Microsoft has officially released its AI assistant app – ‘Copilot’ on the Mac App Store, making it available for Mac users for the first time in a formal, native macOS version. Previously, Mac users had to access it through a web browser, but now they can use it as a dedicated app. Just like other AI chatbots (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.), it can generate text, create images, help with organization, search for information, play music, and even write code.
Copilot is powered by multiple AI models, including GPT-4, DALL-E 3, Codex, and Prometheus (Microsoft’s own AI model). Interestingly, Microsoft already released Copilot for iPhone and iPad back in December 2023, so Apple users are gradually getting better access.
Speaking of significance, by making Copilot available across Windows, iOS, iPadOS, and now macOS, Microsoft is ensuring that its AI assistant remains relevant across multiple platforms. This helps them compete with Google’s Gemini and whatever Apple may be working on (reportedly Apple GPT).
However, there are some limitations in terms of availability. Microsoft’s Copilot for macOS requires macOS version 14.0 or later and only works on Macs with Apple’s M1 chip or newer. It does not support Intel-based Macs. This is similar to Apple’s AI system, Apple Intelligence, which also has hardware and software requirements, needing macOS 15.1 and an M1 chip or later.
Coming back to the Copilot, there was a version of this AI assistant that ran on Apple silicon Macs over a year ago. It was actually the iPad version running on macOS. Although, Microsoft later removed that version. Microsoft Copilot had an estimated 28 million active users across Windows, apps, and websites as of January 2025.
The wait is over – we can finally hang out on macOS! Download Copilot for Mac and try me out today.
— Microsoft Copilot (@MSFTCopilot) February 27, 2025
Microsoft recently announced that all users of Copilot can now use the ‘Voice’ and ‘Think Deeper’ features for free without any limits. The ‘Voice’ feature helps users practice speaking a new language. Meanwhile, the ‘Think Deeper’ feature, which is powered by OpenAI’s advanced o1 model, is designed to handle more complex tasks.
The development comes days after the Redmond-headquartered company added Copilot AI features to its Microsoft 365 suite for Personal and Family subscription plans. But to get all Copilot features in Microsoft 365 plans, users will have to pay an extra cost of $3 per month. Earlier, the company launched Copilot Chat, a pay-as-you-go service that is designed as an alternative to the full-featured Microsoft 365 Copilot.
All this comes at a time when Microsoft has already announced massive investment plans of around $80 billion in fiscal 2025 to construct data centers that are capable of supporting AI workloads.
