To use Copilot, open the Copilot app in Windows, visit copilot.microsoft.com, or click the Copilot icon in Microsoft Edge. Sign in with a Microsoft account and type a plain-English request into the chat box. It answers questions, writes and rewrites text, summarizes pages and documents, and creates images.
This guide covers how to use Copilot on a PC, in Microsoft 365 apps, and on your phone. It also explains what Copilot Studio is, what to do when Copilot seems down, and how to turn it off on Windows 11.
What Is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant that Microsoft builds into Windows, Edge, Bing, the Microsoft 365 apps, and standalone mobile apps. You type or speak a request, and it replies with text, summaries, code, or images. It runs on large language models, including models from OpenAI, and it can pull in live web results when you ask about recent topics.
The name covers several products, and that is where most of the confusion starts. The free consumer Copilot is the chat assistant you reach at copilot.microsoft.com or in the Windows app. Microsoft 365 Copilot is the paid, work-focused version that lives inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, and it can read your files, emails, and meetings when your account has permission. GitHub Copilot is a separate coding assistant for developers.
Pick the right one before you start. If you only want to ask questions and draft text, the free app is enough. If you want a slide deck built from a Word file you already wrote, you need the Microsoft 365 version, which requires a license from your employer or a qualifying Microsoft plan. Plans and prices change, so check Microsoft’s current plan page before you buy.
Is Copilot the Same as ChatGPT?
No. Copilot and ChatGPT are different products from different companies, even though they can run on related technology. ChatGPT is made by OpenAI. Copilot is made by Microsoft, which has invested in OpenAI and uses OpenAI models in many Copilot features.
The practical difference is where each one lives. ChatGPT is a standalone product with its own app, memory, and custom GPTs. Copilot is wired into the Microsoft tools you may already use, so it can open Windows settings, summarize the page in your Edge tab, or draft a reply inside Outlook.
Answers can also differ because each company tunes its models, safety rules, and search behavior on its own. If one gives a weak answer, pasting the same prompt into the other is a quick way to compare. A reasonable rule is to reach for Copilot when the task touches a Microsoft file or setting, and for ChatGPT when you want a long open-ended conversation or a specific custom tool.
How to Use Copilot on Windows 11
The Copilot app ships with current Windows 11 builds, and you can also get it from the Microsoft Store. Setup takes about a minute.
1. Open Copilot and Sign In
Click the Copilot icon on the taskbar, press the Copilot key if your keyboard has one, or search for Copilot in the Start menu. Sign in with a personal Microsoft account so your chat history is saved. Some features need a signed-in account, so signing in gives you the full experience.
If you press the Copilot key and nothing happens, the key may be mapped to another app. You can change this under Settings, Personalization, Text input.
2. Type, Talk, or Show It Your Screen
Type your request into the box, or select the microphone to talk. Voice mode works like a phone call, and you can interrupt it mid-answer. Copilot Vision lets you share a window or your screen so Copilot can describe what it sees and walk you through a task, but it only works after you start the share and approve it.
Everyday uses are simple. Paste an error message and ask what it means. Drop in a long PDF and ask for a five-bullet summary. Paste a rough email and ask for a politer version.
3. Ask It About Windows Settings
Copilot can answer questions like “How do I change my default browser?” Depending on your Windows version, it either explains the steps or links you to the right Settings page. This is handy when you know what you want but not where Microsoft hid it.
How to Use Copilot in Edge, Microsoft 365, and on Your Phone
1. Copilot in Microsoft Edge
Click the Copilot icon at the top right of Edge to open the sidebar. Ask it to summarize the article you are reading, explain a confusing paragraph, or compare two product pages you have open. When you grant permission, it can read the page or tabs you are viewing, which saves a lot of copy and paste.
2. Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
In Microsoft 365, look for the Copilot button on the Home ribbon. In Word, it can draft a section from a prompt, change the tone of a paragraph, or summarize a long document. In Excel, it can suggest formulas and point out trends, and it works best when your data is formatted as a table.
In PowerPoint, you can ask it to turn a Word file into a first-draft deck. In Outlook, it can summarize a long thread and draft a reply. Treat each result as a draft, because it can misread a spreadsheet or miss context that sits outside the file.
3. Copilot on iPhone and Android
Download the Copilot app from the App Store or Google Play and sign in. On a phone, voice is the easiest way in. Photos also work, so you can snap a picture of a plant, a menu in another language, or a confusing form and ask about it.
