> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Copilot Mode in Edge Review (2026): Microsoft's AI Browser, Tested for Australia - URL: https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-edge-copilot-mode-australia-2026/ - Published: 2026-08-31T23:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T06:29:40.000Z - Description: Copilot Mode was Microsoft's opt-in AI browsing experiment. As of May 2026 the name is gone and the features are baked into Edge itself, free, on desktop and mobile — and most of them work in Australia today. The agentic piece that would make it a Comet rival is the one thing Australians cannot get - Author: Adam - Tags: AI Assistants & Chatbots, Microsoft Edge, Copilot, #review **19**/25 ★★★★☆ Very Good Copilot Mode in Edge · Microsoft Verified 20 Sep 2026 Reviewed 1 Sep 2026 Value for Money**4**/5 Ease of Use**4**/5 Feature Depth**3**/5 Australian Fit**4**/5 Reliability & Support**4**/5 From **A$16**/mo · +GST · billed in AUD **The gate:** Five stars need 21+ and Australian Fit of at least 4/5. [Skip to the verdict ](#verdict) > **The verdict:** Copilot Mode is the lowest-risk way for an Australian business to try AI browsing, because it is not a new browser at all. It started in July 2025 as a free, opt-in experiment inside Microsoft Edge. In May 2026 Microsoft retired the separate mode and built the features straight into Edge on desktop and mobile — still free. You get an assistant that reads across your open tabs, answers by voice, remembers past chats, and organises research into resumable "Journeys," inside a browser you probably already have on a Windows machine. Unlike Perplexity's Comet — or OpenAI's Atlas, which was discontinued on 9 August 2026 — there is no new app to adopt, and when you do pay for higher limits, Microsoft charges in Australian dollars. The catch is the headline act. Browse with Copilot — the agent that clicks, types and completes tasks for you — is available only in the US, and only to Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers. The writing assistant is US-only too. So Australians get the safe, useful 80 per cent of the product and none of the agentic 20 per cent that makes the category exciting. Score: 19/25 — Very Good. ## What it is Copilot Mode is **Microsoft's AI browsing layer inside Edge** — and the first thing to understand in September 2026 is that the name is on its way out. It launched on **28 July 2025** as a "fully opt-in," "experimental mode" for Edge on Windows and Mac, "available for free, for a limited time," in all markets where Copilot operates ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2025/07/28/introducing-copilot-mode-in-edge-a-new-way-to-browse/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). Then on **13 May 2026** Microsoft announced it was "retiring Copilot Mode" — not killing the features, but building them "directly into Edge" as standard capabilities on desktop and mobile ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au); [Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2172610/microsoft-copilot-edge-desktop-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). So when you search "Copilot Mode" today, what you actually get is **Copilot in Edge**: an assistant that lives in the browser, sees the page you are on, reasons across your open tabs, and — in the US, for paying subscribers — acts on the web for you. Three things separate it from a chatbot in a side window. First, **multi-tab reasoning.** Ask "compare the accounting tools across all my open tabs" and Copilot reads every open page and returns one structured comparison, instead of you flicking between them. Second, **continuity.** Copilot draws on your browsing history and past chats (with your permission), and the Journeys feature groups past browsing into resumable projects you can pick up days later ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). Third, **agency — but not here.** Copilot Actions, the piece that books, fills and clicks for you, graduated from limited preview in May 2026 as **Browse with Copilot**, "on Edge desktop for Microsoft 365 Premium Subscribers in the U.S. only" ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). Australians cannot use it yet, at any price. ## What it costs in Australia The short answer: **almost everything Australians can actually use is free.** Microsoft's May 2026 update made multi-tab reasoning, voice, Vision, long-term memory, quizzes, Journeys and the redesigned new tab page "available to everyone on desktop and mobile" at no charge ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). Free use is "subject to available capacity and limits" — hit the ceiling and you wait, or upgrade ([Microsoft support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/learning/changes-microsoft-copilot-app?