Windows 11 Gets Ai Boost With New Start Menu And Copilot+ Features

Microsoft has rolled retired a awesome activity of updates for Windows 11, introducing a refreshed Start Menu, smarter Copilot+ integrations, and a suite of AI-driven features aimed astatine enhancing personification productivity and accessibility. The updates will get first for Windows Insiders utilizing Snapdragon X-powered Copilot+ PCs, specified arsenic nan recently announced Surface devices, earlier expanding to different hardware.

A Smarter, More Connected Start Menu

Among nan astir visible changes is nan redesigned Windows 11 Start Menu, now featuring a full-screen All Apps position pinch class organisation for improved navigation. It besides includes a long-awaited Phone Link companion panel, offering real-time entree to caller messages, calls, artillery status, and contacts from connected Android aliases iOS devices.

AI Agent successful Settings

A caller AI supplier baked into nan Windows Settings app promises to simplify troubleshooting. Users tin picture a problem, for illustration a mini rodent pointer, successful earthy language, and nan supplier will guideline them to nan correct settings. With personification permission, changes tin moreover beryllium made automatically. Microsoft has included a disclaimer noting that "recommendations are AI-generated and whitethorn beryllium incorrect," urging be aware erstwhile utilizing nan instrumentality for delicate settings.

Expanding ‘Click to Do’ Actions

The Click to Do feature, powered by on-device neural processing units (NPUs), is gaining caller capabilities. Users tin now:

• Ask Copilot to analyse matter aliases images connected screen
• Draft contented successful Microsoft Word
• Convert on-screen accusation into an Excel table
• Schedule Teams meetings aliases nonstop messages
• Launch Reading Coach aliases Immersive Reader

These upgrades purpose to streamline repetitive tasks utilizing contextual awareness.

Copilot Vision and Press to Talk

Copilot Vision, which enables on-screen contented analysis, is now expanding beyond Insiders. Users will besides beryllium capable to interact pinch Copilot via Press to Talk, simply by holding down nan Copilot cardinal connected their keyboard and speaking a command.

AI Comes to Core Apps: Photos, Paint, and Snipping Tool

Photos: A caller Relight instrumentality allows users to adhd up to 3 customisable ray sources to an image. Focus points and strength tin beryllium adjusted manually aliases via presets. Initially, this characteristic will beryllium exclusive to Snapdragon-powered PCs.

Paint: Gains a content-aware action tool, generative fill, and a sticker generator that tin create integer stickers from matter prompts.

Snipping Tool: Introduces Perfect Screenshot, which auto-crops astir cardinal ocular content. It besides adds a matter extractor, allowing users to transcript matter from images, and a colour picker tool.

Notepad and File Explorer Get AI Enhancements

Microsoft’s minimalist matter editor, Notepad, is getting a modern upgrade. A caller AI constitute usability tin make and summarise content, and moreover includes basal formatting for illustration bold and italic, a arguable displacement for long-time users of nan app.

Meanwhile, File Explorer now supports AI actions specified as:

• Summarising documents
• Editing images
• Generating previews aliases text-based insights from files

Microsoft Store and Accessibility Updates

The Microsoft Store will characteristic a caller personalised recommendations section, while Copilot will supply in-context assistance arsenic users browse. Apps optimised for Copilot+ PCs will now transportation a clear badge to item their enhanced performance.

On nan accessibility front, an improved Narrator instrumentality will now connection rich | image descriptions for visually impaired users. This characteristic is presently unrecorded for Snapdragon users successful nan Insider programme, and will rotation retired to different Copilot+ PCs soon.

Rollout and Availability

Many of nan AI-enhanced features will debut connected Snapdragon-based Copilot+ PCs, pinch AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ machines pursuing soon after. Some features are disposable to Windows Insiders immediately, while broader nationalist readiness will travel successful nan coming months. Not each features will beryllium universally available; immoderate will stay exclusive to Copilot+ hardware.