Beyond the Search Bar: How Copilot is Transforming the Microsoft Edge New Tab Experience
For decades, the browser’s new tab page has been a simple, utilitarian starting point: a search bar, a few favorite sites, and not much else. It was a gateway, not a destination. Microsoft is challenging this long-held convention by deeply integrating its AI assistant, Copilot, into the very fabric of the Edge browser, starting with a reimagined New Tab page.
This isn’t just a cosmetic update; it’s a fundamental shift in how we’re encouraged to interact with the web.
A New Default: From Searching to Conversing
The most significant change lies in the central input bar. As the screenshots reveal, what used to be a straightforward search bar now functions as a powerful, context-aware command line for Copilot.
The new logic is simple yet revolutionary:
- If you type a URL like youtube.com, Edge behaves as you’d expect, navigating you directly to the website.
- If you type a query like “tell me about Techmawu Solutions,” the default action is no longer to show you a Bing search results page filled with blue links. Instead, Edge launches a full-page Copilot chat experience.
As seen in the screenshot below, this provides a direct, synthesized answer to your question. Copilot analyzes the web and presents a comprehensive summary, complete with key offerings, their tagline, and even a link to their website. This “answer-first” approach aims to save users time by eliminating the need to click through multiple links to piece together information.
Of course, user choice remains paramount. For those who prefer a traditional search, an explicit option to “Search” with your query still appears, ensuring that old habits aren’t completely forced out.
An Evolving, Friendlier Copilot Interface
The visual evolution of the page reflects this functional shift. Early iterations presented “Ask Copilot” and “Search” as two distinct options below the main query. The latest design, however, is cleaner and more unified.
A friendly greeting, “👋 Nice to meet you, Techmawu!,” sets a conversational tone. The input bar is now complemented by a dropdown menu offering different modes of interaction:
- Explore: The default mode that intelligently combines web search and chat with Copilot.
- Ask Copilot: For getting quick, direct answers to everyday questions.
- Think Deeper: Designed for engaging Copilot on more complex, creative, or in-depth topics.
Below this, helpful prompt buttons like “Write a first draft,” “Get advice,” and “Create an image” guide users to discover the full range of Copilot’s capabilities right from the start.
Personalization and History: The Importance of Signing In
To get the most out of this new experience, signing in with a Microsoft account is key. As indicated by the “Sign in” button in the top-right corner of the chat interface, an authenticated session is required to save your conversation history. This allows you to reference past queries and build on previous conversations, creating a persistent and personalized AI assistant that remembers your context.
How to Enable the Copilot-Inspired New Tab Page
If your Edge browser hasn’t updated to this new view yet, you can often enable it through the settings:
- Navigate to edge://settings/copilotMode in your Edge address bar.
- Ensure that Copilot Mode is toggled on.
- Under this, enable the Copilot-inspired New Tab Page. You may also see a related toggle for Built-in Copilot Search, which powers this new default behavior.
By transforming the new tab page from a static portal into a dynamic, conversational hub, Microsoft is making a bold statement. The future of browsing isn’t just about finding information it’s about interacting with it. With Copilot at the helm, your first click in the browser is now the beginning of a conversation.