Microsoft’s Copilot is no longer an experimental sidebar trick — it’s a multi‑modal assistant baked into Windows, Edge, macOS, mobile apps and Microsoft 365 that can see your screen, speak with you, generate images, work directly with your files and connect to your Gmail or Google Calendar — and there are practical ways to get more value from it right now.
Copilot began as Microsoft’s answer to the wave of generative AI tools: a chat interface that could help you draft text, summarize documents and answer questions. Over the past year it has grown into a platform that combines text chat, voice, vision and deep integration with Microsoft 365 apps. That evolution has produced a long list of capabilities — from conversation modes like Quick, Think Deeper and Deep Research to Vision sessions that analyze what’s on your screen, and Connectors that let Copilot access OneDrive, Gmail and Google Drive content. These are not theoretical features: Microsoft’s support documentation and product announcements now document each capability and the controls to manage them. This article expands on the ten practical Copilot features PCMag UK highlighted, verifies the key technical claims against official Microsoft documentation and independent reporting, and offers a critical assessment — the strengths, the real implementation caveats, and the privacy and cost tradeoffs every Windows user should know.
Source: PCMag UK Want More From Microsoft's Copilot AI? Try These 10 Features Right Away
Background
Copilot began as Microsoft’s answer to the wave of generative AI tools: a chat interface that could help you draft text, summarize documents and answer questions. Over the past year it has grown into a platform that combines text chat, voice, vision and deep integration with Microsoft 365 apps. That evolution has produced a long list of capabilities — from conversation modes like Quick, Think Deeper and Deep Research to Vision sessions that analyze what’s on your screen, and Connectors that let Copilot access OneDrive, Gmail and Google Drive content. These are not theoretical features: Microsoft’s support documentation and product announcements now document each capability and the controls to manage them. This article expands on the ten practical Copilot features PCMag UK highlighted, verifies the key technical claims against official Microsoft documentation and independent reporting, and offers a critical assessment — the strengths, the real implementation caveats, and the privacy and cost tradeoffs every Windows user should know.How to access Copilot (the basics)
Copilot surfaces multiple ways:- On Windows 11 and some Windows 10 installs, Copilot is accessible from the taskbar (click the Copilot icon or use the keyboard shortcut).
- In Microsoft Edge, Copilot runs in the right-hand sidebar, letting it directly inspect the page you’re viewing when you grant permission.
- Copilot is also available as a web app, a macOS app, and as iOS/Android mobile apps where voice and Vision are often emphasized.
1) Choose your mode: quick answers, deeper thinking, or full research
What the modes do
Copilot supports multiple conversation modes that trade speed for depth:- Quick (also called Quick Response): fastest, shortest answers.
- Smart / Smart Plus: automatically balances speed and depth.
- Think Deeper: spends extra time reasoning and multi‑step analysis (useful for planning or technical problems).
- Deep Research: scours web sources and compiles a longer, sourced report — this can take minutes.
Why it matters
- For fast one‑line answers, use Quick to save time.
- For decisions, analysis, or drafting high‑stakes content, use Think Deeper or Deep Research — they return more thorough outputs but require patience.
- Tip: specify the mode before submitting a prompt to avoid unexpected brevity.
Caveats
The “best” mode depends on your tolerance for latency and the sensitivity of the task. Deep Research compiles web sources and can occasionally echo poor sources; always validate critical conclusions independently.2) Upload files and ask Copilot to analyze them
What you can upload
Copilot accepts a broad set of file types: images (JPG, PNG, WebP), PDFs, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, HTML and text files. The mobile app also supports direct camera input. You attach files via the Plus icon (web/desktop) or the camera/photo/file picker on mobile.Practical uses
- Summarize a long PDF and extract action items.
- Ask for explanations of tables in an Excel sheet (and request formulas or charts).
- Ask Copilot to critique or rewrite sections of a Word draft.
Strengths and risks
- Strength: saves hours on manual summarization and initial editing.
- Risk: when files contain sensitive data, be deliberate about privacy settings (see privacy section). Also verify facts and numeric calculations Copilot returns; it can misinterpret badly structured tables or extract the wrong sheet if workbook naming is unclear.
3) Create and edit images with Copilot’s generator
Copilot includes an image generation workflow: select Generate image, describe what you want and refine iterations. Copilot’s image tools can produce logos, illustrations or photorealistic images and can apply edits when you give further instructions. Microsoft has integrated image tools into apps like Photos, Paint and the Copilot composer, and Copilot’s NPU‑accelerated tools on Copilot+ PCs offer lower latency for local generation.- Use iterative prompts to refine composition, color, or subject placement.
