Re: Can anyone get Edge Copilot to work without logging in after July 2026?

UPDATE:

As of July 2026, Microsoft seems to have secretly enforced server-side 
redirects such that there is no way to use it sans login except via a 
special Microsoft-supplied Edge-only mechanism called a "sidebar chat".

Here is a short summary of the various modes we've discussed in this thread.
 1. Regular mode (requires MSA, Google, or Apple account, or PIN, EntraID)
 2. Guest mode (requires MSA, Google, or Apple account, or PIN, EntraID)
 3. InPrivate mode (requires MSA, Google, or Apple account, or PIN, EntraID)
 4. Sidebar mode (uses a lightweight token tied to the browser session)
 5. 365 mode in apps (requires EntraID, formerly called Azure AD) 
 6. Built-in mode (Win11 only, requires MSA, Google, or Apple account, or PIN, EntraID)

See also the Firefox discussion of this topic, but with respect to Mozilla.
 Newsgroups: alt.comp.software.firefox
 Subject: Recently, did your Firefox stop using Microsoft Copilot in anonymous mode?
 Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2026 14:00:07 -0700
 Message-ID: <[email protected]>

The tentative conclusion, as of July 2026:
 a. Microsoft has quietly enforced server-side identity requirements for Copilot.
 b. Anonymous Copilot access is now blocked everywhere except the Edge sidebar.
 c. The Edge sidebar uses a special token mechanism that is not the same as normal login.
 d. All other Copilot entry points now require MSA, Google, Apple, PIN, or Entra ID.
 e. Microsoft did not document this change.

Regular mode refers to a normal Edge/Chrome/Firefox window.
 A. Anonymous access is blocked as of July 2026
 B. You must sign in with:
    a. Microsoft Account (MSA)
    b. Google account (OAuth token passed to Microsoft)
    c. Apple account (OAuth token passed to Microsoft)
    d. Entra ID (enterprise)
    e. Windows Hello PIN (only if tied to an MSA/Entra ID)
 C. This is the same for all browsers, including Mozilla Firefox.

Guest mode refers to a special non-signed-in Edge-browser profile 
 a. Guest mode used to bypass identity prompts prior to July 2026
 b. But as of July 2026, Microsoft now enforces identity even in Guest mode.
 c. Now requires MSA / Google / Apple / Entra ID / PIN

InPrivate mode refers to Edge's private browsing window (Ctrl+Shift+N).
 a. Now requires MSA / Google / Apple / Entra ID / PIN

Sidebar mode refers to a panel built into Edge's sidebar
 a. Uses a lightweight Edge token (i.e., no explicit login)
 b. Does not use MSA, Google or Apple login

365 mode refers to Copilot for Microsoft 365 inside Office apps  
 a. Uses Entra ID only
 b. Personal Microsoft accounts are not supported.
 c. Does not use Google or Apple login

Built-in mode refers to the Win 11 system-integrated Copilot
 a. Silently uses Windows sign-in identity (accepts MSA or Entra ID)
 b. Local accounts inherit identity if an MSA is linked
 b. Windows Copilot does not use Google or Apple login

As always, please correct where/if I err or omit critical detail.
-- 
Sometimes you just have to test things empirically to figure 'em out.