Microsoft launches Microsoft Copilot for iOS and iPadOS, a free ChatGPT-like app that supports GPT-4 and DALL-E 3, three days after its Android launch
Just days after introducing a Copilot app on Android, Microsoft has rolled out an app for its AI chatbot on iOS and iPadOS.
The VergeEmma Roth
Context & Ripple Effects
Microsoft had already repositioned Bing Chat under the Copilot name, separating a free consumer offering from paid Microsoft 365 Copilot. The Copilot rebrand made a standalone mobile presence a logical extension of that product split.
The iPhone and iPad release follows the Android app rollout by days, giving the free assistant a cross-platform distribution path rather than tying consumer access to Bing or Microsoft’s desktop products.
First-order effects
iPhone and iPad users can access Microsoft’s free Copilot app directly, including GPT-4 and DALL-E 3 capabilities, without relying on the Android launch or a browser entry point.
Microsoft can present Copilot as a device-spanning consumer assistant, while preserving Microsoft 365 Copilot as its paid workplace product.
Second-order effects
The launch increases the importance of mobile app discovery and retention for Copilot relative to rival assistants; platform availability alone will not establish user preference.
A consistent free app across Android and Apple devices gives Microsoft a broader funnel for its Copilot brand, potentially supporting later conversion into paid Microsoft 365 offerings.
Third-order effects
Consumer AI assistants are increasingly competing as cross-platform product surfaces, not merely as features inside search engines or operating systems.
The subsequent gap between Copilot and leading mobile assistants suggests that broad availability is necessary but insufficient; differentiated workflows and distribution may determine which assistant becomes habitual.
The trend: AI providers are turning chatbot models into persistent, cross-platform assistant brands that connect free consumer use with paid work products.
Oooooh Microsoft's new Copilot app for iPhone and iPad is *also* available on the Mac App Store as a Mac Catalyst app (for Macs with Apple Silicon)!! Full ChatGPT-4 for free by signing in with a Microsoft account. https://apps.apple.com/...
It's now available on iOS as well. It's essentially paid chatGPT for free. It lets you ask questions, draft emails, and summarize text using GPT-4 and you can also create images through an integration with the text-to-image generator DALL-E3.
Dear @google, All the major AI players now have a stand-alone LLM prompting app. An app is low friction way to acquire new users and retain them. I know you are aware of the incoming disruption but you need to do better if you are serious about this. …
Got Microsoft Copilot on iOS just to make it do what I knew it would. The problem with using word bans to moderate artificial intelligence is that it doesn't stop the actual infringement which occurs in the training stage. …
Why would anyone pay for ChatGPT 4 when it's available for free on Microsoft Copilot? 🤔 What doesn't Copilot have that still leaves ChatGPT 4 a compelling product for consumers?
Microsoft has launched the Copilot app which is effectively a free version of the paid ChatGPT app. The Copilot app lets you ask questions, draft text, and generate images using AI. I continue to believe that an answer based experience will eventually disrupt Google's decades o…
The apps have slightly different experiences and capabilities so there will always be people who prefer one or the other but I do like our free offering quite a bit!
Microsoft Copilot, with free GPT-4, is now available on both app stores! Bug reports and feature requests welcome! 🙌 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/... Android: https://play.google.com/...
The only downside is that it requires a Microsoft login. However, for most day-to-day use cases, it's definitely superior to ChatGPT. It has the potential to replace Google for many people.