Copilot and Microsoft 356 Copilot have just arrived – what to do?

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[Tex265]

Up to now I haven’t had the need to follow Copilot assuming I was not a target, however, I now find (by viewing Settings > Apps & Features, and Start menu) that Copilot MS @ 51.7MB installed 2/7/25 and Microsoft 365 Copilot @ 5.19MB installed today 2/8/25.

Would someone here bring me (or refer me) up to speed on what these are for and where they are likely to appear/pop up, do I need them, should I uninstall them (the apps appear to offer the uninstall option).

Even more unclear why I received the latter Microsoft 365 Copilot as I have the Retail CTR 2016 Office app not the subscription version. So far I don’t see any reference to Copilot in my Office apps, Word, Excel, or Outlook.

I also mainly use Firefox and no sign of it there.  Is Copilot Edge related?

Windows 10 Pro x64 v22H2 and Windows 7 Pro SP1 x64 (RIP)

• This topic was modified 1 month ago by Tex265.
• This topic was modified 1 month ago by Tex265.

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Read Susan’s article in the Blog (Home page).

cheers, Paul

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I don’t find anything related to my questions with that link or any other posts in the new AI Forum.

Would still like answers including are these apps “stand alone” apps?  What happens if you open them?  Or are they “helper” apps for other Microsoft programs/apps?

 

Windows 10 Pro x64 v22H2 and Windows 7 Pro SP1 x64 (RIP)

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Tex265 wrote:

Would still like answers including are these apps “stand alone” apps? What happens if you open them? Or are they “helper” apps for other Microsoft programs/apps?

Performing a simple search of the terms “Microsoft 365 Copilot” and “Microsoft Copilot” will bring you the answers you seek most likely. You can either use a search engine of your choice or search the AskWoody site, as there are plenty of answers in either location.

In a nutshell, though, CoPilot is MS’s version of an AI-powered assistant for use within or alongside MS’s apps installed on your computer.

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Tex265 wrote:

Even more unclear why I received the latter Microsoft 365 Copilot as I have the Retail CTR 2016 Office app not the subscription version.

Hi Tex265:

Microsoft has always allowed users with a Microsoft Account to use online MS Office web apps (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) for free. These free web apps have limited features, and I believe you aren’t allowed to save any documents or spreadsheets you create locally – everything has to be saved to your personal OneDrive.

Up until last month I had a small PWA (Progressive Web App) on my Win 10 start menu simply named Microsoft Office (if I recall correctly) that would automatically allow me to access these free MS Office web apps without opening my browser and browsing to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web. About a month ago the icon for that PWA changed and it’s now named “Microsoft 365 Copilot” – I guess as a rebrand to make it clear that Copilot functionality is being integrated into the free online MS Office web apps.

I have a fully featured MS Office 2019 suite so I don’t have any need to use the free MS Office web apps, but for now I’ve just left that Microsoft 365 Copilot PWA as well as the new Copilot for Windows app that appeared on my system a few months ago (see my 14-Nov-2024 post # 2717431 in Susan Bradley’s November 2024 Updates Out) installed just in case I ever want to test them out.
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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5371 * Firefox v135.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24090.11-1.1.24090.11 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.5.158-1.0.5135 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 C2R Version 2501 / Build 18429.20132

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lmacri wrote:

About a month ago the icon for that PWA changed and it’s now named “Microsoft 365 Copilot” – I guess as a rebrand to make it clear that Copilot functionality is being integrated into the free online MS Office web apps.

… and further to my post # 2746607, this is what I see when I launch the Microsoft 365 Copilot PWA from my Start menu to access the free MS Office (now MS 365) Word, Excel and Powerpoint web apps.

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5371 * Firefox v135.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24090.11-1.1.24090.11 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.5.158-1.0.5135 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 C2R Version 2501 / Build 18429.20132

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lmacri wrote:

lmacri wrote:

About a month ago the icon for that PWA changed and it’s now named “Microsoft 365 Copilot” – I guess as a rebrand to make it clear that Copilot functionality is being integrated into the free online MS Office web apps.

… and further to my post # 2746607, this is what I see when I launch the Microsoft 365 Copilot PWA from my Start menu to access the free MS Office (now MS 365) Word, Excel and Powerpoint web apps.

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5371 * Firefox v135.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24090.11-1.1.24090.11 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.5.158-1.0.5135 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 C2R Version 2501 / Build 18429.20132

There is Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Basic with no CoPilot

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Alex5723 wrote:

… and Microsoft 365 Basic with no CoPilot

and no Office apps other than ad-free Outlook.

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Alex5723 wrote:

There is Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Basic with no CoPilot

Hi Alex5723:

Your link refers to the “regular” full-featured Microsoft 365 (+/- Copilot) suite that users pay a monthly/annual subscription for.

I’m talking about the Microsoft 365 Copilot PWA (Progressive Web App) in my Win 10 Start menu that can be used to access the free web apps at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web without launching a browser. These free web apps have limited features that anyone with a Microsoft Account and personal OneDrive can use, even if they don’t pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription or a one-time “perpetual” MS Office 2016/2019/2021/2024 license, per my post #2746607.
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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5371 * Firefox v135.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24090.11-1.1.24090.11 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.5.158-1.0.5135 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 C2R Version 2501 / Build 18429.20132

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Alex5723

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lmacri wrote:

I’m talking about the Microsoft 365 Copilot PWA (Progressive Web App) in my Win 10 Start menu that can be used to access the free web apps at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web without launching a browser.

NOTE: AskWoody Plus members can learn more about these free web apps in Ben Myers’ 01-July-2024 article Web-based Microsoft 365 is a win-win for all in ISSUE 21.27 of the AskWoody Plus Newsletter, which states in part:

Enter stage right “Use Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more for free on the web”  … There is one other caveat. You are expected to save anything you create on your OneDrive, but this can easily be subverted … Not all features in the regular Microsoft 365 product are available in the Web version, but it is close enough, maybe even perfect, for basic use.

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Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.5371 * Firefox v135.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24090.11-1.1.24090.11 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.2.5.158-1.0.5135 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 C2R Version 2501 / Build 18429.20132

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