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). Paying lifts those limits, and this is where Microsoft does something its rivals do not: it prices in Australian dollars, on an Australian page. | Plan | AUD price | What it adds in Edge | | ---------------------- | ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Free (Copilot in Edge) | $0 | All core features available in AU, with usage caps | | Microsoft 365 Personal | A$16/mo or A$159/yr | "Higher usage than free for select Copilot features," higher image-creation limits | | Microsoft 365 Family | A$18/mo or A$179/yr | Same higher usage — AI benefits apply to the subscription owner only | | Microsoft 365 Premium | A$33/mo or A$329/yr | "Extensive usage," advanced Copilot features, "AI agents to perform complex tasks" | Prices as listed on [Microsoft's Australian comparison page](https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) on 1 September 2026\. The page does not state a GST line; confirm the tax treatment at checkout. For businesses, the work-grade product is the **Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on**, and as of today Microsoft's Australian pricing page shows it "Originally starting from AU$31.40 now starting from AU$26.91 user/month" on an annual commitment, excluding GST, with the discount "available between July 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026" — first year only, on top of an eligible Microsoft 365 base plan ([Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing, en-AU](https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). Note the promo that was due to lapse mid-year has been extended to 31 December 2026\. Monthly billing runs AU$37.68 ex GST. Some work features in Edge note that a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence "may be required" ([Microsoft Edge product page](https://explore.microsoft.com/en-gb/edge/copilot-mode?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). One caution before you budget for the top tier: Microsoft 365 Premium's agent features are exactly the part gated to the US in Edge. Do not pay A$33 a month expecting Browse with Copilot in Melbourne. It is not here. ## How it works / features You open Edge, and Copilot is one click away on every page. The pieces Australians get today: - **Ask about the page, or all your pages.** Summarise, compare, extract — without leaving the tab. Multi-tab context is available "in all Copilot markets" on desktop and mobile ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). - **Journeys.** Edge groups related past browsing into projects you can resume. On desktop it is live in English markets including Australia ("en-US, en-GB, en-CA, en-AU, en-NZ, en-IN, en-SG"); on mobile it is US-only for now ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). - **Voice and Vision.** Talk to the browser hands-free, share your screen or point the camera and ask questions. Available in all Copilot markets. - **Long-term memory.** Copilot can reference your previous conversations, so recurring research does not start from zero. - **Quizzes and podcasts.** It can turn reference pages into a study quiz, or convert open tabs into a listenable podcast (English only; extended podcast use requires a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium subscription). - **Browse with Copilot (not in AU).** The full agent — clicking, typing, navigating, completing tasks — for Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers on desktop, US-only ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). - **Writing assistant (not in AU).** Drafting and tone help in text fields is also US-only at the time of review. Everything is toggleable. Microsoft's stated design is opt-in access — Copilot reads your browsing content, history or credentials only "when you choose to enable it," with "clear, visual cues" when it is active, and you can switch features off in Edge settings ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2025/07/28/introducing-copilot-mode-in-edge-a-new-way-to-browse/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). ## What it does well **Zero switching cost.** This is the practical advantage over every rival in the category. Comet asks you to move your browsing life — logins, extensions, habits — into a startup's browser, and Atlas asked the same until OpenAI switched it off on 9 August 2026\. Copilot in Edge asks you to click a toggle in software already installed on every Windows machine in your office. For a busy Australian business, "try it in five minutes without migrating anything" is a genuinely different proposition. **The free tier is the product, not a teaser.** Multi-tab comparison, voice, screen-aware Vision, memory, Journeys on desktop — the features Australians can access are free, not trial-limited to a week. Perplexity gates its full agent at US$20 a month; Microsoft's equivalent everyday features cost nothing ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). **Native AUD pricing when you do pay.** A$16, A$33, AU$26.91 per user — real Australian prices on Microsoft's Australian pages, with local billing and a local corporate presence behind support. In this category that is rare; Comet and most rivals bill in US dollars and let you do the currency maths, and Atlas did too before it was discontinued ([Microsoft 365 comparison, en-AU](https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). **Multi-tab reasoning is the everyday winner.** Comparing suppliers, quotes, flights or software across six open tabs is exactly the kind of task a small-business owner does weekly, and having the browser do the collation is a real time saving — no agent required. ## Where it falls short **The exciting part is not available in Australia.** Browse with Copilot — the agent that acts on the web for you — is US-only and needs Microsoft 365 Premium. The writing assistant is US-only. Journeys on mobile is US-only. Microsoft's own Australian product page for Copilot in Edge even carries a "Currently available in the US" banner, while its engineering blog lists Australia in most feature markets — the availability story is genuinely messy, and the safest reading is that Australia gets each new feature later ([Microsoft Edge product page, en-AU](https://explore.microsoft.com/en-gb/edge/copilot-mode?ref=theaidirectory.com.au); [Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). **The branding churn is a warning sign.