Microsoft has revamped its Copilot app on Windows once again, this time insisting it really has gone native.
The [update](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/03/03/update-for-copilot-on-windows-begins-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders-with-new-features-and-improvements/), which is rolling out to Windows Insiders from the Microsoft Store is, according to the IT giant, a native XAML app. It includes a side panel for starting conversations and a conversation history list.
> Being a properly native app rather than a website running in a container means Copilot has more access to the operating system, for better or for worse
According to Microsoft, users can ask questions about their PC, such as "How do I set up a Bluetooth headset on this device?" and Copilot will respond with something tailored to their device rather than a generic web search.
The app is the latest in a long line of Copilot reinventions. The corporation's [last claim](https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/11/microsoft_copilot_keyboard_shortcut/) to have created a "native" app was just a wrapper around a website and replaced a previous Progressive Web App (PWA).
A few months later, and Microsoft is trying again, this time coming up with something that feels more like an integrated Windows application rather than a hurriedly put-together app based on web components. In the last release, Redmond added a shortcut key – Alt + Space for users without a dedicated Copilot key – but considering the biz released a native version of Copilot for Macs last week, something similar for its flagship operating system, Windows, was needed.
Being a properly native app rather than a website running in a container means Copilot has more access to the operating system, for better or for worse.
The update will roll out across all Insider Channels via the Microsoft Store, although it will be a gradual rollout to ensure nothing crawls out of the woodwork before it hits mainstream users. Microsoft has not given a date for when the update will become generally available, but it will likely arrive in the next few weeks if nothing bad turns up during testing.
As of now, the Copilot app can't do an awful lot to a user's PC. However, it does show the direction of travel – at some point, folks will be able to control more of their PC using a conversational interface rather than a terse call to a family member or IT support person to find out why the printer has stopped working again. ®