Microsoft is bringing Copilot to messaging apps, starting with Telegram, as part of their new 'copilot-for-social' project

Microsoft is seeking to increase the use of Copilot by bringing it to messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, or Telegram.

The company has launched a Copilot bot within the Telegram app. This bot requires your phone number and only works outside the European Union, though it brings Copilot to Telegram for free.

The Telegram Copilot bot is part of Microsoft's new project called "copilot-for-social", aimed at bringing generative AI to social apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.

It's unknown if a WhatsApp Copilot bot is in development, but Microsoft has launched the official Copilot bot for Telegram, which you can find by searching for CopilotOfficialBot@.

The bot is still in beta, though it also verified on Telegram.

The Telegram Copilot bot works in the US, UK, and Asia. It can be used across desktop, mobile, and web.

This bot requires you to enter your phone number, which Microsoft claims it needs for security reasons and will not store it for anything else.

Microsoft writes in a pop-up message in Telegram when users launch the bot: "To ensure a secure experience, we require a quick one-time verification of your mobile number linked with your Telegram account. We don’t store your number.”

As told by Windows Latest, the company forces users to provide their phone numbers to verify account location. When Microsoft detects an EU country code, it blocks use of the bot.

The Telegram Copilot bot does not have the same capabilities as the web or Windows versions, and it works with most tasks, though you cannot generate images using the bot, and it doesn't appear to use ChatGPT-4.

The bot relies on ChatGPT-4 and internal Microsoft models, and you cannot switch between the three modes - creative, balanced, and precise.

According to Microsoft, you can ask the bot about anything, though it is not multimedia-capable, accepting text requests only.

The bot functions as a one-on-one conversation with you. You can ask questions or send follow-ups for the bot to respond to.

You can use it for fact-finding, trip planning, fitness planning, finding movies/games, and entertainment.

Microsoft has capped the daily usage of Copilot within Telegram to 30 times per day.