What is Windows 11's New AI Assistant Copilot Feature?

 

What Is Windows 11 Copilot and How Can It Streamline Your Work?

Microsoft has made AI a central part of its product strategy, and Windows 11 Copilot is one of the most visible results of that commitment. First introduced in September 2023, the AI-powered assistant has since received a significant update that expands its capabilities well beyond basic guidance — bringing new app integrations, deeper Windows controls, and AI-enhanced creativity tools directly into the operating system. For businesses looking to get more from their Microsoft investment, understanding what Copilot can now do is a practical first step.

As an award-winning Microsoft partner, eMazzanti Technologies works with organizations to optimize their use of Microsoft AI solutions, helping teams integrate tools like Copilot into their daily workflows to drive measurable productivity gains.

What New Plugins Does Windows 11 Copilot Support?

One of the most immediately useful updates to Copilot is the addition of plugins for popular consumer and business apps. Users of Copilot Preview will gain access to these integrations over the coming weeks:

• Instacart – Grocery delivery service for online shopping at local grocery stores
• Kayak – Online travel platform for searching flights, hotels, and car rentals
• Klarna – Buy now, pay later service accepted at thousands of retailers, interest-free
• OpenTable – Restaurant reservation app for booking dining at local spots
• Shop – Shopify's digital shopping assistant for browsing multiple vendors in one place
• Suno – Music creation app that composes songs from natural language text prompts

In practice, this means Copilot can help you find the best flight and hotel deals for an upcoming trip, locate the right travel bag, and book a restaurant reservation — all from a single conversational interface.

How Does Copilot Now Control Windows Settings and Tasks?

Where Copilot for Microsoft 365 integrates with the Office suite, Windows 11 Copilot goes deeper — directly into the operating system itself. Beginning in late March, users can execute common Windows tasks using simple prompts, without digging through settings menus.

Supported actions include:

Settings and device information:

• Turn battery saver on or off
• Show device, system, or battery details
• Show available storage space
• Display IP address
• Show available Wi-Fi networks
• Empty recycle bin

Accessibility:

• Launch live captions, narrator, screen magnifier, or voice input
• Open contrast themes, voice access, or text size pages

This level of OS integration marks a meaningful step forward — Copilot moves from offering guidance on Windows tasks to actually performing them.

What AI Enhancements Are Coming to Windows Creativity Apps?

Beyond the Copilot prompt itself, the update brings AI-powered improvements to two built-in Windows apps.

The Generative Erase feature in the Photos app builds on the existing Spot Fix tool, which allowed users to retouch photos by removing blemishes. Spot Fix had a known limitation: it sometimes produced unrealistic results on larger areas. Generative Erase addresses this directly, using AI and machine learning to predict which pixels should naturally replace a removed object. The result is seamless editing even across large areas, with support for erasing multiple objects at once.

In Clipchamp, Microsoft's free video editor, a new Silence Removal tool automatically detects and removes conversation gaps from recordings — a practical time-saver for anyone producing training videos, tutorials, or recorded meetings.

How Do You Access and Set Up Windows 11 Copilot?

To use the latest features, ensure Windows 11 is updated to version 22H2 or 23H2. From there, opening Copilot is straightforward: use the dedicated Copilot key on newer Windows PC keyboards, press Windows key + C, or click the Copilot icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar.

Once inside Copilot, two setup steps are worth taking:

• Choose content sources – Click the More options (…) button in the upper right corner, then enable "Let Copilot use Microsoft Edge content." This expands Copilot's capabilities to include browser-based tasks.
• Access plugins – Click the puzzle icon, select Plugins, and choose up to three plugins for a given conversation.

Some features are already live in Copilot Preview; others will roll out gradually over the next few weeks.

How Can Businesses Get the Most Out of Microsoft's Evolving AI Tools?

Microsoft has committed to building AI natively into all of its products, and the pace of progress over the past year reflects that ambition. For businesses across the New York metropolitan area and nationwide, the challenge is not just keeping up with new features — it's knowing which capabilities deliver the most value for specific workflows and teams.

Working with an experienced Microsoft partner can help organizations move from awareness to practical adoption faster and with greater confidence. If your team is ready to explore what Windows 11 Copilot and the broader Microsoft AI ecosystem can do for daily operations, getting expert guidance on rollout and configuration can make the difference between a tool that sits unused and one that genuinely changes how people work.

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FAQ: Windows 11 Copilot Features and Setup

Q: What is Windows 11 Copilot and how is it different from other Microsoft Copilot products?

A: Windows 11 Copilot is an AI assistant built directly into the Windows operating system, designed to control system settings, execute common tasks, and integrate with third-party apps through plugins. It differs from Copilot for Microsoft 365, which integrates with Office apps like Word, Excel, and Teams, and from the browser-based Copilot in Microsoft Edge. Each version is optimized for its specific environment and use case.

Q: Which Windows 11 version do I need to use Copilot?

A: You need Windows 11 updated to either version 22H2 or 23H2 to access Copilot and its latest features. Once updated, you can open Copilot using the dedicated Copilot key on newer keyboards, the Windows key + C shortcut, or the Copilot icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar.

Q: What can Windows 11 Copilot actually do with system settings?

A: With the latest update, Copilot can directly execute Windows tasks using simple prompts — turning battery saver on or off, displaying device and network information, showing available storage, emptying the recycle bin, and launching accessibility tools like live captions, narrator, and screen magnifier. This goes beyond answering questions about settings to actually changing them on your behalf.

Q: How does the new Generative Erase feature in Photos differ from Spot Fix?

A: Spot Fix was an earlier retouching tool that worked well on small blemishes but often produced unrealistic results on larger areas. Generative Erase uses AI and machine learning to predict the pixels that should naturally fill in where an object was removed, delivering seamless results across larger areas and supporting the removal of multiple objects in a single edit.

Q: Can businesses use Windows 11 Copilot plugins for work-related tasks?

A: The current plugin lineup is weighted toward consumer apps — travel, dining, shopping, and music — though the plugin architecture is designed to expand over time. For business-specific AI capabilities within Microsoft's ecosystem, Copilot for Microsoft 365 remains the more relevant tool, offering deep integration with Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and SharePoint.