Prompts That Get Better Answers From Copilot
A good prompt names the task, the audience, and the format. Compare “write about budgeting” with “Write a 150-word explanation of how a 50/30/20 budget works for someone in a first job in the US, in a friendly tone, with one example based on $3,000 of monthly take-home pay.” The second version gives Copilot almost nothing to guess.
Four habits improve results quickly:
- Give context, such as who the reader is and what you already know.
- Ask for a format, such as a table, a numbered list, or three short paragraphs.
- Follow up instead of starting over, for example, “make it shorter” or “use a less formal tone.”
- Ask for sources on factual questions, then open the links yourself.
Here are three prompts you can copy and adjust:
- “Summarize this email thread in four bullets and list any deadlines.”
- “Explain this Excel formula in plain English, then show me a simpler version.”
- “Act as an interviewer for a customer service job and ask me one question at a time.”
Be careful with health, legal, and money questions. Copilot can explain general concepts, but a licensed professional should confirm anything you plan to act on.
What Is Copilot Studio?
Copilot Studio is Microsoft’s low-code platform for building your own AI agents. It is a different product from the Copilot chat app. Businesses use it to create assistants that answer HR questions, check order status, or route support tickets, then publish them to Microsoft Teams, a website, or other channels.
You build an agent by describing what it should do in natural language. You then add knowledge sources, such as a SharePoint site or public web pages, and connect actions to other apps through connectors. The tool grew out of Microsoft’s earlier Power Virtual Agents product.
Pricing is separate from the consumer Copilot app and is often based on usage, so confirm current terms on Microsoft’s site. Most individuals will never need it. It fits small teams, IT departments, and developers who want a company-specific assistant without writing a full application.
Is Copilot Down? How to Check and What to Try
If Copilot will not load or keeps spinning, first work out whether the problem is on Microsoft’s side or yours. For work accounts, the Microsoft 365 Status account on X (@MSFT365Status) posts outage notices. A crowd-sourced tracker such as Downdetector shows consumer reports, and Microsoft 365 admins can check service health in the admin center.
If nothing is reported, try these fixes in order:
- Refresh the page, then sign out and back in.
- Open Copilot in another browser or an InPrivate window.
- Turn off your VPN for a minute and test again.
- Update Windows, Edge, or the Copilot app, then restart.
- Start a new chat, since a very long conversation can stall.
For Microsoft 365 Copilot, also confirm that a license is assigned to your account. A missing license produces the same symptom as an outage, with no Copilot button at all. If one prompt fails repeatedly while others work, shorten it or split it into two requests.
How to Disable Copilot on Windows 11
Many people want less Copilot, not more. The right method depends on how deeply you want it gone, and Microsoft has changed the options several times, so recheck after major Windows updates.
1. Hide It From the Taskbar
Open Settings, then Personalization, then Taskbar, and switch Copilot off. In the same area of Settings, you can also change what the Copilot key on your keyboard does. This hides the button but leaves the app installed.
2. Uninstall the Copilot App
Go to Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps, click the three-dot menu next to Microsoft Copilot, and choose Uninstall. Home and Pro users can both do this. Data Doctors, a consumer tech column, notes that Copilot is woven into Windows deeply enough that some traces remain after uninstalling.
3. Group Policy and Admin Controls
On Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education, admins have more control. The older “Turn off Windows Copilot” Group Policy setting is no longer effective after Windows 11 updates, according to WinTips. Data Doctors reports that a policy added with the April 2026 Windows update can block the app from being reinstalled. Before rolling anything out, confirm the current policy name on Microsoft Learn.
If you also want Copilot out of your browser, switch off the Copilot icon in Edge’s settings. Updates can bring features back, so check again after each major release.
Privacy: What to Know Before You Paste Anything
Treat any AI chat box like a public form. Do not paste Social Security numbers, bank details, passwords, or private medical records. If you use Copilot on a work account, follow your employer’s policy, because company rules on what you can share with AI tools vary widely.
The consumer app includes settings for conversation history and personalization. Review them once so you know what is saved and for how long. Microsoft updates these controls over time, so a quick check every few months is worth it.
Once you know how to use Copilot safely, it saves real time on summaries, first drafts, and spreadsheet questions. Its answers still need a human read before they go anywhere important.
