Microsoft has announced the unification of its Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot applications into a single platform, as part of wide-ranging changes that will come into effect on August 18, 2026. The goal is to bring together AI assistant capabilities aimed at both individual users and businesses within a single application.

Under the new update, users will be able to log in to the Copilot app using either their personal account or work account, or both, with the ability to switch between accounts depending on the nature of the query or task they are performing.

Copilot: Unified Application for Users and Businesses

In recent years, Microsoft has offered two separate applications; Copilot for individual users, and Microsoft 365 Copilot for enterprise and business customers. However, the company has now decided to merge the two applications into a single platform that combines their capabilities, making Copilot a unified access point to Microsoft's AI services.
Users will also be able to access Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, and Outlook directly from within Copilot, in addition to being able to use their existing files and documents to make queries and obtain answers based on the context of these files.

Personal and work accounts in one place

One of the most prominent changes is that Copilot will allow users to log in using both their personal and work accounts together, then switch between them within the app when needed. This step allows for the use of Copilot in both personal and professional tasks through the same application instead of relying on two separate applications based on account type. Despite unifying the application, the differences between free and paid usage will not disappear, and Microsoft will continue to offer a Microsoft 365 subscription to users who want higher usage limits and codes. In return, free Copilot users will be able to continue chatting with the AI assistant, creating images, and uploading files for use in queries that require understanding context. If a user reaches their available limit, Microsoft recommends upgrading to a paid plan or returning to use the service at a later time.

4 Features Leaving Copilot

In conjunction with the integration of the two applications, Microsoft also announced that it will discontinue a number of features within Copilot. One of the most notable is Group Chat, which will be removed and replaced by individual chats. Starting August 18, users will no longer be able to access requests or artifacts shared or created by other users in previous group conversations. Additionally, Microsoft has decided to discontinue the ability to create and record podcast files within the Copilot application. The company notes that these changes may temporarily result in some features being unavailable or gaps in functionality during the rollout of the new version of the app.

Deep Research Disappears from Copilot for Individual Users

Another significant change is that Deep Research will no longer be available to individual users within the Copilot application, effective August 18, 2026. This move is part of a reorganization of the AI toolkit within the platform as it integrates versions of Copilot for consumers and enterprises. It reflects Microsoft's approach to providing a unified Copilot experience rather than dividing users across multiple applications and services.
By merging Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot into one application, the AI tools, Microsoft 365 services, files, and documents will become more integrated within a single interface. However, different account types and subscriptions will continue to offer varying features and usage limits.