Copilot's image generator works two ways: type a description into an ordinary Copilot chat and it makes the picture, or open the Create section for more control over style, colour and size. Microsoft says a chat image takes a couple of minutes, and as of October 2026 the Create section asks you to sign in with an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription.
Microsoft's own wording is that Copilot has a built-in ability to create images from text-based prompts. You can also upload a picture and ask Copilot to change it. Here's how each route works, and the rules that come with them.
The quick way: ask for it in a chat
Open a normal Copilot conversation and describe the picture you want. Microsoft's advice is to be as specific as you can, and it says the more detail you give, the better Copilot can work in a particular art style, such as realism, abstract, comic book or futuristic, or match detailed descriptions of characters, moods and settings. This is the example on Microsoft's support page:
Microsoft's own example prompt
Create a photorealistic image of a futuristic city skyline at sunset.
That's a fine demo, but most of my readers want something for work. Microsoft's Create guide has more business-shaped examples, including this one for an internal newsletter:
A business example from Microsoft
Create a banner for an internal monthly newsletter with a modern design, white background, and the title "Monthly Updates" in bold sans-serif font.
Then wait. Microsoft says Copilot takes a couple of minutes to generate your image, so don't hit send three times thinking it's stuck.
The Create section: more control, more steps
When you need a set size, a particular style or your organisation's colours, the Create section is the better tool. As of October 2026 the steps are:
- Open Copilot in a browser or in the Copilot app, select the Apps and more icon in the top left, then select the Create icon.
- If you're asked to sign in, use an account with a valid subscription.
- In the What do you want to create? window, select Create an image.
- If you like, pick a template from Explore images. Its prompt appears in the box, ready to use unchanged or edit.
- Otherwise, type your description into the box headed Describe the image you want to create.
- Got a picture in a similar style? Select the + icon at the bottom left of the prompt box, then Add an image, so Copilot can refer to it.
- Select Style and choose one, for example Photorealistic, Surrealism or Anime.
- Select Color to pick a palette. Work and school accounts see Brand and color instead, which applies your organisation's brand kit, but only if your organisation has set one up.
- Select Size, then select the right arrow on the prompt box to start.
These are the three sizes Microsoft lists, with where I'd use each:
| Size | Pixels | Where I'd use it |
|---|---|---|
| Square | 1024 x 1024 | Most social feeds and profile-style images |
| Portrait | 1024 x 1536 | Stories, phone screens and tall posters |
| Wide | 1536 x 1024 | Blog headers, slides and email banners |
Refining and saving what you made
Happy with it? Use Save and copy to copy or download the image. Not quite right? Type what you want changed into the Transform with AI prompt box, or change the Style, Color and Size again. The Edit and Text tools down the right-hand side let you tweak further, and you can keep going until it looks how you want. Everything you make in Create lands in Copilot Library, so you don't need to download as you go.
In Copilot Chat with a work account, selecting a generated image opens an editing side pane where you can add text or crop, then download or copy it. There's also a Designer button there, which hands the image over to Microsoft Designer.
Changing a photo you already have
- In a Copilot chat, select the Open icon (+) and choose Add images or files.
- Pick the image from your device.
- Type what you want done to it. Microsoft's examples are "remove the people in the background" and "change the setting to a forest".
- Keep asking for changes in the same conversation until it's right.
It helps to know what Copilot does with that upload. Microsoft's Create FAQ says it analyses the entire image, including objects, background and style. If there are people in it, the analysis may include visible physical and facial features and the number of people. It may recognise well-known public figures, but otherwise it can't identify individuals.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Rights, storage and the AI label
This is the part most guides skip, and it's the bit that matters for a business. Microsoft says any image you upload for editing should be an original you own or have the rights to use. It says not to upload anything that infringes copyright, trademark or publicity rights, violates someone's privacy, or shows people without their consent, and that you're solely responsible for what you upload. Its Create FAQ goes further: you need permission from everyone in the picture. So that team photo from the summer party? Ask the team first.
On storage, Microsoft says images you generate or upload are kept for a short time, no longer than 18 months, then deleted. You can delete them sooner from your conversation history. Images may also be used to improve the safety and functionality of the product, and you can opt out of your conversation activity being used for model training, uploaded images included.
And here's the specific detail people don't expect: Copilot images carry content credentials based on the C2PA standard. That's provenance data showing an image was made or edited with AI, and anyone can view it on the Content Credentials site. If you're passing an AI image off as a photo, someone can check.
One more catch. Microsoft says that without a Microsoft Copilot licence, quality and performance depend on service availability and can vary throughout the day, and that Personal, Family, Premium and Pro subscriptions may have usage limits that are subject to change. If you're after the separate free Bing tool rather than Copilot, here's how the free Bing Image Creator works.
Which route I'd use
I'd start in a chat for a quick picture, because it's the fastest way to see if an idea works. Move to Create when you need a set size or your brand colours. Skip the upload route unless you own the photo and everyone in it has said yes. And if Copilot's style isn't for you, I've compared other AI image tools worth a look.
If you want your team making on-brand images with AI without a design bottleneck, that's the kind of AI training I run. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
How do I generate an image in Copilot?
Type a description of the image you want into a Copilot chat. Microsoft says it takes a couple of minutes to generate. For more control, use Create an image in the Create section.
What sizes can Copilot images be?
Microsoft lists Square (1024 x 1024), Portrait (1024 x 1536) and Wide (1536 x 1024) in the Create section.
Can Copilot edit my own photo?
Yes. Select the Open icon (+), choose Add images or files, pick the photo and describe the change. Microsoft says it must be an image you own or have rights to, with permission from everyone in it.
How long does Copilot keep my images?
Microsoft says generated or uploaded images are kept no longer than 18 months, then deleted, and you can delete them from your conversation history sooner.
Can people tell an image was made with Copilot?
Copilot images carry content credentials based on the C2PA standard, which can be viewed on the Content Credentials site.
