Microsoft has added an official Copilot bot within the messaging app Telegram, which lets users search, ask questions, and converse with the AI chatbot. 

Copilot for Telegram is currently in beta but is free for Telegram users on mobile or desktop. People can chat with Copilot for Telegram like a regular conversation on the messaging app. Copilot for Telegram is an official Microsoft bot (make sure it’s the one with the checkmark and the username @CopilotOfficialBot). Several AI companies now let you access their LLMs through messaging apps. Meta added Meta AI to its chat apps, including Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram messaging, and you can chat with Gemini inside Google Messages on Android phones.

To access Copilot for Telegram, I first had to search for Copilot Bot. It then asked me to share my Telegram phone number with Microsoft, which felt weird considering I used to use Telegram specifically to talk to privacy-crazy crypto founders, and the app prides itself on its strict privacy policies.

Copilot for Telegram is not that much different from other Copilots, but it does have some limitations. It’s limited to text requests and cannot generate images. It can search the internet information. Microsoft says in a blog post that Copilot for Telegram can suggest movies to watch, generate a new workout routine, help with coding tasks, translate conversations, and find quick facts on the internet. There’s a daily 30-turn limit, meaning the user and Copilot can only have 30 back-and-forth exchanges.

Microsoft has been expanding its Copilots, bringing the AI assistant into many of its offerings. There are Copilots for business applications, PCs with built-in Copilots, Copilot for Microsoft 365, and a paid version that gives access to the latest AI models for $20 a month.