Microsoft is merging the separate Copilot apps for personal and business customers into a single application starting August 18, 2026. Those who use group chats, self-created podcasts, or research from the previous app should back up important content beforehand, as these features will disappear for free accounts on that date. In return, the new app will connect chat directly with Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Copilot connects chat directly with Word, Excel, and Outlook
So far, there have been two separate programs: a private Copilot app for everyday use and a business Microsoft 365 Copilot app for the office. According to Microsoft’s own support documentation, both will merge into a single app called Microsoft Copilot with a new icon. Those who wish can log in with both a personal and a professional account simultaneously and switch between them with a click – the data will remain strictly separated.
The chat in the new app will open Word, Excel, and Outlook files directly, instead of awkwardly copying and pasting content. Images and documents created in the chat will automatically land in the personal OneDrive storage and can be edited normally from there. There are also changes in collaboration: just in August, Microsoft introduced the feature that allows entire Copilot chats to be shared via link with colleagues, which will now also be integrated into the unified app.
These features will disappear on August 18
With the transition, free Copilot accounts will lose access to three previously included tools. Group chats will be converted into individual conversations, and contributions from other participants will no longer be visible. The feature to generate finished podcasts from texts will completely disappear from the app. The detailed research function Deep Research will also no longer be available for personal accounts; paying Copilot subscriptions will instead receive the successor called Researcher.
An example from office life: an assistant recently used Deep Research to compile a market overview for a client meeting, using a free account. Without a timely backup, this result will no longer be accessible via the app after the deadline. A practical checklist from TechZeitGeist recommends taking targeted action before the automatic transition:
- Open the Copilot app and access existing group chats.
- Download important files and images from the chat history individually.
- Save created podcasts as audio files via the podcast menu.
- Export or copy results from Deep Research as a document.
- If used for work, clarify in advance with the IT department which account will be used for company data.
Availability, costs, and access
The transition will initially roll out on mobile devices and the web, worldwide, including for German-speaking users in the EU. Windows and Mac programs will reportedly follow later, according to GeekWire, only in mid-September 2026. The basic functions of the new app will remain free, but with usage limits; a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription unlocks higher limits and additional tools. Microsoft had already gradually placed the free feature Meeting Insight in Outlook behind a paywall.
What matters now is whether the merged app actually becomes clearer in everyday use, or whether personal and professional tasks in a single interface lead to confusion instead. Those who use Copilot professionally should check their own guidelines for handling customer and company data to see which account is intended for that purpose – a personal free account is generally not suitable for it. Until the announced larger “super app” with programming and agent functions ships, it remains open how many of the now-removed tools will return in new form.
