Hands-On Windows 156: Copilot Mode Arrives in Edge

Host: Paul Thurrott
Date: September 4, 2025
Podcast: All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)
Episode Theme:
A practical, in-depth review and first impressions of the new Copilot Mode in Microsoft Edge, including a hands-on walkthrough, analysis of its current capabilities, where Microsoft's approach fits within the wider AI browser landscape, and thoughts on future enhancements.

Episode Overview

Paul Thurrott introduces and explores the recently launched Copilot Mode in Microsoft Edge, Microsoft's response to the wave of AI-powered web browsers. He compares Copilot Mode to competing offerings, demonstrates key features, addresses UI and UX changes, and outlines his initial feedback—emphasizing both improvements and current limitations. The episode serves as both a tutorial and thoughtful critique, helping listeners gauge whether Copilot Mode is worth enabling now and what to expect in the future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Positioning of Copilot Mode in Edge

• Microsoft's Approach:
  Microsoft Edge’s Copilot Mode is a cautious, incremental step into browser-integrated AI, especially compared to more experimental AI browsers like Neo, Neon, Dia, or Comet from Perplexity.
  • "Because it's from Microsoft, it's a slightly more conservative approach to AI in the browser, but I guess that's to be expected." — Paul Thurrott (01:48)

2. Enabling Copilot Mode and Initial UI Changes

• How to Turn On:
  • Settings > AI Innovations > Toggle Copilot Mode on.
• Impact:
  • New tab page switches to a Copilot chat-centric interface with suggestions and quick links.
  • Existing third-party new tab page extensions are disabled.
  • "When you enable this mode, it actually overwrites that. So it disabled that extension in my case and it will for you, whatever one you happen to be using." — Paul Thurrott (02:44)
• Configurable Options:
  • Minimal—can only globally turn Copilot on or off; no ability to add/remove individual quick links or suggestions.

3. Copilot Button’s New Placement & Experience

• UI Adjustment:
  • Copilot button is moved; clicking it now opens a "quick action" or "quick link" view overlay by default (not movable/resizable).
  • Can be pinned for the traditional sidebar experience, which some users may prefer.
• Usability Feedback:
  • Paul prefers the side-pane, as it allows Copilot and a web page to be viewed simultaneously.
  • "I kind of prefer the old side pane approach frankly, because it sits side by side with the page you're viewing." — Paul Thurrott (04:20)

4. Keyboard Shortcut Improvement

• Simpler Access:
  • New shortcut for Copilot: Alt+C (previously Ctrl+Shift+Comma).
  • "Now there's a new, simpler keyboard shortcut that will be easy to remember, which is just alt C." — Paul Thurrott (05:30)

5. Default Typing Behavior in New Tab

• Address Bar vs Chat Box:
  • Opening a new tab now defaults typing focus to the Copilot chat box, not the address bar.
  • Usability tip: Use Ctrl+L or Alt+D to access address bar if needed.
  • "At first this was a little alarming to me, but actually you can just type Control L or probably Alt D to get back to it." — Paul Thurrott (06:25)
• Smart Recognition:
  • If you type a web address, it navigates; if you type a question, it starts a Copilot chat.

6. Emerging Functionalities: Voice Navigation & Actions

• Voice Controls:
  • You can instruct the browser with voice commands like "select the address bar" or "go to this link."
  • More useful for accessibility or hands-free usage (e.g., following a recipe).
  • "Obviously from an accessibility point of view that might be very useful. But to me this is more about kind of a hands free mode." — Paul Thurrott (09:19)
• Summarization:
  • Copilot can generate quick summaries for pages, PDFs, and even videos with voice or text request.
• Shopping Tools:
  • Compare products across tabs using queries referencing multiple pages; see side-by-side comparison charts.
  • Attempt to create price trackers for items, but feature is currently unreliable, especially when sites require CAPTCHAs.
  • "I'm probably not going to try to do this live because it's failed so badly on me before... it can tell it's really not a human. So there's no way through for this moment in time." — Paul Thurrott (11:35)

