Microsoft is merging its consumer Microsoft Copilot app and the business-oriented Microsoft 365 Copilot app into a single unified application called Microsoft Copilot, with a worldwide rollout starting in mid-August 2026 for mobile and web, followed by Windows and Mac versions in mid-September 2026 [1, 2, 3].
Users of the existing separate Copilot apps will have their chats and content merged into the new app while maintaining separation between personal and work accounts within the unified interface [1, 2, 3]. Core AI capabilities will remain free, although usage limits for free access may vary in the updated app [1]. Microsoft confirmed that enterprise security, compliance, and government controls will not change with this consolidation [1].
As part of the transition, Microsoft will retire several AI features on August 18, 2026, including Group Chat, AI-generated Podcasts, Deep Research, and the experimental Copilot Labs feature [1, 2, 3]. Files generated in the standalone Copilot apps will be migrated to OneDrive [2].
Among the notable retirements is the removal of Mico, the animated mascot introduced in October 2025 to provide a more expressive voice interaction experience. Mico will be removed from voice sections of the Copilot app and relocated to Microsoft Learn Live as a tutoring assistant. Microsoft stated, "Mico helped us learn about warmth, expressiveness, and how people want to talk with AI. Those learnings are shaping Copilot going forward. Learn is where the character has the most room to grow, with tutoring sessions that give Mico more to react to and teach through" [2, 4, 3].
Microsoft said the app consolidation and feature retirements aim to offer a simpler, more cohesive AI experience after re-evaluating prior, more complex strategies [2, 3].
The rollout timeline begins with the unified app available on mobile and web worldwide in mid-August 2026, shortly before the August 18 feature retirements, followed by Windows and Mac releases in mid-September 2026 [1].
