On July 28, 2025, Microsoft rolled out Copilot Mode, an experimental AI-assisted browsing experience in its Edge web browser, available for free on Windows and Mac as long as users opt in.
With Copilot Mode active, the New Tab page is replaced by a unified input box that handles chat, search, and web navigation.
The AI assistant can access all open tabs (with user consent) to provide smarter suggestions, summaries, and comparisons.
No need to manually copy-paste page content. For instance, Copilot can help convert recipes to vegan or extract highlights from articles without switching tabs.
Microsoft also showcased how Copilot can act on behalf of users: users can open tabs, build shopping lists, book appointments, or draft content via voice or chat commands.
Some of these agent-like actions may soon use browser history and login credentials again, only with explicit permission.
Though free for now, Microsoft signals that some usage limits may apply and that Copilot Mode may evolve into a paid feature over time.
This release comes as part of a broader industry shift: competitors like Google (with Gemini in Chrome), Perplexity’s Comet, Opera’s Aria, and OpenAI are all launching or testing AI-first browsers. With Edge, Microsoft hopes to reclaim relevance in the browser wars.
