A new experimental switch in Microsoft Edge hands the steering wheel in a co -pilot, promising faster research, less clicks and – if you leave it – access to each tab and even your navigation history.
Key points
- Copilot mode can read each open tab and soon your history to complete the tasks for you.
- It is free (for now), fully opt and easy to deactivate in the settings.
- Vocal controls, tab comparisons and automated reservations exceed the edge beyond “just a browser”.
When you return to Copilot mode in Edge, the new familiar tab page is replaced. Instead, you get a clean interface with a single input box that manages the cat, search and web browsing at a time. This is the last change in Microsoft to reinvent navigation for the AI era.
The out -of -competition function is the capacity of Copilot to see all your tabs open with authorization. Are you looking for vacation rentals on several sites? Simply ask Copilot to identify which option is closest to the beach with full kitchen. No more tab switching.
Voice navigation works today – you can talk directly to Copilot to locate information or compare products. But Microsoft’s true ambition awaits us. Copilot will soon have access to your browsing history and your identification information to take “advanced actions” such as reserving this paddleboard rental, check the weather and suggest tutorial videos.
This is what industry calls “agentic” AI – assistants who do not only answer questions but do things for you.
The taking
Copilot mode is free “for a limited time”, although Microsoft does not say what prices look like. Given the price of $ 200 / month of perplexity, navigation on AI could cost dearly.
There is also the question of data. Giving AI access to the history of your navigation and your identification information is a great confidentiality jump, even with Microsoft insurance on user control and clear visual indices when Copilot is active.
Security researchers already report the compromises cooked in so -called agent browsers. Leaving an autonomous agent travels the tabs and identification information increases the risk of data leaks, over-collection and rowdy actions if the refined model or is diverted.
Navigator wars are back
However, the attraction of a browser that really does things – rather than simply shows things – is strong and the rivals sprint in the same direction. Google began to deploy Gemini inside Chrome earlier this month, adding its own cat and vocal commands. Perplexity launched Comet and Openai would be the next one. Even Microsoft suggests that Copilot mode can become a paid level once the label “free for the moment” evaporates.
Microsoft’s height, however, is based on control: Copilot only sees what you authorize explicitly, and brilliant visual signals point out when he looks. The company says that all data is covered by its standard privacy policy and that you can revoke access at any time. The skeptics will want to test this promise and monitor the dark boost to keep the mode activated.
Edge discreetly appreciated a Renaissance since the launch of Bing Chat two years ago. The Copilot Lance mode which consists of 11, going from a useful sidebar to a complete pilot seat. If Microsoft nails the balance between autonomy and user confidence, the Humble Browser tab can start to feel as dusty as Dial-up.
Anyway, the next time your screen fills with a sea of tabs, you could ask Edge to clean it for you – and maybe reserve the reservation of the dinner you forgot along the way.
