Microsoft Copilot Can Be Set As Default Assistant App on Android, Suggests Leak

As per a report, invoking Microsoft Copilot as the assistant only opens the main app.

Written by Akash Dutta, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 27 February 2024 15:46 IST

Microsoft Copilot Can Be Set As Default Assistant App on Android, Suggests Leak

Photo Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Copilot might get more assistant-based functionalities in future updates

Highlights

Microsoft Copilot app was launched in December 2023
The digital assistant capability is reportedly in beta testing
Microsoft Copilot app recently received a design overhaul

Microsoft Copilot app on Android can now reportedly be set as the default digital assistant for the smartphone. The feature is currently in beta testing and offers users the option to summon the chatbot from any screen. The generative artificial intelligence (AI)-based Copilot platform has been getting some big upgrades lately. Earlier, it received a design overhaul for a streamlined appearance and an inline image editor was added so users could change aspects of a generated image without leaving the chatbox.

The information comes from tipster Mishaal Rahman, who revealed in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Tuesday, “With version 27.9.420225014, available in beta, you can change the default assistant app to Copilot. This lets you launch Copilot from any screen by swiping diagonally from the corner or long-pressing the power button.” The post also carried a video that showed the addition of Copilot to the list of digital assistants.

You can now set the Microsoft Copilot app as your default assistant app on Android!

With version 27.9.420225014, available in beta, you can change the default assistant app to Copilot. This lets you launch Copilot from any screen by swiping diagonally from the corner or… pic.twitter.com/M5FxLzIdxT
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) February 26, 2024

However, as per the tipster, it is not a full-fledged smartphone assistant. Invoking the assistant opens the Copilot app on any screen, instead of triggering the auto-listening mode where users can speak their query. The chatbot also cannot take screenshots of the current screen, or analyse its content, as per the leaked information. While not mentioned in the post, it appears that Copilot can still perform all its duties as a generative AI chatbot and will be able to answer user queries and search for things on the internet. It is unclear whether it can perform on-device tasks such as opening an app, setting alarms and reminders, and starting a timer. The tipster added that Microsoft is likely to add these functionalities soon.

Apart from this, a big development for Copilot was announced by Jordi Ribas, CVP at Microsoft – Search & AI on Monday. In a post on X, he revealed that Microsoft was rolling out Copilot GPTs within the AI app. “They can help create designs, plan your next vacation, learn to cook a new recipe or create a custom workout plan,” Ribas added.

These are believed to function similarly to OpenAI's GPTs, which were just mini-chatbots that are programmed for specific tasks and are trained on targeted and limited amounts of data. Right now, three of them have been added — a Vacation planner, a Cooking assistant, and a Fitness trainer. OpenAI also allows users to self-program these mini-chatbots for a customised task, which is not currently possible on Copilot. Ribas said that the feature was being tested in a controlled environment with a subset of users.

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Further reading: Microsoft Copilot, Copilot, Artificial Intelligence, AI

Akash Dutta Email Akash Dutta

Akash Dutta is a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen supporting his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing passionate opinions on food. More