- Use image edit requests to replace sections of a photo (generative erase/fill).
4) Generate a podcast episode from a prompt
Copilot can assemble simple podcasts by generating dialogue or a short discussion between AI voices and rendering audio playable in the app. The workflow: Create a podcast via the Plus menu, describe the subject and let Copilot generate it. You can play and share the result. This capability is part of Copilot’s broader audio/voice stack that supports Voice conversations and generated audio outputs. Practical note: the podcast generator is useful for mock interviews, quick briefings, or narrated summaries — but for polished production, expect to edit or re-record segments and verify the accuracy of any facts recited.5) Let Copilot work with your own data via Connectors
Copilot supports Connectors to bring in content from OneDrive, Outlook.com, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Contacts. Once enabled, Copilot can search your files, summarize recent emails, or reference calendar items. You turn connectors on from the Open (+) menu or the profile settings and you’ll be prompted to authenticate the external service.- Use cases: “Summarize my last conversation with [contact]” or “Show documents about project X from last quarter.”
- Strength: makes Copilot genuinely useful for personal productivity by letting it access your context.
- Risk: connecting external services expands the attack surface and increases the need to manage access carefully — use account-level controls and audit which connectors are enabled.
6) Have a hands‑free voice conversation
Copilot supports voice input and conversational voice sessions across the mobile app, desktop and web. Tap the microphone icon to start, speak naturally, and Copilot will reply — often by voice — and maintain context in a back‑and‑forth session. You can change the voice style in the voice toolbar settings. Voice is ideal for hands‑free tasks (cooking, following instructions, language practice). But voice sessions produce transcripts that may be saved in history (and thus part of your Copilot conversation logs) unless you disable model training and memory — more on that below.7) Use Copilot Vision to analyze what you see
Copilot Vision lets the assistant “see” your screen or mobile camera. On Windows and macOS you can launch a Vision session (glasses icon), share one or two app windows, and ask questions about visible content. In Edge, Vision can analyze the current page once you grant permission. Microsoft explicitly states Vision doesn’t retain images for model training and deletes images/audio after the session ends; transcripts of the interaction may be logged for monitoring unsafe outputs. Vision is available on Windows, Edge and Copilot Mobile.- Strength: extremely useful for troubleshooting, explaining UI elements, or extracting data shown on screen.
- Risk: because Vision can view sensitive content, treat it like screen sharing — verify what you permit Copilot to see and stop sessions when done.
8) Use Copilot inside Microsoft 365 apps
If you subscribe to Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium, Copilot is integrated into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and other apps. It can draft or revise text, generate formulas and charts in Excel, create slide decks in PowerPoint, and summarize email threads in Outlook. Within apps, the Copilot panel is contextual — it can see the document you’re working on and make in‑place suggestions. Microsoft’s own product pages and blog posts document this integration.- Practical workflow: in Word, open Copilot from the Ribbon to draft a section, then ask for a different tone or to extract a succinct executive summary.
- Caveat: Copilot in Office apps respects enterprise data policies for work accounts, but limitations apply for personal vs. work accounts — check your Microsoft account type and admin settings.
9) Use Copilot in Microsoft Edge for web‑aware assistance
Edge’s Copilot sidebar gives Copilot immediate context about the page you’re on — headlines, page text, PDF content and nearby links — once you permit Edge to share page content. That lets Copilot summarize complex articles, extract key points from PDFs in the browser, or generate page‑specific answers. Edge reminds you the first time it’s used to request permission before sharing page content with Copilot. Use Edge + Copilot when you need quick web research or a summary of a dense article without leaving the page — but always validate source claims when decisions depend on accuracy.10) Control your privacy — the switches that matter
Microsoft provides explicit privacy controls in Copilot to manage model training and personalization:- Model training on text and Model training on voice toggles disable using your conversations to train Microsoft’s models. Turning these off excludes your past, present and future conversations from training.
- Personalization and memory settings control whether Copilot stores and uses persistent facts about you. You can delete stored memories.