7. Behind the Scenes: App Actions

• Concept:
  • Copilot's future lies in “actions”—ending up as an intelligent front-end for browser and OS features, controlling both web services and apps natively as the web becomes more programmatic.
  • For now, most actions amount to automated navigation (screen scraping), but Microsoft aims to make them more integrated.
  • "Over time, as the web becomes more programmatic, that's going to become more powerful." — Paul Thurrott (13:08)

8. Current State, Limitations, and Outlook

• Early/Experimental Phase:
  • Feature is still experimental and togglable; not yet full-featured or disruptive.
  • Turning it off restores the old new tab and sidebar behavior instantly.
  • Competing AI browsers offer more advanced AI features now, but Microsoft is likely to catch up.
  • "I feel like this is something that will eventually just be the browser, but I also think that it's going to have to be a lot more powerful before it can really kind of go mainstream." — Paul Thurrott (13:57)
• Key Takeaway:
  • Copilot Mode is something tech enthusiasts should watch—its capabilities will likely expand rapidly.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Microsoft's Cautious AI Integration:
  "Because it's from Microsoft, it's a slightly more conservative approach to AI in the browser, but I guess that's to be expected."
  — Paul Thurrott (01:48)

• On UI Overriding Custom Tabs:
  "When you enable this mode, it actually overwrites that. So it disabled that extension in my case and it will for you, whatever one you happen to be using."
  — Paul Thurrott (02:44)

• Describing Copilot Button Changes:
  "In addition to not being over here in the corner when you click it by default, actually we'll get this thing which is a kind of a quick action view or a quick link view. And it's not movable, you know, you can't drag it around, you can't resize it, you really can't do anything with it."
  — Paul Thurrott (03:47)

• On the New Keyboard Shortcut:
  "Now there's a new, simpler keyboard shortcut that will be easy to remember, which is just alt C."
  — Paul Thurrott (05:30)

• On Initial Friction with New Tab Behavior:
  "At first this was a little alarming to me, but actually you can just type Control L or probably Alt D to get back to it."
  — Paul Thurrott (06:25)

• On Voice and Shopping Features Limitations:
  "I'm probably not going to try to do this live because it's failed so badly on me before... it can tell it's really not a human. So there's no way through for this moment in time. This is something I'm sure they'll fix. It is AI after all."
  — Paul Thurrott (11:35)

• Looking Ahead:
  "I feel like this is something that will eventually will just be the browser, but I also think that it's going to have to be a lot more powerful before it can really kind of go mainstream."
  — Paul Thurrott (13:57)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:40 — Introduction to Copilot Mode & Microsoft’s AI browser strategy
• 02:10 – 03:30 — How to enable Copilot Mode and changes to new tab experience
• 03:30 – 04:50 — Copilot button relocation, quick link UI, and restoring sidebar
• 05:20 – 05:50 — New Copilot keyboard shortcut (Alt+C)
• 06:05 – 07:10 — Typing focus change in new tabs; address bar vs. chat box
• 09:04 – 11:55 — Voice commands, summarization feature, and early shopping/comparison tools (limitations and CAPTCHAs)
• 12:50 – 13:30 — Discussion of Microsoft’s future “actions” infrastructure and future-proofing
• 13:57 – 14:40 — Final thoughts: experimental status, competitive landscape, and where Copilot Mode is heading

Conclusion

Paul Thurrott provides a detailed, practical review of Edge's Copilot Mode, highlighting that while the feature introduces some genuine improvements (cleaner new tab, integrated chat, product comparison), it remains in its infancy—sometimes clashing with user customization and suffering reliability issues, especially with live shopping tools. The real promise, he notes, is Microsoft's planned deep integration of AI-driven “actions” to bridge apps and web, but Copilot Mode will need to become more robust and flexible to compete with the next generation of AI browsers. Tech enthusiasts should enable it to experiment, but mainstream users may want to wait for more polish.

Summary Tone: Informative, slightly skeptical, focused on practical user experience—the same tone Paul brings to his reviews.

Recommendation:
Watch for updates and improvements in Copilot Mode, especially if you want to explore Microsoft’s vision for AI-powered browsing—but don’t expect a revolution just yet.