If you’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about Microsoft Copilot but aren’t sure whether it’s worth the investment, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re diving into the exciting features of the free version of Microsoft 365 Copilot—Copilot Chat. Whether you're hesitant to pay for the full licensed version or just curious about what Copilot can do, this guide is for you.
In this post, we’ll explore how you can start using Microsoft Copilot Chat, embedded in your Microsoft Edge browser, to boost productivity and streamline your work—at no cost. From generating creative images to drafting emails, reports, and analyzing data, you’ll see how this powerful tool can enhance your daily tasks without requiring a paid subscription. Let's get started!
Microsoft 365 Copilot is a powerful tool designed to enhance productivity and streamline tasks. While the paid version, known as Copilot for Microsoft 365, offers extensive features at $30 per user per month, the free version, Copilot Chat, embedded in your Microsoft Edge browser provides a fantastic starting point. Let's explore what the free version has to offer and how it can benefit you.
Before we dig in, we should discuss one of the most significant advantages of Microsoft Copilot over open-source AI tools like ChatGPT is its Enterprise Data Protection feature. When using Copilot within Microsoft 365, all data, prompts, and referenced datasets remain secured within your organization's tenant, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with enterprise security standards.
Unlike open AI platforms, which may use input data for model training or lack safeguards against data exposure, Copilot does not learn from or share organizational data externally. This makes it a far safer option for handling sensitive business information.
You can easily verify that your data is protected in Copilot by looking for the green badge with a checkmark labeled "Enterprise Data Protection." This indicator confirms that any data processed through Copilot remains within Microsoft 365's secure environment, giving users peace of mind when working with confidential or sensitive information.
This data protection applies not only to the paid versions of Microsoft Copilot but also to the free Copilot Chat. Whether you're using the fully licensed Microsoft Copilot or the version, Copilot Chat, embedded in your Microsoft Edge browser, your data remains protected within Microsoft's secure ecosystem—something that sets it apart from many open AI tools.
To see a demo of all of this in action, check out one of our previous M365 User Groups on YouTube. And be sure to join our LinkedIn Group: M365 Champions Community for more content like this and updates for future trainings and educational sessions!
One of the fun things you can do with Copilot Chat is generate AI-powered images based on your descriptions. Want a steampunk koala flying a zeppelin? No problem! Just type in your request with as much detail as possible. The more specific you are—like specifying the art style, color scheme, or level of realism—the better the results.
💡 Pro Tip: If you want text in your image, try using all caps or putting it in brackets (e.g., [WELCOME HOME]). AI-generated text can be a little tricky, but this helps it understand what you want.
Just keep in mind, AI-generated images still struggle with some details like hands and facial expressions—but it’s improving all the time!
Ever stare at a blank screen, wondering how to start an email or a report? Microsoft Copilot Chat can get you 40-60% of the way there, acting like an AI-powered assistant that drafts content for you.
For example, if you need to write an enthusiastic invitation email for a training session, you can tell Copilot: "Write a casual email inviting our 365 Champions to a Train-the-Trainer session. Make it enthusiastic and include key details."
Copilot will generate a first draft that you can tweak or refine. If it's not quite right, you can ask it to:
💡 Pro Tip: If you're unsure what to include in a document, Microsoft Copilot can help structure it. For example, if you ask for a marketing plan, it will automatically generate sections like market analysis, objectives, and strategies—even if you didn’t specify those details!
Got a long report you don’t have time to read? Copilot can summarize it in bullet points so you get the key insights instantly. Simply upload a document (Word, PDF, or Excel) and ask: "Please create a bulleted summary of this report." In seconds, you'll get a clear breakdown of the most important points.
💡 Pro Tip: If you work with technical documents, you can ask Copilot to explain it like you're a 10-year-old—a great way to break down complex information!
This is a hidden gem of the free version! You can upload an Excel spreadsheet and ask Copilot to analyze the data, providing trends and insights. For example, if you have a sales or social media report, you can ask: "Summarize the trends in this data." Copilot will quickly highlight key insights—like which products are selling best or how engagement on different social media platforms has changed.
While the paid version of Microsoft Copilot can actually build PowerPoint slides for you, the free version (Copilot Chat) can still be super helpful. You can ask Copilot Chat to create an outline for your presentation, including suggested slide titles and key points.
Try asking: "Create a PowerPoint outline for a pitch deck to potential investors."
Copilot will generate:
Instead of starting from scratch, you get a structured guide that you can copy into PowerPoint and customize with images and branding.
If you're reading a long or technical article online, you can use Copilot Chat’s sidebar feature (available in Edge) to get a quick summary.
Simply click the Copilot button in the browser and choose "Summarize this page."
💡 Fun Trick: Once you have a summary, ask "Explain this like I’m a beginner" or "Give me three key takeaways."
While the free version of Microsoft Copilot Chat doesn’t have all the advanced features of the paid version (like generating PowerPoint slides automatically or integrating deeply into Office apps), it still packs a punch!
Check out more use cases here!
The paid version has it all—unlimited image generation, seamless integration with Teams, Excel, and PowerPoint, plus the ability to reference multiple documents at once. And with Copilot Studio, you can even create custom agents for specific tasks! Want to experience it firsthand? Check out one of our Virtual Immersion Experiences, where we invite you into a fully licensed Copilot environment and let you try it for yourself. See upcoming sessions at www.mytech.com/events!