Microsoft merges Copilot apps into unified platform, retires several AI features

Microsoft is merging its consumer and business Copilot applications into a single unified app, starting its rollout on August 13, 2026. This consolidation, led by Executive Vice President Jacob Andreou, aims to simplify the user experience and lay the foundation for an upcoming AI 'Super App' scheduled for late September 2026. As part of the transition, Microsoft will retire several consumer features on August 18, 2026, including Group Chats, Podcasts, the animated character Mico, and free access to Deep Research, the latter of which will be replaced by a paid 'Researcher' tool for $19.99-a-month subscribers.

Copilot app unification rollout

• ▪The unified Microsoft Copilot app began rolling out to Windows Insiders on August 13, 2026, with a broader mobile and web rollout in mid-August and desktop apps following in mid-September 2026.
• ▪Microsoft began rolling out a unified Copilot app on August 13, 2026, merging the consumer-facing Copilot and business-oriented Microsoft 365 Copilot apps into a single platform.

Retired consumer AI features

• ▪Microsoft will permanently retire the Copilot Podcasts, Group Chat, and Deep Research features for free consumer users on August 18, 2026.
• ▪The animated voice-mode companion character named Mico, a floating blob introduced by Microsoft, will be retired from the core consumer Copilot experience on August 18, 2026.
• ▪Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers paying $19.99 a month will retain advanced research capabilities through a replacement tool called Researcher, which integrates with emails, calendars, and files.

Enterprise account data separation

• ▪Microsoft guarantees that personal and professional environments remain separate in the unified Copilot app, with no data flowing between accounts and no employer visibility into personal activity.
• ▪The unified Microsoft Copilot app allows users to toggle between personal Microsoft accounts and work or school Microsoft Entra ID accounts within the same interface.
• ▪IT administrators must manually reapply Windows Recall screenshot exclusions for the new unified Copilot app, as settings excluding the old standalone app will not transfer automatically.

Microsoft AI strategy consolidation

• ▪The Copilot app unification, internally codenamed 'Copilot Fusion', serves as the foundation for a comprehensive 'Super App' that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced would ship by late September 2026.
• ▪Microsoft Executive Vice President Jacob Andreou, appointed to lead Copilot in March 2026, initiated the consolidation to eliminate unpopular features and earn the app's 'right to exist' in customers' lives.
• ▪Microsoft 365 Copilot reached 30 million paid seats in fiscal Q4 2026, representing approximately 7 percent of Microsoft's 450 million commercial paid seats.