- You can now set Microsoft Copilot as your default digital assistant on Android replacing Google Assistant or Gemini.
- This feature is available with the latest beta for the Copilot app available on the Google Play Store.
- The digital assistant feature still needs some work as it is in its early stages.
Microsoft is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to pushing their Copilot AI onto users. It’s in Bing search, it’s in Office, and it’s even in Windows 11 and 10. The AI chatbot is already dominating all the platforms and services you use. Oh, I forgot about the Edge browser, it’s there too. And while the Copilot app has been available on Android for a while, Microsoft is now eyeing to replace Google Assistant on your Android phones.
As per a recent X post by Mishaal Rehman, the latest beta version 27.9.420225014 for Microsoft Copilot now lets you set it as the default assistant app on Android. Similar to how you can replace Google Assistant with Gemini AI. This will allow you to trigger Copilot from any screen by long pressing the power button or swiping up from the bottom corners of your phone.
However, bringing Copilot AI will launch its main activity page instead and not a floating UI, as you can see in the screenshots above. It also doesn’t listen to your voice automatically, as I found in my testing. You have to tap the mic icon or type out your query. Unintuitive much?
Mishaal in his X post also pointed out that the Copilot app doesn’t even have the API to allow the app to screenshot the content on your current page. Microsoft could be working to iron out these issues before its release in the stable version, but in its current state, it’s pretty barebones.
How to Set Microsoft Copilot as Default Assistant on Android
If you are still eager to try it out, then join the Copilot beta from the Play Store, install the app, and follow the steps below to set it as your default assistant.
After installing the app, head to the Settings app. Then, go to Apps -> Default apps -> Digital Assistant app. Next, tap on Google at the top, as shown in the image below. On the next page, select Copilot and select OK in the confirmation pop-up. This will set Microsoft Copilot as your new AI digital assistant.
While I’m not a huge fan of Copilot because I’ve always found it to be a little sluggish. However, if Microsoft can iron out the current issues, I wouldn’t mind making it my preferred assistant. With Gemini already replacing Google Assistant, ChatGPT close to following in its footsteps, and Copilot adding digital assistant support, it will be interesting to see which AI chatbot is preferred by users.
As an Android user, I couldn’t be more happy that I’ve got options to replace my default assistant with many different AI chatbots. iPhone users, on the other hand, are stuck with Siri. However, if they want the power of ChatGPT in their hands, they can learn to set up Siri with ChatGPT via our guide.
Coming back to the topic at hand, would you use Copilot as your new digital assistant on Android? Let us know in the comments below.
