Microsoft's Copilot Vision is now free for all Edge users – here's how it works

Looking for an AI that can analyze, summarize, and answer questions about your current web page? You may want to try Microsoft’s Copilot Vision feature.

In a Bluesky post from Wednesday, Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, announced the official debut of Copilot Vision for all Edge users. Initially rolled out last October as an experimental feature, Copilot Vision expanded its reach in December as a preview, but only for Copilot Pro subscribers. Now, the feature is free for any Edge user with a Microsoft account.

Also: With Copilot Studio’s new skill, your AI agent can use websites and apps just like you do

“Copilot Vision is out now, free in Edge,” Suleyman said in his post. “It can literally see what you see on screen (if you opt in). Pretty amazing! It’ll think out loud with you when you’re browsing online. No more over-explaining, copy-pasting, or struggling to put something into words.”

What’s so special about Copilot Vision? 

Using AI, the tool scans and analyzes the current web page in Edge. It can then tell you what it sees or summarize the information. You’re also able to ask questions and submit requests about the page’s content.

Also: Microsoft previews Spanish voice features for its Copilot Voice AI assistant

For example, you could open a page on Amazon that lists different products and ask Copilot to recommend the best item based on your specific needs and preferences. You can browse a cooking page with a tempting recipe and ask Copilot to talk you through the steps. You might visit a page with job listings and ask Copilot for advice on how to craft the right cover letter in response to a specific position.

Copilot Vision works with most sites, except those with harmful or adult content, according to Microsoft. If you visit an unsupported site, Copilot will display a grayed-out icon and crossed eyeglasses and will refuse to discuss the content on the page.

Also: Microsoft 365 Copilot’s two new AI agents can speed up your workflow

To address privacy concerns, your requests, as well as any images or page content, aren’t logged or stored. Only Copilot’s responses are logged so that Microsoft can monitor for unsafe conversations. After the session ends, all data is deleted.

How to try Copilot Vision

To try Copilot Vision, make sure you’re signed in to Edge with a Microsoft account. To activate the feature, click this link for Copilot Vision in Edge and follow the prompts. In the Copilot sidebar, click the microphone icon. The first time you do this, you’ll be prompted to accept the option to browse with Copilot Vision. Click Accept, and you’re good to go.

Also: Microsoft unveils 9 new Copilot features – you can try some now

Now open a web page that you want described. In the Copilot sidebar, click the microphone icon and then select the glasses icon. You can then ask Copilot to analyze or summarize what it sees on the screen. You can also ask questions, seek advice, and request generated content related to the information on the page.

Sounds like a cool feature, right? 

Well, it would be if it worked consistently. I tried using Copilot Vision in Edge with my personal Microsoft account and kept bumping into a roadblock. Each time I attempted to activate the feature, Edge displayed a “One moment…” message at the bottom of the screen. Well, that one moment never seems to end because Edge never gets past that point to allow me to use the feature.

Also: Don’t bother with Copilot on your Mac unless you say yes to both of these questions

I’ve tried it on multiple computers with different Microsoft accounts, but the glitch remains. A writer at The Verge who wrote about Copilot Vision also ran into the same issue. Hopefully, this is just growing pains as the tool becomes accessible to a larger audience. Copilot Vision is certainly worth trying. But if you hit the same problem I did, you may need to wait a few days to see if Microsoft can fix it.

Get the morning’s top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter.