Dont Miss These 8 Little-Known Microsoft Copilot Features!

At first glance, Microsoft Copilot looks similar to ChatGPT but lacks many features. However, after spending some time using it, you will discover that it has a surprising number of lesser-known features that are worth checking out.

Table of Contents

• 8. Upload file
• 7. Create shortcut prompt in the future
• 6. Create table
• 5. Summarize long texts
• 4. "Review previous conversations" icon
• 3. Post-meeting follow-up email
• 2. Create PowerPoint slides
• 1. Brainstorming

8. Upload file

To make your AI prompts more effective, you need to give the software as much context as possible. Instead of adding more text, consider uploading relevant files and folders.

With Copilot, you can easily upload PDF documents and JPEG images . The software can then scan these documents and provide an overview. Once you have the initial information, you can dig deeper. In addition to looking at specific components of the PDF, you can ask the software to infer different reasons. If you want to upload images, Copilot can scan these files based on your request.

Note : Copilot has file upload limits and therefore you may need to shrink your file. If you are reviewing a PDF document, consider removing unnecessary pages.

7. Create shortcut prompt in the future

Writing the same prompt over and over again can be time-consuming. Luckily, Copilot has a way to prevent this from becoming a problem. While there’s no exact way to save prompts, you can streamline conversations and tasks.

Once you've given Copilot enough information about a certain topic, you can give it a one- or two-word prompt. For example, if you like making lists, you can tell Copilot "list" and then tell it what to include.

In addition to creating shorter prompts, you can streamline access time by creating a Copilot desktop shortcut in Windows.

6. Create table

One of the best ways to use Copilot in Windows is to integrate it with other Microsoft applications. For example, you can use the software to create Pivot Tables in Excel.

Using Copilot to create these types of tables saves you a lot of manual work. Plus, you get a better overview of the information you need. You can use this feature for any table you need to create; in Copilot, you'll find the option to summarize the data in your spreadsheet.

While this feature will simplify summarizing, you should still double-check to make sure everything is correct.

5. Summarize long texts

In addition to summarizing data, Microsoft Copilot is also very good at giving you an overview of long documents. You can give the software a PDF document and ask it to look through the information contained within, or extract data from across the Internet.

You'll see everything in an easy-to-understand format after you ask Copilot to summarize your text. This feature is useful whether you need ideas for longer books or summaries of study and meeting notes.

If you plan on using this feature for posts, copy and paste the text into Copilot. In my experience, the app doesn’t read specific links very well. However, you may need to break up your text, as the app only allows a maximum of 10,240 characters per message.

4. "Review previous conversations" icon

One big difference between ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot is how you access old chats. In ChatGPT, you’ll see all of this on the left toolbar. With Copilot, however, you’ll need to click on the circular clock and arrow icon.

Once you click this icon, you will see a list of your previous conversations. Find a conversation that interests you and get right back to it. You can also delete any conversations you no longer need and start new ones if needed.

3. Post-meeting follow-up email

Whether you’re in a meeting or collaborating with classmates, you probably have a list of action steps that come from these conversations. Or at least, you should if you want to be more productive. With so many other tasks on your plate, it’s easy to forget to send a follow-up email.

One of the best ways to use Copilot in Outlook is to send follow-up emails to meeting attendees. You can tell the app what information they need to know while adding any other pertinent details (like a deadline). Depending on the audience, you can even change the tone of the message.

Once you've written your email in Copilot, you'll just need to make a few small adjustments. Once you're done, your message should be ready to send to others.

2. Create PowerPoint slides

Copilot can help you complete any PowerPoint presentation in a number of ways, one of which is by creating slides. You can prompt the software to ensure that all the most important details are included; once you’re done, Copilot will create a slide or an entire presentation based on your needs. In your prompt, you should provide Copilot with as much information as possible.

If necessary, provide a full breakdown of each slide; you may also want to provide some statistics that the software can use.

Once PowerPoint creates your slides, you can edit them to better suit your needs. Having an initial draft to work from can help you see your ideas flow more smoothly than if you had to start from scratch. You can combine Copilot with PowerPoint's advanced features to take your presentations to the next level.

1. Brainstorming

You can get better results with ChatGPT brainstorming, but if you don't want to use another AI chatbot, Copilot is also quite effective in this area. This tool allows you to prepare for exams, realize your big creative ideas, prepare for job interviews, etc.

Copilot is great at brainstorming ideas in a bulleted format. You get a comprehensive outline and then can ask follow-up questions to deepen your research. While you can use the questions that appear after each answer, Copilot also allows you to ask your own questions if needed.

Mind mapping with Copilot is more difficult. Copilot just gives you a list of apps that specialize in this rather than actually mapping your thoughts and processes. But for general brainstorming, you shouldn't have too much trouble.

Copilot has a ton of lesser-known tools to help you with all sorts of projects and requests. It can create full presentations, and you’ll also find it useful for brainstorming your big ideas. Combining these Copilot features with those already in your favorite Microsoft apps can be especially effective.