Microsoft Merges Its Two Copilot Apps Into One and Retires Podcasts, Deep Research, and Group Chat

Microsoft will combine its consumer Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot into one app, The Verge reports. As a result, three features, Podcasts, Deep Research, and Group Chat, will be discontinued on August 18. After the merge, everyone using Copilot, for personal or work purposes, will use the same app.

Microsoft says chats and content carry over to the new app during the transition.

Why Microsoft Is Merging Its Copilot Apps

Microsoft Copilot has been available as two separate products: Copilot for consumers, which competes with ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, and Microsoft 365 Copilot for professional use in the work suite. This split has made it difficult to track which features and plans are included in each version.

Merging the two creates a single app. According to The Verge, this mainly helps users who switch between personal and work Copilot, since they will not need to run separate apps anymore.

The changes users see will depend on which version of Copilot they currently use, since the two apps offer different experiences.

Microsoft 365 Copilot users will only need to update their existing app. Microsoft says to expect minor changes to navigation, along with a new app icon and direct access to Copilot chat.

Personal Copilot users will see more changes. On desktop, they will move to the new app, while mobile users can switch through an app update. Microsoft says chats and content will transfer in both cases.

For those using both apps, all chats and content will merge into the new app, with each item linked to the account it was created with.

Copilot Features Retiring on August 18

The main change is that some features will not carry over. Microsoft will discontinue Podcasts, Deep Research, and Group Chat on August 18, so there is limited time left to use them.

Anyone using Group Chat should copy any messages or images from their chats before August 18, since these will not be accessible after that date. The same goes for Podcasts: users should export any podcasts they want to keep, as both creating and accessing them will end after the deadline.

Deep Research reports will still be available after August 18, but only Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers will be able to use the feature going forward. Because access ends on August 18, users relying on the affected features should act before the deadline:

1. Copy any messages or images from Group Chat conversations, since those chats become inaccessible after August 18.
2. Export any generated podcasts, as both creating and accessing them ends on the same date.
3. Save any Deep Research reports you want to keep, and note the feature will require a Microsoft 365 Premium subscription to continue using afterward.
4. Update or switch to the new Copilot app so chats and content transfer during the merge.

Alternatives and What Remains Unconfirmed

The Verge notes that alternatives for the retired features are easy to find. Google's Gemini Notebook, previously called NotebookLM, can create AI-generated podcasts, and most major AI platforms have their own Deep Research equivalents.

Microsoft is not alone in cutting features. OpenAI shut down its AI video generator Sora earlier this year, along with its short-lived AI browser ChatGPT Atlas. Microsoft has also been removing what it calls unnecessary Copilot features from Windows, indicating a broader push to consolidate its AI.

The three features will be discontinued on August 18, so users have a short window to export their data. Microsoft says the app merge will preserve chats and content, but the way users switch depends on whether they use consumer Copilot or Microsoft 365 Copilot.

The Verge does not mention when the full transition will be complete, so some users may move over gradually after the August 18 retirements.tirements.

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