Microsoft is consolidating its consumer and productivity-focused AI experiences through a major update to the Copilot app, combining chat histories and content for personal users while retiring several high-profile features, including PodcastsDeep Research, and Group Chat.
The changes arrive alongside Microsoft’s broader branding shift from the Microsoft 365 (Office) app to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, which began rolling out on January 15, 2025.
The renamed application is now used across Windows, iOS, Android, and the web, with office.com and microsoft365.com redirecting users to the m365.cloud.microsoft domain.
Microsoft Updates Copilot App, Merges Personal Chats
Microsoft says the updated Copilot app is intended to provide a more cohesive experience across work, school, and personal contexts. Users can sign in with a personal Microsoft account, a work or school account, or both, using an account switcher to separate experiences.
For users who access both the standalone Microsoft Copilot app and the Microsoft 365 Copilot app with a personal account, chat histories and Copilot-created content will be merged into a single updated application.
Microsoft said chats, images, and other user-created material will migrate during the transition. Despite the consolidation, Microsoft stressed that the boundaries between personal and enterprise data remain intact.
Work accounts authenticated through Microsoft Entra remain subject to organizational security, privacy, compliance, and administrative controls.
Data entered into a work account does not flow into a personal account, and personal data is not made available to the organization’s Copilot environment.
The application also expands direct access to Word, Excel, Outlook, files, cloud storage, and other Microsoft 365 services. Microsoft positions the redesign as a way for users to move between conversational AI prompts and productivity workflows without switching applications.
The transition also removes several Copilot capabilities, starting August 18, 2026. Group Chat will be retired and migrated into individual one-to-one Copilot conversations.
Existing group-chat histories, user messages, and artifacts will remain visible after migration. However, users will not be able to continue conversations as group chats.
Content contributed by other participants, including promptsimages, and artifacts, will no longer be accessible, making pre-transition export important for shared media that users want to retain.
Microsoft is also retiring Podcasts from Copilot. After August 18, users will no longer be able to create or access podcasts through the service. The company advises customers to download individual podcast files from their library before the retirement date.
Deep Research, Copilot’s detailed report and analysis feature for consumer users, is also being retired in the Copilot app beginning August 18.
Existing research content may remain available under Microsoft’s transition guidance, but users who depend on generated reports should review and export their material before access changes take effect.
From a security and governance perspective, the most significant step is moving standalone Copilot files to OneDrive.
Users will be able to manage migrated files through OneDrive applications or their Microsoft account, centralizing storage but potentially increasing the importance of reviewing sharing permissions, retention settings, and cloud access policies.
Microsoft said most updates will occur automatically. Web users will be redirected to the updated Copilot interface, while mobile users may receive an automatic update or need to install the latest version manually.
The redesign retains free Copilot capabilities, including chat, image creation, and file uploads, subject to capacity limits. Microsoft 365 subscribers receive higher usage limits, access to advanced AI, agent capabilities, and support for more complex multi-step tasks.
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