Microsoft has introduced an update for Windows 11 Insider users that integrates Microsoft Copilot with Google and Microsoft services, allowing seamless access to emails, calendars, and files.
Enhanced Integration Capabilities
The update enables Copilot to connect to users' Microsoft and Google accounts, offering unified search and access functionalities for Outlook and Gmail emails, Google Calendar appointments, as well as files in OneDrive and Google Drive. Once settings are configured in the Copilot Windows app, Copilot can locate and open specific files and documents, find emails, and retrieve contact information.
Integration is straightforward for OneDrive and Outlook. However, Google services require additional permissions such as access to view emails, manage calendar events, and read Google Drive files.
Practical Use-Cases
Copilot demonstrated its capabilities by finding a OneDrive file named "Business Invoices," locating an email in Outlook regarding a Bloomberg subscription, opening a Google Docs document from Google Drive, retrieving a Gmail message, and displaying a dentist appointment from Google Calendar. Users can search across accounts without specifying the service, such as searching for "emails about Google Voice" across both Outlook and Gmail.
Export and Compatibility Features
Besides its search and accessibility upgrades, the Copilot Windows app allows exporting conversations into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or PDF formats. These can then generate editable documents, enhancing productivity and document management for users.
The Copilot update is in the rollout phase for Windows 11 Insiders and is expected to take several months to reach all users. Other platforms like ChatGPT and Google Gemini offer similar service integrations, further enhancing the range of tools available for managing digital tasks across platforms.
