Microsoft Edge updates Copilot to answer questions across open tabs

In short: Microsoft is updating the Edge browser so its Copilot chatbot can pull information from all the tabs you have open, if you allow it.

What happened

Microsoft announced new Copilot features for Edge on desktop and mobile. The biggest change is that Copilot can look across your open tabs and respond to questions based on what you are currently browsing. For example, you can ask it to compare products you have open, or to summarize several articles at once.

Microsoft says you can choose which of these experiences to turn on or leave off. The company is also retiring “Copilot Mode,” an older setup that could pull from tabs and, in some cases, take actions for you, like booking a reservation. Microsoft says those action features have been moved into a tool it calls “Browse with Copilot.”

Edge is also getting other AI features. One is a “Study and Learn” mode that can turn a page into a study session or an interactive quiz. Another can turn your open tabs into AI-made podcasts (like having a narrator read and explain what you opened). Microsoft is also adding an AI writing helper that appears when you start typing in a text box on a webpage.

Microsoft says users can optionally give Copilot access to their browsing history to get more relevant answers. Copilot will also get “long-term memory,” meaning it can remember past chats to tailor future responses (like a notebook that keeps your preferences).

Why it matters

For regular people, this could save time when you have lots of tabs open and you are trying to make a decision or learn something. At the same time, the update puts more attention on privacy choices, since features like tab access and browsing history depend on what permissions you give the browser.

Source: The Verge AI