Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
Microsoft is kicking off a slew of new and improved AI skills that it’s touting as a “new generation of Windows experiences.” In a blog post published Tuesday, the company described what’s in store for Copilot+ PCs and what’s heading to all Windows 11 users.
For Copilot+ PCs
Let’s start with the skills that require a Copilot+ PC.
Change Windows settings
First up is an AI-powered improvement in how you can access and change common Windows settings. Sometimes modifying a key setting is quick and simple; other times, not so much. To tackle specific system tasks, Microsoft is launching an AI agent.
Also: 8 ways I use Microsoft’s Copilot Vision AI to save time on my phone and PC
Instead of you having to figure out how to change your mouse pointer or control Windows by voice, the agent will carry out the mission for you. You’ll be able to tell it what you want to achieve or what problem you want to resolve. In response, the agent uses on-device AI to understand your request and even handle the task itself, albeit with your permission.
This new capability will initially roll out to Windows Insiders on Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs and then segue to Windows Insiders on AMD and Intel computers. As the first step, only English language requests will be supported.
Click to Do and Windows search
Last month, Microsoft officially released three key features to all Copilot+ PCs: the controversial Recall, Click to Do, and a new AI-powered Windows search. Enhancements to the latter two are now in the works.
With Click to Do, selecting text or an image on the screen opens a menu with various actions and commands, such as copy, save, share, and search. Soon you’ll be able to ask Copilot to perform even more tasks. For example, you could tell Copilot to generate content in Word, convert text to a table in Excel, launch a Reading Coach to read text aloud, schedule a meeting, or start a chat in Microsoft Teams.
Features such as Ask Copilot, the Reading Coach, and Read with Immersive Reader are currently available to Windows Insiders. Other features, such as scheduling a meeting or sending a message with Teams, asking Microsoft 365 Copilot to perform a task, converting a table in Excel, or drafting with Copilot in Word, will reach Windows Insiders later this month.
Windows search will allow you to run a search to find specific settings, locate and even install apps from the Microsoft Store, and extend to the Photos app to help you track down specific photos in your library. This new capability is also headed to Windows Insiders later in the month.
Photos, Paint, and the Snipping tool
Next, new AI powers are rolling out to Photos, Paint, and the Snipping tool.
The Photos app is gaining an interesting attribute known as relight. The goal here is to fix poor lighting in a photo or just give it a more creative look. With relight, you can add dynamic lighting to a photo by positioning three different light sources and moving a focus point that all the lights will follow. From there, you’ll be able to tweak the visuals with brightness and intensity controls or turn on built-in presets to automatically apply a specific look.
Also: Microsoft on how custom AI offers your business better answers, lower costs, faster innovation
The new relight tool will first reach Windows Insiders on Snapdragon X Series Copilot+ PCs and expand to AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs later in the year.
The Paint program is getting two additional AI skills. With the new sticker generator, you’ll be able to create your own custom stickers based on a text description. And with the object select tool, you can zero in on specific areas or elements on the canvas and target your edits just to them. Both skills will reach Windows Insiders later this month.
The Snipping Tool has been granted three new powers. The tool will now automatically detect the area you want to capture in a screenshot so you don’t have to fiddle with the crop handles. Of course, the handles will still be available if you need to adjust the area. A text extractor will let you extract and copy text from images and screenshots. A color picker will allow you to capture a color from anywhere on the screen and apply it elsewhere.
For all Windows 11 PCs
Now, let’s look at the new and improved features for all Windows 11 users.
Start menu
The Windows 11 Start menu is getting an overhaul. Directly accessible from the menu, the new All Apps view will automatically sort your apps based on the ones you use most frequently. Plus, the new phone companion view will show your iPhone or Android device side-by-side with the regular Start menu.
File Explorer
File Explorer is adding a feature called AI actions. With this one, right-clicking a file in File Explorer will take you to specific actions based on the file itself. For example, right-clicking a text document will display a command to summarize the content, while selecting an image will give you an option to edit it in Paint or Photos.
Also: How to upgrade your ‘incompatible’ Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 now
Notepad
The old, reliable Notepad is also getting jazzed up with AI. A new write feature will create text based on your description at the prompt. The new summarize tool will condense a long text file into a more concise version. Plus, Microsoft is adding some light formatting skills, including bold and italic typefaces, simple lists, and headings. Notepad will also now support markdown files.
The changes to the Start menu, File Explorer, and Notepad will first be available to Windows Insiders over the coming month.
Copilot Windows app
Finally, Microsoft is tweaking the Copilot Windows app in a few ways. Copilot Vision lets you ask the AI to analyze, summarize, or answer questions about the current web page. But right now it’s limited to the Copilot mobile app and to Microsoft Edge on the desktop.
Soon, you’ll be able to use Vision directly from the Copilot Windows app to request information on any browser screen or app window. This one is now available to Windows Insiders and will soon be accessible to all Windows 11 users in the US.
Also: Did you know that Windows 11 has a secret restart method? Here’s how to access it
Windows Insiders can also use the Press to Talk feature to long-press on the Copilot key to kick off a voice conversation. Even further, you’ll be able to launch Copilot in voice mode just by saying “Hey, Copilot.” An opt-in feature, this one is starting off with Windows Insiders as Microsoft continues to test it.
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