How to Use Copilot: Chat, Voice, Vision and Files on Windows

Microsoft uses the name Copilot for a lot of things, which is why so many people search for how to use it. This guide covers the Microsoft Copilot app: the assistant you open on Windows, on the web or on your phone. If you want Copilot inside Excel, Teams or OneNote, those work inside each app and are covered at the end.

Step 1: Get the Copilot app and sign in

On new Windows 11 PCs, Microsoft says the Copilot app should already be installed. Look for it pinned to the taskbar or in the Start menu. If it isn't there, download it from the Microsoft Store. On a phone, install the Microsoft Copilot mobile app.

When you open it, sign in with either a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account. Signing in matters: Microsoft says signing in with a personal account gives you your chat history, image creation, longer conversations and voice. Without signing in you get a much thinner version.

Step 2: Open Copilot faster

You don't need to hunt for the taskbar icon every time. Microsoft lists four quick ways in:

Shortcut	How to set it up
Copilot key	Press the key on your keyboard if your PC has one
Windows + C	Works on any Windows PC with the app installed
Hey, Copilot	Say it out loud once you've opted in to the wake word
Pen button	Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Pen and Windows Ink, then set the shortcut button to Same as Copilot key

The shortcut can open the full app or a smaller quick view. You choose which in the app under Account, Settings, Copilot Keyboard Shortcuts.

Step 3: Ask your first question

Type into the message box the way you'd ask a colleague. Copilot works best when you give it the job, the context and the format you want back. For example: write a friendly reminder email to a client whose invoice is two weeks late, keep it under 100 words. If you'd like more ideas to copy, my list of Copilot prompts is organised by task.

When you click a link in an answer, Copilot opens the page in a side pane next to the chat instead of a new browser window. With your permission it can use those open tabs as context, but only in that one conversation.

Step 4: Ask about something on your screen

There are two ways to show Copilot what you're looking at.

1. Screenshot: in the Copilot composer, select the plus sign, then Take a Screenshot. Drag over the part of the screen you want, type your question and send it.
2. Vision: start a voice chat, then select the screen share arrow on desktop or the camera icon on your phone. Talk through what you see and Copilot answers in real time.

Here's the catch with Vision. Microsoft says it only works during a voice conversation, and on a personal account it needs a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium subscription. It also can't act for you: Copilot might highlight part of the screen, but it won't click, type or scroll. Each Vision chat starts fresh too, so it doesn't remember screens from earlier conversations.

Step 5: Talk to Copilot with your voice

Select the Voice icon in the message box, allow microphone access if you're asked, wait for Copilot's greeting and start speaking. Select the microphone icon to mute yourself and the X to end the session. When you finish, a text transcript of the conversation is there for you to refer back to.

Two things to know. Voice conversations can have session limits and may disconnect when you reach one. And voice availability depends on your subscription and region, so if you can't see the Voice icon, that's usually why. Dictation and read aloud are separate features, and Microsoft lists them for work or school accounts.

Step 6: Find and ask about your files

Copilot on Windows can find, open and answer questions about files on your PC, including OneDrive files synced to the device. Microsoft says it can read .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, .txt, .pdf and .json files. So you can ask things like summarise the proposal I saved last week, or which spreadsheet has the March figures.

If you'd rather it didn't look at your files, go to Account, Settings, File Search and File Read and turn those settings off.

Step 7: Let it help with Windows settings

This one is easy to miss. Ask Copilot something like make my screen easier to read, or help me focus by reducing distractions, and it guides you to the right option in Windows Settings.

Copilot inside Word and Excel depends on the plan you hold, which this guide to Microsoft's subscription plans explains.

Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps

Copilot also sits inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams for people with the right Microsoft 365 plan. Those versions work on the document or meeting in front of you rather than as a general assistant. If you're comparing it with other assistants before you commit, my guide to ChatGPT vs Copilot sets out where each one is stronger.

My advice

Sign in with your personal Microsoft account before you judge it, because the signed-out version leaves out so much. Then set Windows + C to open quick view, so asking Copilot becomes as fast as searching. For anything on screen, try the screenshot route first: it works on any account and doesn't need a voice chat.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open Copilot on Windows?

Press Windows + C or the Copilot key on your keyboard. You can also say Hey, Copilot once you've turned on the wake word, or set a pen shortcut button to act like the Copilot key.

Do I need a Microsoft account to use Copilot?

Signing in is strongly worth it. Microsoft says a personal Microsoft account gives you chat history, image creation, longer conversations and voice.

Why can't I use Copilot Vision?

Vision only works during a voice conversation, and with a personal account it needs a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium subscription. Availability can also vary by region while features roll out.

Can Copilot click and type for me on my screen?

No. Microsoft says Vision helps you understand what you're sharing but doesn't act for you, so it won't click, type or scroll.

What files can Copilot read on my PC?

Microsoft says Copilot on Windows can read .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, .txt, .pdf and .json files, including OneDrive files synced to the device. You can turn file search off in Settings.