Microsoft launches Edge Copilot Mode, expanding AI browser features
It looks like Microsoft is finally putting its AI-powered Copilot right into Edge. The feature, which they first mentioned back in July, basically turns every new tab into a chat window. You can type a question, search, or drop in a URL - and the conversation pane takes the place of the old address bar.
I’m not sure how smooth the switch will feel, but the idea is that the dialogue box is there from the moment the page loads, not tacked on later. This fits with the company’s broader push to sprinkle generative AI throughout its software. In practice, you open a tab, speak or type, and Copilot can pull up results, give you a quick summary, or even navigate you straight to a site.
It seems Microsoft wants this to become the default way people browse, marking another step toward making AI a regular part of the web experience.
Microsoft is joining the AI browser wave with the official launch of a new “Copilot Mode” in Edge. The option, first announced in July, turns Copilot into your portal to the web, with each new tab opening a chat window where you can either ask a question, conduct a search, or enter a URL. Microsoft Edge’s new Copilot Mode turns on more AI features Copilot in Edge can now help you book a reservation or unsubscribe from emails — when it works.
Copilot in Edge can now help you book a reservation or unsubscribe from emails — when it works. Copilot Mode ties Microsoft’s AI assistant more closely to Edge, as it combines AI-generated responses, search results, and navigation into one window. It also draws from all of your tabs — not just the one you’re on — allowing you to ask Copilot to summarize the information in all of your open windows or compare products in each one.
Though Microsoft previously launched Copilot Mode as an experimental feature, it’s now available for everyone to try, alongside a few new features available in a limited preview.
Edge now opens a new tab as a little chat window - Microsoft calls it Copilot Mode. It can answer a quick question, fire off a search or jump to a URL. The feature first showed up in July, so it’s more than a one-off sidebar helper.
You can ask it to snag a restaurant reservation or try to pull you out of a spammy mailing list, though it only works when the back-end service succeeds. It feels like Microsoft is trying to line the browser up with the current wave of AI-driven browsing, but we’re still not sure how smooth the experience will be. Will the reservation flow finish without a glitch?
What privacy guardrails exist for the email-unsubscribing trick? And will people actually start typing into a chat instead of the address bar, or just keep the old habit as a backup? In my view, the real test will be whether Copilot Mode can deliver on its promises day after day.
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Common Questions Answered
How does Copilot Mode in Microsoft Edge change the traditional browser interface?
Copilot Mode replaces the traditional address bar with a chat pane as the primary entry point for each new tab. This reshapes user interaction by making conversation the main way to ask questions, conduct searches, or enter URLs.
What specific tasks can the Copilot in Edge help users perform according to the article?
The Copilot in Edge can assist users with practical tasks like booking a reservation or unsubscribing from unwanted emails. However, the article notes that these functions only work when the service successfully completes the requested action.
When was Microsoft's Edge Copilot Mode first announced?
Microsoft's Edge Copilot Mode was first announced in July, as mentioned in both the introduction and the outro of the article. The official launch now expands the browser's AI toolkit beyond the occasional sidebar assistant.
What does the new Copilot Mode turn each new tab into?
The new Copilot Mode turns each new tab into a chat-based portal that serves as your gateway to the web. This portal allows you to interact directly with Copilot to perform various web-related activities.