New Windows 11 Copilot Is Actually a Full Microsoft Edge Package

Microsoft has quietly rolled out a new version of Copilot for Windows 11, and it comes with an unexpected surprise: a complete installation of Microsoft Edge bundled along with it.

The new version replaces the built-in WinUI native code with web components. This means that when you download the updated Copilot from the Microsoft Store, you're getting a full Edge installation as part of the deal, even if you never asked for one.

Windows Latest, which discovered the change on April 5, 2026, reports that the new Copilot actually uses more RAM than its predecessor, as it now depends on a full browser to run.

This isn't the first time Microsoft has changed direction with Copilot on Windows. The new web-based version replaces the native app, which itself replaced a WebView version, which replaced a PWA, which in turn replaced Copilot when it lived as a sidebar panel. Microsoft has now cycled through four different architectures in rapid succession, with none establishing itself as the definitive approach.

For enterprise customers and IT departments, it's worth noting that the change happens without explicit user consent. Edge is deployed as a hidden dependency, which may affect security and compliance assessments where browser policies are centrally managed.

The update is already available in the Microsoft Store for Windows 11 users.