** "Copilot Mode" lasted less than ten months as a name. Microsoft has renamed or reshuffled its Copilot consumer offerings repeatedly, and buttons and settings can move between Edge updates. If you write internal how-to guides for staff, expect to revise them. **Free means capped, and the caps are vague.** Microsoft says free use is "subject to available capacity and limits" but does not publish the numbers, so you cannot know in advance when a busy day of AI browsing will hit the wall ([Microsoft support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/learning/changes-microsoft-copilot-app?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). **No Australian data-residency commitment for consumer Copilot.** Microsoft publishes no statement that consumer Copilot-in-Edge conversations or browsing context are processed or stored in Australia, and its own materials note some conversations may be subject to human review for safety ([Microsoft Edge product page](https://explore.microsoft.com/en-gb/edge/copilot-mode?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). Business tenants signed in with a work account get Microsoft's enterprise data-protection commitments, which is a different and stronger story — but the free consumer experience is not that. **It is Edge or nothing.** All of this is a reason to use Microsoft's browser. If your business runs on Chrome or Safari, none of it applies, and moving browsers is the same adoption cost we count against Comet. ## Australian fit **Pricing:** native AUD across the board — Microsoft 365 Personal A$16/month, Premium A$33/month, and the Copilot Business add-on at a promotional AU$26.91/user/month ex GST (annual term, promo to 31 December 2026) on Microsoft's Australian pages. Business list prices exclude GST; the checkout shows the tax line before you pay ([pricing, en-AU](https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). **Availability:** the core feature set — multi-tab reasoning, voice, Vision, memory, quizzes, desktop Journeys — is live in Australia free; the agentic Browse with Copilot, writing assistant and mobile Journeys are US-only at review date ([Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/?ref=theaidirectory.com.au)). **Data residency:** no published Australian residency commitment for consumer Copilot in Edge; enterprise data protection applies only when signed in with a work account. **Support:** Microsoft has a full Australian subsidiary, local billing and local business support channels — the strongest local backing in this category. Australian Fit: 4/5. ## Score | Criterion | Score | Why | | --------------------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Value for Money | 4/5 | The features Australians can use are free, and paid tiers are priced in AUD — but free caps are unpublished, and the A$33 Premium tier's agent payoff is US-only. | | Ease of Use | 4/5 | No new browser to adopt, one-click access on every page, everything toggleable. Feature names and buttons keep moving between updates. | | Feature Depth | 3/5 | Multi-tab reasoning, voice, Vision, memory and Journeys are genuinely useful — but the agentic core and writing assistant are absent in Australia, so local depth trails Comet. | | Australian Fit | 4/5 | Native AUD pricing, local entity and support, most features live here — held back by US-first gating of the newest features and no consumer data-residency commitment. | | Reliability & Support | 4/5 | Microsoft-grade infrastructure and local support, opt-in permissions with visible cues, and no public security findings of the kind that dogged Comet — but rapid product churn and vague limits cost a point. | | **Total** | **19/25** | | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good (16–20). Australian Fit is 4/5, which clears the threshold in our [methodology](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/methodology/) — Copilot in Edge is eligible to be a category Top Pick on Australian fit, and its score simply lands it just below the five-star band. ## Bottom line **If you want to try AI browsing without betting your business on a startup browser, start here.** It is free, it is inside software you already run, Microsoft bills in Australian dollars, and the multi-tab research features are the ones a small business actually uses weekly. Turn it on, keep the features you like, switch off the rest. **If you want an AI agent that acts on the web for you today, this is not it — not in Australia.** Browse with Copilot is US-only behind Microsoft 365 Premium. [Comet](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-comet-australia-2026/) will give you a working agent here for US$20 a month, with the serious security caveats we detailed in that review. Edge gives you no agent and no agent risk. For most Australian businesses in 2026, that is honestly the better trade. **If your team already pays for Microsoft 365,** the upgrade maths is simple: you likely need nothing extra for everyday Copilot browsing, and the Business add-on at AU$26.91/user/month ex GST (promotional, annual) is a work-document question, not a browser one. **If you live in Chrome,** nothing here moves you. Copilot in Edge is a reason to be in Edge, and it is the strongest reason Edge has had in years — but it is not yet strong enough to force a browser switch on its own. Update history - **20 Sep 2026** — Tense corrected: **ChatGPT Atlas has been discontinued.