Microsoft retreats from Copilot+ PC label while expanding Copilot as an “OS for work”

Microsoft is pulling back from the Copilot+ PC branding introduced in 2024 while overhauling its Copilot app with Office integration, natural-language app creation and autonomous agents.

Microsoft Surface executive Brett Ostrum told Windows Central that the company’s 2026 Surface devices are not called Copilot+ PCs, although they still meet the hardware requirements associated with the label. Qualcomm executive Kedar Kondap similarly said qualifying devices can offer the same neural-processing-unit experiences without using the Copilot+ terminology. The designation originally identified computers meeting requirements such as a 45 TOPS NPU, but manufacturers have increasingly removed it from product names and marketing.

The shift follows a troubled debut for the category. Microsoft delayed Recall, its flagship Copilot+ feature, after security researchers raised concerns about its initial implementation. According to Windows Central, references to Copilot+ compatibility on newer Surface devices are now largely confined to specification information.

Microsoft is nevertheless expanding Copilot itself. The redesigned app has separate Home, Code and Autopilot sections. Home combines chat with access to Microsoft 365 apps and can draft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. Code uses natural-language instructions to create apps, dashboards, automations and workflows. Autopilot can carry out recurring or multi-step work, including scheduling, follow-ups and project coordination across services such as Teams and Outlook.

CEO Satya Nadella described the redesigned Copilot as an “OS for work.” Home and Code are expected to enter Microsoft’s Frontier testing program in the coming weeks, while Autopilot is scheduled for private preview at the end of October.