Key Takeaways
- Copilot Vision is opt-in; we click the glasses icon, pick up to two windows, and start chatting¹.
- We can flip between those two shared windows, so the assistant always has the latest context².
- Highlights mode puts numbered pointers right on-screen, showing exactly where to click³.
- Microsoft says images are neither logged nor stored; only the text of each chat is kept briefly for safety-monitoring, and it has not said whether every step of image analysis happens solely on our PC⁴.
- Vision inside Microsoft Edge is free. Wider desktop help needs Copilot Pro, which comes with a one-month free trial before the $20 monthly fee starts⁶.
Why Copilot Vision Matters Now
Many of us manage spreadsheets, design tools, group chats, and streaming meetings all day. Each time we copy text, snag a screenshot, or switch windows just to ask a question, we lose focus. Copilot Vision changes that by letting the assistant “see” what we see—no extra steps required¹.
Because Vision is strictly opt-in, we decide which windows are shared and when sharing stops. That control, paired with Microsoft’s public privacy commitments⁴, gives us a comfortable way to add real-time assistance without handing over the keys to everything on our machine.
Setting Up Copilot Vision on Windows
1. Press Win + C or click the Copilot icon on the taskbar.
2. In the prompt box, hit the glasses icon.
3. Select one or two open windows to share, then choose Share.
4. Ask naturally—“Summarize this brief,” “Show me how to crop this shot,” or “Compare these two numbers.”
5. Click Stop sharing to close Vision or swap in a different window whenever we like¹.
That’s it. The conversation keeps rolling even when we change the windows in view, which means fewer restarts and faster answers².
Everyday Scenarios Where Copilot Vision Shines
Deep-Dive Document Reviews
Picture a 40-page partnership contract beside a complex revenue model in Excel. Instead of toggling between them, we share both windows and ask Copilot Vision to spot termination clauses, flag odd revenue assumptions, and deliver a concise bullet summary². The assistant reads both in real time and returns a tidy report we can paste into an email.
Creative Editing Coaching
Photo editors hide key tools in nested panels. By sharing the editor and asking, “Show me where to adjust hue,” Vision overlays a numbered pointer on the exact slider³. We tweak the value, ask follow-up questions, and watch the pointer adapt without hunting menus.
Interactive Entertainment Strategy
When a tough boss battle stalls progress, share the play window and say, “Give me tips for this encounter.” Vision recognizes the scene and suggests timing, weapon choices, and movement patterns²—all without alt-tabbing to walkthrough sites.
Travel Planning Made Simple
Share a browser tab with flight details plus a Word itinerary. Vision checks luggage allowances, highlights layover risks, and recommends packing items suited to the destination climate¹. Those insights appear instantly beside our document, making planning smoother.
Study Sessions & Lecture Recaps
Students open slide decks and notes together. Vision extracts definitions, suggests flash-card questions, and builds a structured outline, helping us prep for quizzes efficiently¹.
Privacy & Control
Microsoft positions Copilot Vision as privacy-first. We must start each session manually, and the assistant can only view the specific windows we choose¹. Visual data is processed, but Microsoft states that the images are not logged or stored. Only the text of our prompts and responses is retained briefly for security reviews, and the company hasn’t clarified whether every pixel-level analysis remains strictly local⁴.
Highlights overlays vanish when we disable the feature, and ending a session wipes the assistant’s view immediately. If we want to erase the text record too, we can delete the chat history in the Copilot sidebar⁴.
Subscription & Availability
- Free tier: Anyone on Windows 10 or 11 in the United States can use Copilot Vision inside Microsoft Edge at no cost².
- Copilot Pro: For broader desktop coverage—including Photoshop, Excel, or any other app—we begin with a one-month free trial and then pay $20 a month⁶.
- Rollout plan: Microsoft aims to expand Vision outside the U.S., but has not published firm dates¹.
- Trying the free trial is the fastest way to gauge Vision’s value in our specific workflows.
Prompting Tips for Better Results
- Be specific: “Summarize section 4 on pages 12-15” beats a generic “Summarize this.”
- Pair windows strategically: Show Vision a source article and a draft document so it can cite facts directly.
- Use Highlights when visual steps matter: Turn it on for tutorials, off for pure text tasks.
- Watch sensitivity: Share dashboards only when necessary, then end the session quickly.
- Refine iteratively: Follow up with “Expand point three with sources” rather than starting over.
How Copilot Vision Compares
Other assistants are racing toward the same goal, but Vision holds a key advantage: deep Windows integration today. Google’s Gemini Live and Apple’s announced Apple Intelligence both tout on-screen awareness, yet neither is embedded across the Windows desktop⁵. Vision’s two-window view provides richer context than single-window rivals, letting us interact with multiple files or apps at once².
What’s Next for Copilot Vision
Microsoft hints that future updates could index unsaved files, chats, and streaming content, giving the assistant a holistic insight into our workspace¹. Near-term plans include better permission prompts, more languages, and smarter file system search so we can ask, “Find last year’s proposal that mentioned carbon offset units,” without ever opening File Explorer⁴.
Copilot Vision turns context-aware help from a nice-to-have into a daily tool. By letting the assistant look at exactly what we’re doing—and only what we allow—we get instant summaries, visual tutorials, and cross-app insights. With strong privacy controls, a generous trial, and no special setup, it’s an easy win for anyone who spends hours hopping between windows. Give the free tier a spin, and see how much smoother your workflow feels with Vision by your side.
Citations
- Ben-Wert, Melissa. “Copilot Vision on Windows with Highlights Is Now Available in the U.S.” Microsoft Copilot Blog, Microsoft, 12 June 2025.
- Warren, Tom. “Microsoft’s Copilot Vision Brings Screen Context to Windows 11 and Edge.” The Verge, Vox Media, 12 June 2025.
- Fingas, Jon. “Microsoft’s Copilot Vision AI Helper Is Now Available on Windows in the US.” Engadget, Yahoo, 12 June 2025.
- Bott, Ed. “Microsoft’s Copilot Vision Can Now See and Analyze Your Entire PC Screen—Not Just What’s in Edge.” ZDNet, Red Ventures, 12 June 2025.
- Hachman, Mark. “AI That Can See What You See? Copilot Vision Launches on Windows.” Windows Central, Future plc, 12 June 2025.
- Microsoft. “Copilot Pro Plan & Pricing – Premium AI Features & Latest Models.” Microsoft Store, 13 June 2025.
