Copilot has visual expressions with real-time emotions

A few months ago, during its 50th anniversary event, Microsoft unveiled a visual upgrade for Copilot (then called "Copilot Avatar") that featured a visual character with expressions, reactions, and emotions. Now, users in the US, UK, and Canada can experience Copilot Appearance - "a new way to communicate visually."

Voice chat has been available on Copilot for a long time, but it lacks visual cues or non-verbal communication. Users only see abstract visual effects. With Copilot Appearance, Microsoft is improving voice conversations with real-time visual expressions.

Note that Copilot Appearance is not Clippy 2.0. In its current form, it will simply be an abstract block with a face that can morph into different shapes, express emotions, nod in agreement, etc. The concept is similar to what xAI offers with Grok AI — its $300/month subscription virtual assistant — but Microsoft's approach is much more subtle (and you can't change the AI's appearance). On the official Copilot Labs website, Microsoft describes Copilot Appearance as "an experiment to incorporate a more intuitive and engaging experience into Copilot ."

"What would it be like to see Copilot react and speak as you chat? With this experiment, we're bringing more non-verbal communication to Copilot, enhancing voice conversations with real-time visual expressions. The initial prototype allows you to chat, interact, seek advice, or simply interact with Copilot in a more engaging and expressive way."

Copilot Appearance is rolling out to a limited group of users in select countries. Microsoft is taking a cautious approach to rolling out more personalized AI experiences. If you're lucky, you can try Copilot Appearance by launching Voice Mode (click the microphone button in the compose pane) and turning it on in the Voice Mode settings.

Microsoft emphasizes that this is an early test, and that it's continuing to refine the experience. With Copilot Appearance, Microsoft is turning AI from a text tool into a multi-dimensional "communication partner" — though it's still very early days compared to expectations.

Lesley Montoya

Update 26 July 2025