Microsoft embraces AI as an important part of modern operating systems and has… Copilot+ PC program for Windows devices such as the new Surface Laptop. As for smartphones, the company has found a way to bring Copilot to the Android home screen with an upcoming version of Microsoft Launcher.
It's currently in beta, so if you want to try it out right now, you'll need to join the beta program. Or you can wait until testing is complete and move to the stable version.
Microsoft Launcher (beta) with Copilot integration
You can start a chat with the AI via the Bing/Copilot button in the search widget. And the latest version of the beta also integrates Copilot into the Feed (the leftmost home screen window) where the Glance and News tabs currently reside.
This is what the changelog has to say:
- – Effortless access: Copilot is now just a swipe away, ready to help you with answers and content creation.
- – Creative Power: Generate images and text directly from your mobile feed using simple words.
- – Pro performance: Our Copilot Pro users can benefit from a more responsive and faster interaction.
When you use Copilot, you can type your questions or use voice input. Additionally, you can open an image from your gallery and ask questions about it. However, Copilot is currently quite limited in what it can do: we asked it to set an alarm or turn off the phone's Wi-Fi, but that didn't work.
Copilot will gain more functionality via plugins in the future. Currently, only three are available: Search (enabled by default), Instacart (you can ask for recipes and meal plans), and Kayak (search for flights, lodging, and car rentals). If Copilot becomes popular on Android, we should see more companies building plugins for it.
If you want to try out the new Microsoft Launcher with Copilot integration, you can download it from the Google Play Store. Please note that you must enroll in the beta program. Additionally, the first version we downloaded was older, so be sure to check for updates after the initial install (we got a new version just 5 minutes after signing up for the beta program).