Recently, Microsoft rolled out a brand-new version of Bing powered by OpenAI's GPT-4. Shortly thereafter, the company announced Microsoft Copilot, an AI that changed how people used chatbots. Copilot, which has effectively replaced Bing both in terms of service and name, is now integrated into Windows 11, which makes it easier than ever to access the new program. While Copilot in Windows 11 is mostly straightforward, some users might need a little help getting started, and that's what we're here to discuss. Plus, you're not necessarily limited to using Copilot through the Edge browser, since it's also built into Skype.

How to access Copilot

Since Copilot is now built into Windows 11, you can easily access Copilot via a key combination. It should be enabled by default, but if you don't see it, try these steps:

1. Right-click the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings.
2. Check if the Copilot toggle is set to on.
3. Now you can click the Copilot button on the taskbar to open it. You can also press Windows + C to open it, or use the dedicated Copilot key some laptops have.

How to use Copilot through the Windows 11 taskbar

If you don't have Copilot on Windows, you can also access the web version of Copilot from Windows. Here's how:

1. If you don't have a search bar or button on your Windows 11 taskbar, right-click an empty area of the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings.
2. Next to Search, choose either Search button (or icon), Search button (or icon) and label, or Search box from the dropdown menu. If you see a toggle, set it to On.

Now that you have reactivated Search in the taskbar and have a Copilot account, you can open Copilot by following these steps:

1. Click the search bar or button to open Windows Search. You'll see it next to the Start button.
2. Click the Copilot button near the top-right corner. This will open the Copilot experience in Microsoft Edge.
3. Now, you can use Copilot as you normally would.
4. Ask whatever question you'd like. Here are a few examples:
5. You can click the New topic button next to the text field if you'd like to reset the conversation and start over. Copilot automatically resets after a few exchanges, too.

If you're using Edge, you can also access additional Copilot features, such as the Compose tab. Like other aspects of Copilot, this AI program can help you summarize articles, brainstorm story ideas, and generate images. For more information, you can read our previous articles on how to use Bing in Microsoft Edge and how to use Microsoft Copilot.

How to use Copilot in Skype

Another option if you're using Windows 11 (or any other device that supports Skype, really) is to use Copilot through Skype. If you'd like to do this, here's how it works:

1. Download Skype if you haven't yet. You can find it on the Microsoft Store.
2. Once you've signed in, click the search bar under your profile picture.
3. Copilot should show up immediately in the search suggestions, but you can type in Copilot to find it faster.
4. Select Copilot, then click Try it in the pop-up window.
5. You can now talk to Copilot using Skype and ask it for all kinds of information.
6. You can also add Copilot to a group conversation with other users. In an existing conversation, click the Add people button at the top.
7. Search for and select Copilot. For one-on-one conversations, a new group will be created with the two members and Copilot included.
8. Now, anyone in the group can mention @copilot and make any request, and the answer will be shown to the entire group. This makes for a potentially wild time.

That's about all there is to know about using the new Copilot on Windows 11, whether you want the full experience in Edge, or the Skype integration that Microsoft has made available. If you'd like to learn more about other Windows 11 features, you can always check out how to use Chat with Microsoft Teams.