Microsoft Edge is now an AI browser, thanks to 'Copilot Mode'
It's Microsoft's way of making your web browsing experience more proactive and useful.
Tech companies are moving fast to redefine what a browser is and what it should do. Browsers are being reshaped from simple tools for searching into more active, agentic AI systems that can observe, interpret, and take action.
Google, OpenAI, and Perplexity are all building assistant-powered alternatives. Now, Microsoft is stepping in with its latest update to Edge: Copilot Mode.
What is Copilot Mode?
Launched this week, Copilot Mode is Microsoft’s attempt to embed intelligence directly into the browsing experience. It’s designed with a contextual awareness feature to understand what you're doing on the web, offer relevant help along the way and even perform tasks on your behalf. This includes helping with research, creating a shopping list, comparing products, and making a dinner reservation.
Video Credit: Microsoft
What are the features of Copilot Mode?
The Copilot Mode interface is minimal, with a single input box where users can type or speak to prompt tasks. It can also appear as a chatbot-style overlay as you browse by clicking the Copilot Mode icon, ready to extract or summarise information from the page or open tabs. Microsoft says the assistant will eventually take on more personalised tasks if granted access to credentials and browsing history. For now, many of its actions still require manual input.
Microsoft presents it as an optional, opt-in feature that turns your browser into an agent that learns from your behaviour and adapts to your needs. According to its blog post, it is still an experimental feature and is currently available for free on both Mac and PC versions of Edge for users with Copilot access.
This move mirrors broader efforts across the AI browser space to shift the browser from a passive tool to an autonomous agent, joining products like Perplexity’s Comet, ChatGPT’s Agent, and Google’s AI Mode, which already claims over 100 million users in the U.S. and India.
How does Copilot Mode make Microsoft Edge a better browser?
Microsoft differs in one key way. Rather than launching a new browser, it's building these capabilities into Edge. That could help adoption as Edge ships by default on Windows, but the browser still lags behind Chrome and Safari in popularity, and some users may hesitate to switch.
Besides, this shift might not appeal to everyone. Users who prefer full control may find Copilot intrusive or unnecessary, especially if suggestions interrupt more than they help.
Louis Eriakha
Privacy concerns are also unavoidable. Copilot requires permission to access tabs or history, and Microsoft stresses that data collection is opt-in and clearly indicated. But even with transparency, some users may be uneasy with a browser that actively watches and learns.
How to use Copilot Mode on Microsoft Edge browser
- Go to aka.ms/copilot-mode and switch account to a personal Microsoft account (if prompted).
- Toggle on the button next to 'You're in Copilot Mode.
- Open a new tab on the Microsoft Edge browser and start typing a prompt.
Bottom line
What’s clear is that the browser’s role is evolving. Companies are no longer just competing on speed or design—they’re competing on what the browser can do for you. Copilot Mode is Microsoft’s bet that people are ready to hand off more of the browsing process to software.
Whether that idea catches on will depend on how smoothly it works and how much control users are willing to trade for convenience.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
