I unleashed Copilot on my Microsoft and Google accounts - here's what happened

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ZDNET's key takeaways

Copilot will be able to link to your Microsoft and Google accounts.
You can then access files and emails in OneDrive, Outlook, or Gmail.
The new skill is accessible to Windows 11 Insiders for now.

Ever wish Microsoft Copilot could help you with your personal email or calendar appointments? A new Windows 11 update aims to do just that.

In a new blog post, Microsoft revealed that the Copilot Windows app will be able to link to certain personal services, and not just those from Microsoft. Now rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders, the new capability can connect Copilot to OneDrive, Outlook (email, contacts, and calendar), Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Calendar. From there, you can ask Copilot in Windows to assist you with any of the content across these different services.

For example, you could ask Microsoft's AI to provide the email address for Sarah or find your school notes from last week. With your Microsoft or Google accounts connected, Copilot will then be able to locate the right information to respond to your request.

To give this a whirl, I linked my Microsoft and Google accounts to the Copilot Windows app and then tried accessing files from each service.

To get started, first make sure you're running the latest Windows 11 Insider build. Open the Copilot Windows app from the taskbar. Go to the Settings page, head to the Connectors section, and then turn on the switches for OneDrive, Outlook, Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Calendar.

Connecting to OneDrive and Outlook is seamless. Linking to the different Google services requires more steps. With Gmail, I was asked if I wanted to let Copilot view my email messages and settings, send email on my behalf, and manage drafts and then send emails. I could choose any or all three options. With Google Calendar, I was asked to grant the AI permission to view my calendar appointments and events. And with Google Drive, I was prompted to give Copilot access to see and download all my files.

OneDrive

Here, I asked Copilot to find a file named Business Invoices from OneDrive. It listed several results with the specific file I wanted at the top of the list. I was then able to directly open the file.

Outlook

Next, I asked Copilot to check Outlook for a specific email about a Bloomberg subscription. Among the three results, the top one was the email I wanted. I could then access it by clicking its link.

Google Drive

I next asked the AI to find a document on Google Drive about Excel tips. It listed several results, with the one I wanted at the top. Clicking the ellipsis icon next to the file name then opened it in Google Docs.

Gmail

Next, I tried Gmail, where I asked Copilot for an email from Covent Garden. The AI found the original email as well as the forwarded copy I sent to another account. I could then click the link to view it in Gmail.

Google Calendar

To check out my appointments in Google Calendar, I asked Copilot to find my next dentist appointment. It located the date and time and offered a link to view the appointment in my calendar.

Next, you don't need to specify the name of a service to find an item. To try this out, I asked Copilot to find emails about Google Voice. The AI showed me the details for emails, both from Outlook and Gmail.

The ability to connect to an external service has already been available at the Copilot website and in the Copilot mobile apps for iOS and Android. From any of them, you're able to link to OneDrive, Outlook, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive. The Insider update now brings this integration across all the different ways to access Copilot.

Other major AIs like ChatGPT and Google Gemini can also connect to your Outlook and Gmail. Additionally, ChatGPT can access third-party services such as Box, Dropbox, GitHub, Slack, and Teams as well as external apps like Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, and Spotify. Gemini naturally integrates with all the core Google services, along with Google Flights, Google Hotels, and YouTube.

With the new Insider update, Microsoft is kicking in another perk.

Also: You can now edit Microsoft Copilot's memories about you - here's how

The Copilot Windows app will be able to export your conversations into Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files. Based on the information in your current chat, you might tell Copilot to export the text into a Word document or create an Excel spreadsheet from a table.

In response, the AI will generate the right type of editable document, spreadsheet, or presentation for you. If the response is longer than 600 characters, you can also use an export button to send the content directly to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or even a PDF.

Since these new skills are just now rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders, we may have to wait a few months before they reach all Windows 11 users.

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