of the dedicated app available in the operating system. If you want to turn off this feature, you can do this fromMicrosoft Edge Settings>Sidebar>Copilot.

Install Copilot app

To install the Copilot app, use these steps:

After you complete the steps, the Copilot will be available from the Start menu.

What’s next on Copilot

Copilot is undergoing many changes lately. In addition to interacting with text and voice, Microsoft is expected to introduce features in the future. One of them is known as “Copilot Vision,” which allows you to share the content of a website with the chatbot, and you can have a normal conversation with questions about the text, image, and any other content.

Microsoft may also bring “Copilot Suggestions” to Windows 11, a new AI-powered feature that is expected to show on certain apps when the chatbot understands that can be of service. For instance, in the past, the company has shown the Settings app with suggestions at the top of a page for different ways to fix a problem or enable a feature.

On File Explorer, hovering over an image can open up Copilot, ask questions about it, and take actions, such as removing the background, creating a different image, or resizing it.

Also, when a new email arrives, you may see a toast notification with a suggestion to summarize the document attachment and more.

Although the latest version has a new and more straightforward interface, Copilot is also losing some legacy features, such as plugins, notebook mode, content export, share conversation, copy responses, text-to-speech, prompt editing, and more.

More resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:

Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.