Microsoft to auto-install Copilot app on Windows PCs starting Oct 2025

Microsoft will begin automatically installing a Microsoft 365 Copilot app on Windows devices that already have Microsoft 365 desktop client applications, the company said, beginning in October 2025. The background installation is intended to provide a single entry point for Copilot's generative AI features across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, Microsoft said, though users in the European Economic Area will be exempt from the automatic rollout because of regional rules.

Microsoft described the Copilot app as a "centralized entry point" to AI-powered experiences that help users draft documents, analyze spreadsheets, search across files and run agent-based tasks. The company also said it is embedding Copilot Chat, a context-aware chat assistant, directly inside Office apps at no extra cost to Microsoft 365 subscribers, allowing users to pose queries in a side panel while working on files. New capabilities cited by Microsoft include support for OpenAI's GPT-5 model, multiple image uploads, a wider input area for longer prompts and built-in Researcher and Analyst agents for licensed users.

While Microsoft is broadening free Copilot Chat access, it is keeping more...