10 things you can do with Microsoft Copilot

Copilot is Microsoft's AI chatbot that has been integrated into most Microsoft apps. Until you see all the things you can do with Copilot, you won't realize how impressive and useful Microsoft Copilot really is.

While Copilot is capable of performing multiple tasks, the AI ​​chatbot has five main modes to help produce more targeted results. Each mode is called a “copilot” and you can even create your own mode using Microsoft Copilot Studio .

1. Ask almost anything with Copilot

This is the core GPT for Copilot and the one you will probably use most often. It works like ChatGPT and other AI chatbots but allows free access to GPT-4 . What you can do with Copilot will be covered with sample prompts and more in detail later.

2. Use Designer to create images

The designer focused solely on creating the image using DALL-E 3. Ask this copilot to create an image for you! Fine-tune using more prompts to get the perfect AI image for your needs. Note that while you must sign in to a Microsoft account to use this feature, it is completely free. This example asks “create a unicorn sitting on a desk typing”.

3. Plan your entire vacation with Vacation Planner

While there are plenty of travel websites that can help, with everything from booking cheap flights to finding the hottest spots in one place, copilot Vacation Planner will help with brainstorming travel ideas, finding new destinations, finding the best deals, and more.

The author of the article tried the sample prompt “go on an African safari and see lions up close” and got detailed information about the best locations, optimal times to visit, and even tips on what to pack.

4. Cooking Assistant helps change cooking skills

If you’re not a great cook, you’ll probably use Cooking Assistant quite often. Find healthy meal tips, quick meal ideas, how to make pasta just right, and more. Think of it as having your own personal chef to ask endless questions. The author loves quick meals, so she tried the prompt: “How to make chicken tacos in 5 minutes?” and the steps are super easy.

5. Get healthier with Fitness Trainer

Fitness Trainer is pretty helpful, especially for finding quick workouts. Ask about anything from nutrition to proper stretching techniques. Of course, this is AI, so always check with your doctor before starting any major new exercise routine. The author of this article, who loves yoga, asked, “How can I improve my yoga routine?” and Copilot gave some helpful tips that can be applied today.

6. Answer and summarize search queries

Among the things to do with Copilot, summarizing search queries is a favorite. Since it integrates into the Windows 11 notification tray , it’s a quick and convenient way to research almost any topic. Many users like that it shows resources for further research on the topic and provides sample follow-up questions.

Some prompts to try include:

• What are the most famous historical landmarks in the world?
• Show me how to format an article for a technical audience.
• Find 10 things to do on vacation in Hawaii.
• How can I find new real life friends online?

7. Get help with Windows

Need help changing quick settings, like adjusting battery settings or switching to dark/light mode? Microsoft Copilot can help. If you're using it on the web or mobile app, you'll get step-by-step instructions. If you're using it on the desktop, Copilot will offer to perform the task or take you directly to the setting(s) in question. Try these prompts:

• Adjust battery settings for laptop.
• Turn dark mode on/off.
• Change wallpaper
• Check for Windows updates.
• Turn connections (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) on or off.
• Change the volume of the sound.

8. Summarize websites and articles

Have you come across a great article that’s a few thousand words long and you don’t have time to read it all? One of the time-savers when working with Copilot is content summarization. This works just like the previous search query task, but instead of a question, you give Copilot a URL and the chatbot will provide the highlights. You can then ask questions about the content if you need more information.

Just ask Copilot to “summarize this URL” and you’ll see a much shorter version of the text. It’s not perfect, though. The author of the article asked Copilot to summarize a recent article on Make Tech Easier, Comparing Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Apple Pay, and it completely eliminated Apple Pay!

9. Do more with Microsoft 365

While all of the above is free to do with Copilot, using it in Microsoft 365 requires a premium plan, starting at $20/user/month. However, it adds very useful functionality to your favorite 365 apps, such as:

• Summarize conversations and meetings in Teams.
• Create draft emails, essays, business plans, etc. in Word.
• Create slides and find images in PowerPoint.
• Create templates, add charts, add filters, etc. in Excel.
• Summary and setup scheduled email in Outlook.

10. Create images in Paint using Cocreator

Cocreator is a beta feature in Paint that isn’t available to everyone yet. It’s only available in the US, UK, France, Australia, Germany, Italy, and Canada. If you don’t see it yet, be patient. It works just like Designer copilot but in the Paint app on the Windows desktop. You get 50 free credits when you sign up, but Microsoft hasn’t explained how to get more credits yet, although many users seem to be getting an extra 10 credits every week.

Click the Creator button on the right of Paint, describe the image you want to create, and choose a style. Each image costs 1 credit. This example from Paint created “a cat walking in the woods with the moon in the background.”

With so much to do in Copilot, it can take a while to find your favorite. Check out the Copilot Lab if you're having trouble creating a good prompt. Or, check out other free ways to use AI in your browser .