Don't worry about the mysterious Copilot app that suddenly showed up on your Windows PC, says Microsoft

Don’t worry about the mysterious Copilot app that suddenly showed up on your Windows PC, says Microsoft

• Microsoft accidentally installed a Copilot chat provider app on Windows devices via an Edge update.
• The app does not perform code execution or transmit system information, serving to prepare for future Copilot enablement.
• Microsoft is aware of the bug and is working on a fix through a new Edge update to remove the app soon.

Microsoft has been pushing its Copilot service across many of its platforms, including Windows, Microsoft 365, Edge, Azure, and more. However, in its effort to get as many people to use Copilot as possible, it may have been a bit overzealous recently. A Microsoft Edge update last month caused a mysterious Copilot app to show up in the list of installed apps for many Windows customers, with Microsoft now acknowledging that this was unintentional.

What’s this strange Copilot entry in my installed apps?

Back on March 28, 2024, Microsoft rolled out version 123.0.2420.65 of its Edge browser. Following the installation of this update, many users noticed the Copilot app being listed in the Installed apps in Windows Settings. Some assumed that this was yet another tactic by Microsoft to sneak the Copilot service into their Windows installation without explicit permission.

However, in an update on its Windows release health dashboard, Microsoft confirmed that this entry started showing up because the Edge update accidentally installed a “Microsoft chat provider for Copilot in Windows” MSIX package. That said, the Redmond tech firm has emphasized that this piece of software does not perform any code execution, nor does it procure and transmit any information about the system.

The company says that the package is actually intended to “prepare” select Windows devices for Copilot enablement in the future. Right now, the app is fairly harmless as it does not install or enable Copilot on the device.

Is Microsoft working on a fix?

Platforms affected by this bug include Windows 11, versions 23H2, 22H2, and 21H2, along with Windows 10 version 22H2, and Windows Server. The good news is that Microsoft has acknowledged that this is a bug and that it’s working on a fix. The resolution involves rolling out a new version of Edge soon that gets rid of the MSIX package. While there are no concrete timelines for this fix right now, it’s likely that the patch will be included in the next Edge Stable update coming within a few days.