Microsoft Unifies Copilot and Discontinues 3 Features on August 18

Three Copilot features will be discontinued starting August 18, with limited options to save certain content. Meanwhile, Microsoft is preparing a unified Copilot application for mid-September, accessible with personal, professional, or educational accounts, along with usage benefits for Microsoft 365 subscribers.

Microsoft is removing 3 Copilot features on August 18

As part of the merger, Microsoft will remove three capabilities from Copilot. Group chat content will no longer be accessible after August 18 and must be copied into a separate document or file before this deadline to be retained. Podcasts will no longer be able to be created or opened after August 18, although there will be an option to download individual episodes from the library before this date. The Deep Search mode will also disappear after August 18. Reports that have already been generated will remain accessible, but their creation will be blocked. Only Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers will be able to continue producing detailed reports through the Researcher tool.

Account and data transfer: what changes based on usage

Users of the classic Copilot on desktop or web, logged in with a personal account, will be switched to an updated AI version, carrying over chat history and most content. On mobile, a new version will need to be downloaded, with deployment that may occur automatically or require manual action. For those using Microsoft 365 Copilot with a personal account, interface and navigation changes are expected, while access to Copilot Chat will be free. In the professional or educational environment, the name and icon will evolve, but the experience will remain largely similar. Desktop and mobile users will receive support during the transition, and web users will be redirected to the updated online version. Microsoft states that it will notify customers of the upcoming changes before the launch; the icon in the Windows taskbar may also be updated.

A unified Copilot app is coming in mid-September with unified login

The rollout of the unified Copilot application is scheduled to begin in mid-September. It will accept logins with personal, professional, or educational accounts. Microsoft 365 subscribers will have higher usage limits and will be able to access Word, Excel, Outlook, and other Microsoft 365 applications and files from Copilot. All users, both paid and free, will have access to standard features such as image generation, file uploads, and text or voice exchanges. This announced merger aims to reduce user confusion related to the coexistence of two separate applications. To date, Microsoft maintains two distinct offerings on Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and the web: a Copilot application for individuals and Microsoft 365 Copilot for organizations. The consolidation aims to simplify daily management by eliminating application duplication.