Pricing and packaging — what changed with Copilot Pro and Microsoft 365 Premium
In 2025 Microsoft adjusted consumer offerings: Copilot Pro as a standalone add‑on was phased out in favor of Microsoft 365 Premium, which bundles Copilot features with expanded Office functionality and extras like more OneDrive storage and higher usage limits for some Copilot features. Independent reporting from reputable outlets documented this shift and Microsoft’s consumer‑tier updates. However, the exact migration path, price points and timing for conversions varied by market and were rolled out in stages; users should check their Microsoft account for the current subscription details in their region. Caveat: some third‑party articles and blogs summarized migration details and pricing, but specifics can change quickly and Microsoft’s product pages remain the authority for final pricing and migration steps. Treat the online commentary as useful context, and verify your own account billing page for definitive information.Cross‑referencing & verification notes
Key technical claims verified against Microsoft documentation and independent reporting:- Conversation modes (Quick, Think Deeper, Deep Research, Smart) and how to select them — documented by Microsoft support.
- Copilot Vision behavior, session model and non‑retention of Vision images — documented on Microsoft support pages and analyzed by independent outlets.
- Connectors to OneDrive, Outlook.com, Google Drive, Gmail and Google Calendar — described in Microsoft’s connectors documentation.
- Privacy toggles for model training and memory — documented in Microsoft support.
- Packaging changes (Copilot Pro → Microsoft 365 Premium) — widely reported by technology press with commentary about bundled value and migration; official Microsoft blog posts describe Microsoft 365 Premium features and Copilot integration. Verify account‑specific details in your Microsoft subscription panel.
Strengths: why Copilot is already useful
- Deep app integration. Copilot is not just a chat window — it appears in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Edge, making it a practical productivity assistant.
- Multi‑modal input. Text, voice and vision combine to make Copilot flexible for different workflows (hands‑free voice while cooking, Vision to interpret a screenshot, text to draft an email).
- Connectors make it personal. When you enable them, Connectors let Copilot act on your real files and calendar — a major step beyond generic web chat.
- Mode choices let you balance speed and depth. Quick answers or Deep Research — you choose the cognitive budget.
Risks and practical limitations
- Accuracy and hallucination. Copilot can confidently produce incorrect facts, especially in long or poorly constrained prompts. Always verify facts and numeric results before acting.
- Privacy and data exposure. Vision sessions and connector access can surface sensitive materials. The privacy toggles are good, but users must actively configure them and understand what gets logged for safety or monitoring.
- Subscription complexity. Microsoft’s shifting packaging (bundling Copilot into Microsoft 365 Premium) and tiered limits means heavy users may face higher costs or confusing limits; check your account for up‑to‑date terms.
- Device and hardware limits. Some Copilot+ features rely on NPUs or specific Windows builds and are limited to Copilot+ PCs; not every machine will get the full low‑latency experience.
Practical best practices and workflow tips
- Start with Smart mode for general queries; switch to Think Deeper for planning and Deep Research for sourced reports.
- When uploading files, anonymize or redact sensitive identifiers if you aren’t certain about connector and memory settings.
- Use Edge’s Copilot sidebar for web summarization and only enable Vision for pages you trust.
- Audit connectors monthly and sign out of services you no longer use.
- If you’re concerned about training use, toggle off Model training on text and Model training on voice in Privacy. This excludes your conversations from model training as Microsoft describes.
When not to use Copilot
- Don’t rely on Copilot for legally binding language or compliance checks without human review.
- Avoid sending full social security numbers, bank credentials, medical records, or other highly sensitive PII to Copilot unless organizational policies explicitly permit it and you understand how that data will be handled.
- Don’t treat Vision as a substitute for human discretion when analyzing screenshots that include third‑party confidential content.
Conclusion
Microsoft Copilot has shifted from a clever demo to a full‑fledged productivity platform: multi‑modal, deeply integrated, and increasingly capable of accelerating routine and complex tasks alike. The PCMag list of ten things to try is a useful, practical map for new and intermediate users; beyond that, the real power of Copilot lies in connecting it safely to your documents and calendar, choosing the appropriate conversation mode and managing privacy settings proactively. That said, the technology is not a substitute for critical judgment. Use Copilot to draft, summarize and explore options — but verify outputs, keep an eye on privacy toggles, and confirm subscription and usage limits in your Microsoft account. Microsoft’s own support pages and recent reporting document how the product is evolving; if you plan to rely on Copilot for business workflows, test it on non‑critical data first and adopt enterprise controls where available. Practical next steps: enable Copilot on a non‑sensitive document, try Smart then Think Deeper on the same request to compare answers, experiment with Vision on a non‑sensitive app window, and configure the Model training and Connectors settings before connecting any external accounts. These small precautions unlock Copilot’s promise while keeping your data and workflows under your control.Source: PCMag UK Want More From Microsoft's Copilot AI? Try These 10 Features Right Away
