Leak Suggests Microsoft Copilot May Become Default Assistant App on Android

According to a recent revelation from tipster Mishaal Rahman on X (formerly known as Twitter), users of the Microsoft Copilot app on Android can now opt to set it as their default digital assistant for their smartphones. This update, currently undergoing beta testing, represents a significant enhancement to the functionality of Copilot, allowing users to summon the chatbot from any screen with ease. The move underscores Microsoft’s commitment to advancing its generative artificial intelligence (AI)-based Copilot platform, which has been the recipient of several notable upgrades in recent times. Among these enhancements include a design overhaul aimed at delivering a more streamlined user experience, as well as the introduction of an inline image editor, enabling users to modify aspects of generated images directly within the chatbox without the need to navigate away.

Rahman’s post detailed the new capability, stating, “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.” Accompanying the announcement was a video demonstrating the process of adding Copilot to the roster of available digital assistants.

This development marks a significant step forward in expanding the accessibility and convenience of Copilot, empowering users to seamlessly integrate its capabilities into their daily routines and interactions with their Android devices. As Microsoft continues to refine and enhance the Copilot experience, users can expect further innovations and improvements aimed at delivering a more intuitive, efficient, and personalized AI-powered assistant solution.

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.