** OpenAI announced the deprecation on 9 July 2026 and the browser stopped working on 9 August 2026\. Atlas is named here only as a former rival. Score unchanged. [Source](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001371-evolving-atlas-into-chatgpt-for-browser-based-agentic-work?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) · [Wayback](https://web.archive.org/web/20260917212603/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001371-evolving-atlas-into-chatgpt-for-browser-based-agentic-work) - **1 Sep 2026** — First reviewed. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Copilot Mode in Edge free in Australia? Yes, for the features available here. Multi-tab reasoning, voice, Vision, long-term memory, quizzes and desktop Journeys are free in Australia on Edge desktop and mobile, subject to unpublished usage caps. Paid Microsoft 365 plans (Personal A$16/month, Premium A$33/month) lift the limits. ### What happened to Copilot Mode? Microsoft retired the separate "Copilot Mode" on 13 May 2026 and built its features directly into Edge on desktop and mobile. The capabilities survived; the toggle-a-special-mode framing did not. Searches and older articles about "Copilot Mode" now describe what is simply Copilot in Edge. ### Can Copilot in Edge do tasks for me — book things, fill forms — in Australia? No. That capability, called Browse with Copilot (formerly Copilot Actions), is available on Edge desktop only to Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers in the US as at 1 September 2026\. Microsoft has not published an Australian availability date. ### How much does Microsoft 365 Copilot cost for an Australian business? The Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on lists at AU$31.40/user/month ex GST on an annual term, discounted to AU$26.91 for the first year under a promotion running 1 July to 31 December 2026\. It sits on top of an eligible Microsoft 365 business plan, so budget for both. ### Is my browsing data with Copilot stored in Australia? Microsoft publishes no Australian data-residency commitment for consumer Copilot in Edge, and notes some conversations may be reviewed by humans for safety. Access to your browsing content, history and credentials is opt-in, with visible cues when Copilot is active. Work accounts on business tenants get Microsoft's enterprise data-protection terms, which are stronger. ## Read next - [Comet review: Perplexity's agentic browser, tested for Australia](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-comet-australia-2026/) - [ChatGPT Atlas post-mortem: the agentic browser OpenAI switched off on 9 August 2026](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-chatgpt-atlas-australia-2026/) - [Copilot review: Microsoft's AI assistant, tested for Australia](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/microsoft-copilot-review-australia/) - [How we score AI tools — our review methodology](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/methodology/) ## Sources - https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2025/07/28/introducing-copilot-mode-in-edge-a-new-way-to-browse-the-web/ (primary; launch date, opt-in status, free-for-a-limited-time, Windows/Mac, privacy design) — Wayback: https://web.archive.org/web/20260901213957/https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2025/07/28/introducing-copilot-mode-in-edge-a-new-way-to-browse-the-web/ - https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/ (primary; Copilot Mode retirement, per-feature market lists incl. en-AU, Browse with Copilot US-only/M365 Premium, free rollout) — Wayback: https://web.archive.org/web/20260901214023/https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/05/13/new-updates-to-edge-across-desktop-and-mobile/ - https://explore.microsoft.com/en-gb/edge/copilot (primary; product page — the /edge/copilot-mode URL redirects here, "Currently available in the US" banner, licence footnote, human-review note; accessed 1 Sep 2026) — Wayback: https://web.archive.org/web/20260901214255/https://explore.microsoft.com/en-gb/edge/copilot?ep=2285&es=383&rd=cm&ch=1&cs=1889659251&form=MA13SQ - https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing (primary; AU$31.40 list / AU$26.91 promo user/month ex GST, promo window 1 Jul–31 Dec 2026, AU$37.68 monthly; accessed 1 Sep 2026) — Wayback: https://web.archive.org/web/20260901214218/https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing - https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products (primary; M365 Personal A$16/mo, Family A$18/mo, Premium A$33/mo AUD consumer pricing; accessed 1 Sep 2026) — Wayback: https://web.archive.org/web/20260901214145/https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/learning/changes-microsoft-copilot-app (primary; free capacity limits, Microsoft 365 subscription benefits incl. agents and multi-step tasks) — Wayback: https://web.archive.org/web/20260901214119/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/learning/changes-microsoft-copilot-app - https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/microsoft\_edge\_copilot\_mode/ (secondary; launch coverage) — Wayback: not archivable — archive.org Save Page Now returns a persistent origin-side error (HTTP 520/523) for this URL (secondary/context source; all primary sources for this review are snapshotted). Live URL checked 2026-09-02 - https://www.engadget.com/2172610/microsoft-copilot-edge-desktop-mobile/ (secondary; retirement/integration coverage, 13 May 2026) — Wayback: https://web.archive.org/web/20260901214052/https://www.engadget.com/2172610/microsoft-copilot-edge-desktop-mobile/