Unlocking Microsoft Copilot Pro: Your Ultimate Guide to AI Features and Functionality

Unlocking Microsoft Copilot Pro: Your Ultimate Guide to AI Features and Functionality

This article is going to discuss about newly updated Microsoft Copilot Pro. Copilot Pro is only available through a Microsoft Copilot Pro subscription, which is priced similarly to ChatGPT Plus and Gemini Advanced at $20 a month. Although there is a free version, it has limited features and usage.

How to Access Copilot Pro

Copilot Pro is accessible in a few different ways. You can open the standalone app on your PC or access it in Microsoft’s Edge browser. Hey, Stephen, how’s your Monday going so far? There’s also a mobile app for AI chats, which works exactly like the PC app version. Good morning, Steven!

Microsoft 365 Copilot Subscription

It is also accessible inside Microsoft 365 for $30 a month, which includes Microsoft’s suite of apps, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Since I’ve signed up, I’ve seen it pop up in my Outlook email account, asking me if I’d like a summary of my emails.

Copilot Pro PC App Walkthrough

To start the standalone version on your Windows machine, simply open the Copilot app. A simple window with a search field at the bottom of the screen will appear. On the right side of the message, the Copilot field has a microphone icon. Click on it, and the AI will say hello and let you know it’s listening. “Hey, Stephen, how are you enjoying this afternoon?” The Copilot window will change to a water background. Cool! That’s such a calming choice. Water has a way of soothing the mind, like a mini getaway, wouldn’t you, Grace?

You can simply speak to the AI in simple language, and the AI will respond with human-like, natural-sounding responses. Exactly like now, for example. Simple enough, right? It reminds me of a version of Iron Man’s Jarvis AI, which lives in your internet browser. Exactly! It has a British accent, but just as eager to assist. You can ask it anything you want, and it will give you advice and information, but it will not search the web for you currently.

Exactly! I’m like a vault of knowledge, minus the live updates. What can I help you unpack today? While it’s listening, you could close the chatbot by clicking on the X icon, or you can mute the microphone so it can’t hear you. It will continue to respond and prompt you until you turn it off.

Click on the gear icon, and you could choose a different voice for your AI. Your choices are: Meadow, “Let’s explore the world together.” Grove, “As a companion, I learn about you and help unpack your thoughts.” Wave, “I can write stories, brainstorm ideas, and I can sound like this.” And Canyon, “I can get philosophical, creative, or poetic if you like.” Grove is my favorite AI voice so far, although they are all a little annoying.

The top right of the interface has a mic icon, letting you know that Copilot Pro is accessing your computer’s microphone. You can minimize and maximize the Copilot window and leave it running in the background while you work. It will always be listening and responding if you leave it on in this mode. It can be annoying because it will keep responding to everything you say, even if you’re talking to someone in the room or if it hears voices on your TV.

Got it! That sounds like a bit of a nuisance. You could adjust your settings to switch off the voice activation or lower the sensitivity so it responds less to background noise. Would that work? Yes, it would! Thank you; good advice! Happy to help! I’m going to get out of chat mode.

Copilot Pro AI Interface

Now, I’ll show you around the standard interface. The Copilot icon on the left will go to home. Click on it, and a menu of options and things to try with Copilot will appear. The Copilot icon will then turn into a view history button where you can view past AI chats. Inside view history, you’ll see your recent chats, an X icon to close your history, and a pencil icon to start a new chat.

Starting a new chat will refresh the window and start a new conversation, and your recent chat will be archived within history. The plus icon next to the Copilot icon allows you to select an image or document to upload to Copilot to be examined by the AI.

As you can see, it blurred out my son’s face for his privacy. It’s worth noting that I was not able to upload PDF files, audio files, or text documents. Clicking inside the message Copilot window reveals a “Think Deeper” button, which will activate more reasoning capabilities within Copilot for completing more complex tasks.

Copilot will spend more time generating its response based on your inquiry, looking at your request from all angles. Microsoft says the “Think Deeper” button will help with things like planning an event, coding, or solving complex math problems.

Next is the settings menu, allowing you to pin Copilot to the taskbar or start menu. It includes app settings, privacy settings, extensions, and more. More tools allow you to copy links, open Copilot, Microsoft Edge, print, share, find on page, or cast to a media device.

Click on your Microsoft image icon on the top right to access more features, including language, theme, and sign out. You can also manage your subscription, give feedback, or learn more about Copilot. You can even update your name to have Copilot address you by another name. I’m going to change my name to “Dark Lord of House CET.”

I shall address you properly from here on out, Dark Lord of House CET!

Copilot Vision

Eventually, there will be another update called Copilot Vision that will have the ability to see what you’re working on, answer questions, help navigate the web, make suggestions, and assist with tasks. These abilities are currently available in a limited way inside the browser sidebar version of Copilot by selecting the “Using Relevant Sources” dropdown menu at the top of the prompt window.

Your options there are: Relevant Sources, This Page, or This Site. Copilot will be able to see the web page or website you’re working on to answer your questions or summarize a page for you. You can also add an image, add a screenshot, and use the microphone to speak to Copilot, but it doesn’t have the voice options that the standalone app currently has.

Copilot Vision is still in a testing phase, and there is limited access if you are a Copilot Pro subscriber and if you opt into Microsoft Labs. According to Microsoft, Copilot Vision will be able to see what you’re working on when you click on the square icon on the right-hand side of the message Copilot field, allowing you to have complete control of when Copilot Vision can access your PC.

There are so many ways to access Copilot right now, with the new Copilot Plus PCs being rolled out over the next few months and years. This AI is only going to get more powerful and useful with time, and hopefully, it will make navigating the web and getting helpful information a whole lot easier and faster.

 

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