Microsoft is discontinuing several underused AI features, such as Mico and Deep Research, while merging its consumer and enterprise Copilot apps into a single interface. The transition begins on August 18, 2026.
Mico, the animated blob, consigned to the past
Launched in October 2025 to give a visual identity to Copilot’s voice assistant, Mico is being removed from voice interactions. Microsoft justifies this decision with insights gained on the "warmth and expressiveness" users want, but the character will now be confined to the Learn Live platform, where it will serve as a "tutor" for educational sessions. Mico-specific settings in the voice interface will not be retained.
"Mico helped us understand warmth, expressiveness, and how people want to interact with AI. These insights are shaping the future of Copilot."Translated from French
A single Copilot super-app to replace the existing clutter
Microsoft is merging its consumer Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot apps into a single interface to simplify an offering deemed too complex. This "super-app" will centralize scattered features (direct access to Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) and introduce a visual overhaul, including a redesigned icon. Deployment is gradual: mobile and web users will be the first affected, followed by Windows and macOS starting in mid-September as an opt-in feature.
The separation between personal and professional accounts will be maintained, with visual indicators (distinct background colors) to prevent confusion. Microsoft states that security, privacy, and compliance controls for organizations will remain in place for professional accounts.
Features removed starting August 18
Several services will be permanently discontinued starting August 18, 2026:
- Group Chats: messages and discussion threads will not be migrated.
- AI-generated podcasts.
- Deep Research for consumer users (replaced by Researcher for professionals).
- Copilot Labs experimental features.
Other services, such as Shopping or Copilot Health, may be temporarily unavailable during the transition. Files created with the old Copilot app will be migrated to OneDrive.
A partial admission of failure
This restructuring follows internal criticism. In July 2026, Jacob Andreou, head of Copilot, stated in a memo that the app needed to "earn the right to exist" in users' lives, which required dropping ineffective features. Microsoft thus acknowledges that its initial, overly fragmented strategy prevented Copilot from competing with rivals like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.
Merging the apps and removing underused features marks a turning point for Microsoft. The goal is clear: streamline the offering and refocus Copilot on practical use cases while avoiding past mistakes like Clippy or Cortana. Whether this simplification will be enough to win over users remains to be seen.
Comments 0
Sign in to join the discussion.
Be the first to comment.