Microsoft Copilot finally becomes a native Windows app. What does this mean for users?

Microsoft Copilot, the AI-powered code completion tool, now has a dedicated app for Windows. Copilot is now available as a native Windows app, which means the tool can be accessed from the Taskbar. Its window can be dragged around and resized to your preference.

The Copilot app (version 1.24112.123.0 and higher) is rolling out now to Windows Insiders. After installing the update from the Microsoft Store, you can summon the new Copilot quick view, a floating window, by pressing Alt + Space.

Alternatively, if you have a PC with a dedicated Copilot key, pressing that key will open the main Copilot UI. You can switch back to the main Copilot window from the quick view by clicking the icon in the top-left corner.

Microsoft says it will explore additional keyboard shortcuts for the Copilot app over time. Notably, Copilot uses the RegisterHotKey function for Alt + Space, meaning you might need to close an app that uses the shortcut if you want to summon Copilot instead. Microsoft has more on this in a blog post.

Microsoft says that the new Copilot app for Windows will soon be available to everyone. In the meantime, you can grab the app from the Microsoft Store. If you encounter any issues, Microsoft asks that you provide feedback in the Windows Feedback Hub (shortcut: WIN + F).

What do you think? Do you think the Microsoft Copilot update will be useful for Windows Insiders?