Microsoft Merges Copilot Apps as Features Disappear Starting Aug. 18
Microsoft is collapsing its consumer Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot apps into one experience as several consumer features approach retirement. The first cuts begin Aug. 18, while the broader app migration will continue into September.
Mobile and web rollout begins globally in mid-August, followed by Windows and Mac in mid-September. Personal, work and school accounts will share the updated app, but Microsoft says their chats, content and data will remain separated by account type.
Microsoft’s Copilot consolidation retains the Microsoft Copilot name and combines chat and image creation with Microsoft 365 capabilities. Existing Copilot users will move to the updated app with their chats and content, while Microsoft 365 Copilot app users will see navigation and icon changes plus access to Copilot Chat.
The move follows a similar simplification in Edge, where Microsoft retired the separate Copilot Mode in May and folded its AI browsing features into the browser.
Several Copilot features disappear starting Aug. 18
Podcasts has the firmest deadline. Microsoft will retire the feature on Aug. 18 for free and paid users. Previously created podcasts and shared links will no longer be accessible afterward.
Deep Research is also leaving consumer Copilot. Its retirement begins Aug. 18, but Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers can continue creating detailed reports with Researcher. Premium subscribers will retain saved reports through Researcher, while Personal and Family subscribers can access earlier reports through chat history.
Group Chats will also change during the migration. The Verge reports that existing threads, messages and shared content will not carry into the updated experience, so users should review conversations containing information they may need later.
Mico is leaving standard Copilot Voice in waves. The animated character, introduced in October 2025, is moving to Microsoft’s Learn Live experience, while Copilot Voice will remain available.
Microsoft has also warned that Copilot Health may be temporarily unavailable during parts of the rollout. The consumer service’s health-data privacy model has drawn scrutiny as Microsoft expands Copilot into more specialized experiences.
One app, separate enterprise identities
The merger changes the interface without combining personal and corporate identities. Microsoft says existing enterprise security, compliance and governance controls will continue to apply, while Microsoft Entra work and school accounts remain separate from personal Microsoft accounts.
Administrators may still need to identify workflows that depend on disappearing features and communicate the migration schedule. Research users have a Microsoft-provided alternative, while Podcasts and Group Chats require more attention before the affected experiences disappear or change.
The merger also precedes Microsoft’s wider effort to combine Copilot chat, coding, Cowork and Autopilot capabilities. CEO Satya Nadella outlined that broader Copilot “super app” on July 29, while Microsoft’s Project Solara work shows how the company is extending AI agents toward managed workplace devices.
Microsoft has not yet detailed the licensing or administration model for the larger product. For now, administrators should prepare for feature retirements beginning Aug. 18 and the desktop app migration in September.
Read more: Organizations planning other Microsoft migrations this year can also review the major support deadlines still ahead in 2026 across Windows, Office, servers and Azure.
