Microsoft's Copilot revamp is "awful," say users

Microsoft’s recent update to its Copilot AI assistant has caused an uproar among users. Many people are unhappy with the changes, which they see as a major step back. While some users like the new look of the interface, others have flooded social media and forums with complaints about removed features, reduced functionality, and jarring voice outputs.

The update, which affects both the mobile and desktop versions of Copilot, has left users bewildered. A once-beloved tool for quick research, conversational AI, and daily productivity now feels “unusable,” according to many. Here’s a quick look at the new Copilot UI:

To refresh your memory, you can check out this video on how Copilot used to look and function in the video below:

One user shared their disappointment, saying, “I’ve been using Copilot for months, and it was a lifesaver. But now the voices sound like Microsoft Sam—robotic and slurred. It feels like the AI is drunk.” This complaint has been echoed by others, many of whom found the previous expressive voice essential to their experience.

Users have also criticized Microsoft for removing key features that were previously part of CoPilot’s charm. A significant portion of the backlash centers around the following:

• Botched chat history: This is one of the biggest issues with the new update. Microsoft seems to have deleted older chat history entirely, so you can’t revisit those conversations.
• Limited chat control: Users can no longer rename, delete, or export conversations to files like PDFs or text documents.
• No choice in conversation style: Options to select between “Creative,” “Balanced,” or “Precise” responses are gone, frustrating those who relied on them for specific types of research.
• Loss of search integration: The updated version disables the advanced voice mode’s ability to conduct web searches, undermining what many saw as Copilot’s main advantage.

A user lamented the loss of functionality, saying, “I was doing a lot of professional research and communication with Copilot on some very important topics, and the old interface felt at least somewhat professional. Now it’s like I’m a Middle-schooler chatting with another Middle-schooler. I get no impression that I’m having a serious conversation with something intelligent. And a lot of the easy access to different options is gone.”

The update has also impacted creative users who relied on Copilot for generating images. Complaints highlight that users can no longer adjust image dimensions, such as switching from square to landscape or generating multiple images at once. The new version also lacks prompt editing options and only saves conversation histories for a few days on the same chat page, with some users reporting months of saved work lost.

One frustrated user commented, “This new update has literally taken all of the FUN out of this app and I dislike all the other apps out there.. Copilot was my go to app and now it’s unusable!”

In the absence of an option to revert to the old interface, users are scrambling to find alternatives. Some have suggested using the Bing app on mobile to access a version of Copilot with the previous functionality intact, but this workaround has its own limitations. Others attempted to switch browsers or accounts, only to discover that Microsoft has forced the new update across all platforms.

A user shared, “They just removed it 🙁 Now more old interface. The only way is to open it in other browser and when you sign in it goes to new one again.”

That said, you might be able to get back the familiar UI if you use the Copilot widget baked into Microsoft Edge. Multiple users have confirmed that it offers at least some familiarity with how Copilot used to look and function before Microsoft’s unwanted update.

Of course, there are chances that Microsoft will soon bring the revamped Copilot experience to Edge as well. Therefore, while it might be a decent temporary solution, it’s certainly not guaranteed to work the same indefinitely.

With Microsoft’s Copilot now falling short of expectations, some users are migrating to alternatives like ChatGPT, which has seen recent improvements. “ChatGPT now offers real-time search, better voice interaction, and more control over chats,” one user noted. Others agree that ChatGPT’s functionality now surpasses Copilot’s in nearly every way.

Microsoft has yet to issue an official response to the growing backlash, leaving users uncertain if the company will roll back some of these changes. Without a clear option to revert to the previous version, many long-time users feel forced to abandon the platform.

For now, it seems Microsoft faces an uphill battle to regain user trust after what many are calling an “awful” update. Whether the tech giant will listen to feedback and course-correct remains to be seen. It’s high time tech companies stop trying to chase minimalism by sacrificing functionality. I’m not an avid Copilot user, but having used the revamped version, I honestly don’t see how Microsoft thought this was a good idea…