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What is Copilot preview in Windows 11?

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  • 4 min read

Copilot is a new feature in Windows that helps users use AI to enhance their productivity. Currently, Copilot is available as a preview for users in certain regions of the world, including North America, Asia and South America. In Microsoft’s words, “Copilot will uniquely incorporate the context and intelligence of the web, your work data and what you are doing on your PC to provide better assistance – with your privacy and security at the forefront.”

In this article, we’ll explain more about Copilot preview in Windows 11. You can watch the video below or continue reading the article.


How to start Copilot in Windows 11?

To work with Copilot in Windows 11, you must download the September 2023 Windows update.

After completing the update, you’ll see a Copilot (preview) icon on your taskbar. Just click on it to launch Copilot. It is as simple as that.

Also read: How to take scrolling screenshots in Windows 11?


How to use Copilot?

As the tool is still under preview, don’t be surprised if you get limited functionalities. You can give commands and queries in the ‘Ask me anything’ block at the bottom of the Copilot window.

However, there are still some awesome things that you can try. For example, type ‘Open Notepad’ and you will see the prompt “Would you like me to open Notepad app for you?”

Click on Yes to open the Notepad directly from the Copilot. I have tried this prompt for various in-built and third-party applications like VLC, Foxit and Steam, and it worked fine. However, for other third-party apps like Snagit, it didn’t work. Instead, it will continue to generate paragraphs about Snagit alongwith provide links for the same.

Currently, you cannot perform tasks ‘inside’ the apps. If you want to

You can even open the Snip tool directly by writing simple prompts.

A sample prompt to open the VLC media player directly from Copilot.

Furthermore, you can access the Windows settings directly from Copilot. For example, give a simple prompt like ‘Open Settings’, and you will see that you can easily access Settings directly from Copilot. Similarly, you can change the wallpaper and adjust the volume quite easily. For instance, to adjust the volume, type ‘Set volume to 50 or 30’ and press Yes.

Additionally, you can change the colour scheme of Windows. Write ‘turn off/on dark mode‘, which will be done in a jiffy.

Press the refresh button at the top to refresh the chat, and you’re good to go. For more settings, click on the three-dot button on the right of the refresh button and then select Settings. Currently, you’ll get only one setting: Share Microsoft Edge content with Bing Chat. Just turn the toggle on or off as per your desire.

The rest of the functionalities are similar to any generative AI. You can enter your queries and expect an AI-generated answer. Copilot provides you with three conversation styles — More creative, More Balanced and More Precise. Choose the one that you need and then press enter for the answer. These styles are similar to the Bing Chat on Edge.

Also, you will get an image and microphone option in the query box for more creative users. This means you can upload or paste the link of any image and ask questions to GPT-4 powered Copilot. Or, you can tap on the microphone button and type your question.

Also read: How to make the taskbar smaller in Windows 11?


Is Windows Copilot worth it?

As of now, it is too early to give a detailed analysis of the Copilot. Experts are still divided on their opinion about this new feature.

Given that this feature is still in preview, you may get some issues with it. That being said, if Microsoft integrates apps with Copilot in the future, it may be much more productive for the users.

Also read: What is Click Lock on Windows? How to enable it? 

Kumar Hemant

Kumar Hemant

Deputy Editor at Candid.Technology. Hemant writes at the intersection of tech and culture and has a keen interest in science, social issues and international relations. You can contact him here: kumarhemant@pm.me

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