Microsoft Expands Copilot AI Features in Windows 11, Including PC Settings Control
Microsoft is significantly expanding the capabilities of its Copilot AI assistant within Windows 11, including restoring its ability to modify PC settings and integrating more deeply into core system functions.
Recent testing builds of Windows 11 reveal Copilot is slated to replace the current Search field on the taskbar, offering more prominent access to the AI. The company is also re-introducing functionality allowing Copilot to respond to natural language requests regarding Windows settings, directing users to the relevant sections within the Settings app. This builds on earlier iterations of Copilot that initially had this capability before it was removed.
These updates coincide with the rollout of Copilot Connectors to Windows Insiders, granting the AI access to services like Gmail and Dropbox. New document creation features allow users to export Copilot chat content directly into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or PDF formats. Furthermore, AI-powered actions are appearing in File Explorer’s right-click menu, enabling tasks like batch image editing and document summarization – features that could dramatically improve user productivity. For more on the evolving landscape of AI, see the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s AI resources.
Microsoft appears to be learning from past missteps, notably the delayed and ultimately revised rollout of the Recall feature last year, which bypassed the standard Windows Insider Preview program. The company now seems committed to thorough testing before wider releases, as none of these new Copilot features are currently included in the Windows 11 25H2 update being distributed through the Release Preview channel. You can learn more about the Windows Insider Program here.
Microsoft has not yet announced a specific timeline for the public release of these features, and some may remain exclusive to the Windows Insider program.
Screenshots of a Windows 11 testing build showed Copilot taking over the area of the taskbar that is currently reserved for the Search field.
Credit:
Microsoft
Finally, Microsoft is taking another stab at allowing Copilot to change the settings on your PC, something that earlier versions were able to do but were removed in a subsequent iteration. Copilot will attempt to respond to plain-language questions about your PC settings with a link to the appropriate part of Windows’ large, labyrinthine Settings app.
These new features dovetail with others Microsoft has been testing for a few weeks or months now. Copilot Connectors, rolled out to Windows Insiders earlier this month, can give Copilot access to email and file-sharing services like Gmail and Dropbox. New document creation features allow Copilot to export the contents of a Copilot chat into a Word or PDF document, Excel spreadsheet, or PowerPoint deck for more refinement and editing. And AI actions in the File Explorer appear in Windows’ right-click menu and allow for the direct manipulation of files, including batch-editing images and summarizing documents. Together with the Copilot Vision features that enable Copilot to see the full contents of Office documents rather than just the on-screen portions, all of these features inject AI into more basic everyday tasks, rather than cordoning them off in individual apps.
Per usual, we don’t know exactly when any of these new features will roll out to the general public, and some may never be available outside of the Windows Insider program. None of them are currently baked into the Windows 11 25H2 update, at least not the version that the company is currently distributing through its Release Preview channel.
Learning the lessons of Recall
Microsoft at least seems to have learned lessons from the botched rollout of Windows Recall last year.
If you didn’t follow along: Microsoft’s initial plan had been to roll out Recall with the first wave of Copilot+ PCs, but without sending it through the Windows Insider Preview program first. This program normally gives power users, developers, security researchers, and others the opportunity to kick the tires on upcoming Windows features before they’re launched, giving Microsoft feedback on bugs, security holes, or other flaws before rolling them out to all Windows PCs.
