Microsoft Copilot is a free, generative AI chatbot companion developed by Microsoft and powered by GPT-4 from OpenAI. It's available through all desktop and mobile browsers and Windows, Android, iOS, and iPadOS devices. While you'll get the best experience on Windows desktop computers, macOS users can access the chatbot, although there are a few caveats.
We show you how to get Copilot running on any macOS device, even though Microsoft doesn't offer a Copilot app for macOS devices. While it is a bit of trouble to set up, this guide gets you started with one of the best AI apps for your day-to-day life. If it doesn't suit you, try Gemini on one of the top Pixel phones.
How to install Microsoft Copilot on macOS
There are two ways to use Microsoft Copilot on macOS. The first involves launching it from Safari, while the other involves installing the iOS app on your macOS computer. We recommend using the web browser method first, as it's quicker. Then, if you find Copilot useful, install it on your Mac for easier access via keyboard shortcuts.
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Method 1: Create a shortcut to the Copilot website
These steps show you how to add a shortcut to the Copilot website to your Dock. While this is the quickest way to access Copilot on your Mac, it doesn't run locally, and you can't set a keybind to launch it. However, it has the same features as the app, so you won't miss out on anything when using the app in your browser.
- Open the Copilot website from Safari.
- Click File at the top of your screen.
- Click Add to Dock.
- Click Ok.
Method 2: Install the Copilot app from the App Store.
Apple Silicon Macs can install and run apps designed to only run on iOS and iPadOS devices. The advantage of this method is that you can launch it through the Shortcuts app. Here's how to install and run the iOS version of Copilot on your macOS device.
These steps only work for Mac computers with Apple Silicon. You can check if your Mac computer has Apple Silicon on Apple's support website.
- Open the App Store app.
- Search for Copilot.
- Click Get to install it.
How to launch Copilot with a keyboard shortcut
- Open the Shortcuts app.
- Click All Shortcuts from the sidebar.
- Click the plus button at the top of your screen.
- Drag Open App from the sidebar on the right of your screen to the left.
- Search for Copilot in the app search bar.
- Click the Info button (i icon) in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Click Add keyboard Shortcut.
- Enter a key combination.
- Close the Shortcuts app.
You can now press the key combination you set to launch Copilot. Alternatively, you can add the Copilot app to your Mac's Dock like any other app.
How to get started with Copilot on your macOS
Now that Copilot is running on your Mac, you're ready to get started. We show you what Microsoft's AI chatbot is capable of on your Mac, but we recommend exploring our comprehensive guide to Copilot after familiarizing yourself with the basics.
What can Copilot do?
If you've used any AI chatbot before, you'll find that Copilot offers similar results, but it's a unique app. Here are the most important features of Copilot:
- Copilot can answer questions (for example, "create a custom meal plan" or "best travel locations for summer break") and generate images using DALL·E. You must sign in to a Microsoft account to generate images or ask specific questions.
- You can choose three types of conversation styles (More Creative, More Balanced, and More Precise).
Copilot is free to use, but for $20 a month, you can access its premium features. These include:
- Increased performance for text-based responses during peak times.
- Higher quality image generation and the ability to create landscape images in addition to portrait images.
- Use Copilot across Microsoft 365 apps, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- Customize the chatbot for a particular purpose or topic.
How to use Copilot on your Mac
After opening the Copilot app, you're presented with several options. Most importantly, tap the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of your screen and select Show All Tones. This adds the three conversation styles to the home screen. These conversation styles are crucial to generating appropriate answers, so we recommend experimenting by asking the same question with each style.
Enter your question or prompt in the Ask me anything field and press Enter to get a response. You can supplement your prompt with a picture by tapping the Camera icon or speak your prompt by clicking the Microphone icon.
Use the AI chatbot that works best for you
Copilot is free to use, which makes it easy for anyone to use. While you'll sign in with a Microsoft account to access all the free features, generating AI responses or images is easy.
Copilot is a useful tool, but it's up against stiff competition. ChatGPT (which powers Copilot) and Gemini are the most popular generative AI models available, so we compared their answers to see which one you should use.
