Bing Chat became Microsoft Copilot in 2024. The Bing Chat brand no longer exists as a separate product. Same AI underneath (GPT-4 and GPT-4o variants), completely different name and expanded scope. If you remember Bing Chat from launch, here is what changed.
The Bing Chat era
Microsoft launched Bing Chat in February 2023 as their response to ChatGPT. Built into the Bing search engine, it offered AI conversation backed by GPT-4. Users could chat with Bing through the search page.
The product had some controversial moments early on. Users discovered they could push Bing Chat to weird emotional responses. Microsoft tightened the model and added conversation limits.
Despite the rough start, Bing Chat brought millions of users to Bing search for the first time in years.
The Copilot rebrand
Microsoft announced in late 2023 that all their AI products were being unified under the Copilot name. Bing Chat became Microsoft Copilot. The Microsoft 365 AI assistant became Microsoft 365 Copilot. GitHub had GitHub Copilot already.
The rebrand made strategic sense. One name covered every Microsoft AI product. Customers no longer needed to remember different brands for different services.
Where Copilot lives now
You can access Copilot in many places in 2026:
- copilot.microsoft.com (dedicated website)
- Copilot mobile app (iOS and Android)
- Copilot key on newer Windows 11 PCs
- Windows 11 sidebar via Win + C
- Microsoft Edge browser built in
- Bing search results page
- Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) with paid subscription
Same underlying AI across all of these. Different interfaces tailored to where you encounter it.
Copilot Free vs Pro
| Feature | Free | Pro ($20/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-4 access | Limited during peak | Priority access |
| Image generation | Daily limits | Higher quota |
| Microsoft 365 integration | No | Yes (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) |
| GPT Builder | No | Yes |
| Response speed | Sometimes slow | Always priority |
What changed from Bing Chat
The most significant changes from Bing Chat to current Copilot:
- More conversational, less search engine like in the responses
- Image generation moved from experimental to mainstream feature
- Voice mode added in 2024
- Deep integration with Microsoft 365 apps
- Copilot Studio for building custom AI agents
- Better at handling long conversations without losing context
The product genuinely improved. Bing Chat felt clunky at times. Copilot feels more polished.
Should you use Copilot in 2026
If you live in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook), Copilot Pro is genuinely useful. The integration into those apps saves real time on documents, emails, presentations.
If you mostly use Google services, Copilot is less essential. Gemini integrates better with Google ecosystem.
For free users, Copilot is one of the best free AI options because you get GPT-4 access at no cost (with some peak time limitations).
Bing Chat memories
Did you use Bing Chat during its early days? The product matured a lot. If you wrote it off after the weird early responses, give Copilot another try. It is fundamentally different now.
Anyone still calling it Bing Chat by habit? Drop your funniest early Bing Chat moment in comments.