MC1474455 - In-app browsing in Copilot app
Microsoft 365 Message Center announcement MC1474455.
MS Message Center's Summary
Microsoft is introducing in app browsing for the Copilot desktop application on Windows and Mac operating systems, allowing users to view web pages side by side with their chat interface. The feature is currently available through an administrator opt in using device management policies, with a broader rollout scheduled for late November 2026. Administrators should review the policy settings and prepare internal support teams for the upcoming interface changes.
- Administrator impact
- Administrators can opt in early by deploying the browsing enabled policy to selected Windows and Mac devices.
- End user impact
- Users will be able to open links inside the Copilot desktop app as a side pane with tab support.
- Importance
- 4/10: This is a feature addition requiring manual policy configuration for early access and affecting user workflows.
Microsoft Summary
Microsoft Copilot app now supports in-app browsing on Windows and Mac, allowing users to open websites side-by-side with chat. Available via admin opt-in now, with broader rollout in late November 2026. Users can manage tabs, toggle full-screen, or open links externally. Data is stored locally, similar to Edge.
- Message Center ID
- MC1474455
- Category
- plan For Change
- Severity
- normal
- Services
- Microsoft 365 suite, Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365)
- Tags
- New feature, User impact, Admin impact
- Published
- 2026-09-19
- Last updated
- 2026-09-19
- Expires
- 2027-02-01
[What and why:] We are adding support to the Microsoft Copilot app, in Windows and Mac, to allow websites that Copilot shares in chat to open inside of the desktop app side by side with the Copilot chat conversation. This is available now but not available by default; administrators can opt-in selected Windows and Mac devices to test this. [Rollout schedule:] Opt-in availability: Available now. Broader rollout: Begins late November 2026. [Impact on your organization:] Administrators can manage early access by opting-in selected devices and deploying the updates via instructions linked below. This early access allows you to: Test in-app browsing at your organization before the broader rollout. This allows users to open links within the Copilot desktop app. Validate deployed and in-app browsing behavior in your organization's managed environment. Prepare support teams and users for the updated experience that applies to Copilot Windows and Mac endpoints. What users will see When a user clicks a link within the Copilot desktop app, the website opens in a side pane to the right of the Copilot chat. Users can open multiple links, each appearing as a separate tab within the side pane and can switch between tabs as needed. Once the websites are no longer needed, users can close the side pane. Users can adjust the in-app browser side pane to be smaller or larger. They can also enter full-screen mode to view the website in a full-screen experience and can toggle in and out of this mode using the button in the side pane header. Users can still open a link in an external browser, by: Selecting the "External browser" option from the three-dot menu on the link within Copilot Chat OR Selecting “Copy the URL” and pasting it into an external browser OR Right clicking a tab in the side pane within the Copilot app and selecting "External browser" (coming 9/21) [Action required / Recommendations:] To enable in-app browsing, you can turn on the 'BrowsingEnabled' policy through your device management system. Microsoft Edge Browser Policy Documentation | Microsoft Learn Configure Microsoft Edge for Windows with policy settings | Microsoft Learn Review the in-app browsing associated policies that can be adjusted and changed. [Compliance Considerations:] Does the change store new customer data? Yes. Browsing history, cookies, autofill information are stored on the local device. This follows the same storage mechanisms as Microsoft Edge storing data in the user Data profile directory at “%localappdata%\Microsoft\Copilot\User Data”. Does the change provide end users with a new way of interacting with generative AI? This feature does not add any new way to create or steer generative AI, it only lets you view websites, whether those are website on the internet or html files created generatively with copilot via other features.