How to get started with Microsoft Copilot for personal use

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Microsoft Copilot can help you draft a message, untangle an unfamiliar subject or turn a rough idea into a useful list. You describe what you need, then work on the answer through a conversation.

This guide covers Copilot for personal use, starting in a web browser. It is not a guide to an employer’s Microsoft 365 Copilot account, and you do not need a business subscription to try the first exercise.

Microsoft updated the Copilot app for web, desktop and mobile in August 2026. Older guides may therefore show different menus or privacy settings. The instructions here use Microsoft’s current documentation for individual users. See Microsoft’s personal-account overview.

1. Open Copilot with the right account

1. Open your usual web browser.
2. Go to Microsoft Copilot, the address listed in Microsoft’s current free-Copilot guide.
3. Select Sign in and use your personal Microsoft account.
4. Read the introductory information and check which account is active before starting.

Microsoft uses Copilot branding across several services. If the page mentions work, do not assume you must buy business software. The account matters: choose your own personal account for this guide, rather than an employer’s or school’s account. Microsoft’s comparison of free and subscription versions explains the distinction.

You may already have a Microsoft account for Outlook.com or other Microsoft services. Use the official sign-in page, never the chat box, to enter a password. If the browser has signed in as someone else, stop and switch to your own account first.

Apps are also available, but the browser is a straightforward starting point. There is no need to install anything for this exercise. Microsoft’s getting-started page includes a section specifically for personal accounts.

2. Understand what is free

Basic Copilot is free. Microsoft says you can chat, create images and upload files without paying, subject to capacity and usage limits. Paid Microsoft 365 subscriptions provide higher allowances and additional capabilities. If you reach a limit, you can wait instead of upgrading. Check the current Copilot app update information.

You do not need a paid plan for the short writing task below. Nor do you need to decide which advanced AI model to use. Begin with the normal chat experience available in your account.

If you later consider a subscription, check the actual features, price and renewal terms displayed for your country. Look at what you already pay for before buying another plan. Ignore old articles that present a previous plan name or price as the only route into Copilot.

3. Review privacy and memory

For the updated Copilot app used with a personal Microsoft account, Microsoft says your prompts, replies and file contents are not used to train its foundation models. That describes model training, not an absence of stored data: chat history and personalisation still need attention. See Microsoft’s activity-history explanation.

To check the current controls:

1. Open Settings, then Personalization.
2. Review Saved memories. Switch it off if you do not want Copilot saving details for later conversations.
3. To remove existing memories, choose Manage beside that control and delete the entries you no longer want.
4. Review the separate controls for shared experiences and personalised advertising, if shown.

Switching memory off does not erase memories already saved. To remove a conversation, find it in the chat list, open its three-dot menu and select Delete. These are separate choices, described in Microsoft’s privacy-controls guide.

For a first attempt, do not connect your email, calendar or cloud files. Leave passwords, payment details and confidential documents out of the conversation. A useful draft rarely needs your full address or somebody else’s private information.

4. Try one ordinary task

A prompt is simply the request you type. Use an uncomplicated example where you can easily judge the result:

Write a friendly message thanking a neighbour for watering my plants. Use British English and keep it under 50 words. Use [name] instead of a real name. Do not add promises, dates or other details I have not given you.

Enter it in the Message Copilot box and select the Send arrow. Microsoft’s instructions for asking a question identify these controls and apply to personal accounts as well as other Copilot experiences.

Read the whole reply before copying anything. Has it added a gift, an invitation or a promise you did not intend? Remove that wording, or ask for a revision:

Make it sound more natural and less formal. Keep the thanks, but do not add any new facts.

Check the new version, add the neighbour’s name yourself and use only wording you are comfortable sending. Keep the exercise to preparing text; you do not need to give Copilot access to send messages.

5. Ask follow-up questions without starting over

If an explanation is too technical, ask for one everyday example. If it is too long, request three short bullet points. If it has misunderstood, say exactly what needs changing.

For a completely different topic, select New chat. Keep related questions together, but avoid a long conversation that jumps between unrelated tasks. Microsoft’s chat guide explains how follow-up requests refine the answer.

6. Check web answers before acting

Copilot can search the web and include links with its answers. Open those links: the original page lets you check who published the information, when it was updated and whether it supports the claim. Microsoft describes both citations and the possibility of mistakes in its transparency note for individuals.

For example, a suggested museum visit is only a starting point. Confirm opening hours and ticket conditions on the museum’s own website. A neat-looking table or confident tone is not proof that the details are current.

Use particular care with health, money and legal questions. Copilot can help you prepare questions to ask a professional, but should not make important decisions for you.

Your first-session goal: sign in with the right account, review privacy controls, create one harmless draft and improve it once. You can explore the other features later.

Fact-checked against official Microsoft documentation on 29 October 2026. This guide covers the updated personal-account app, not legacy app settings or workplace policies. It is documentation-based, not a hands-on product test.

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