Windows 11 gets AI boost with new Start Menu and Copilot+ features

Microsoft has rolled out a major wave of updates for Windows 11, introducing a refreshed Start Menu, smarter Copilot+ integrations, and a suite of AI-driven features aimed at enhancing user productivity and accessibility. The updates will arrive first for Windows Insiders using Snapdragon X-powered Copilot+ PCs, such as the newly announced Surface devices, before expanding to other hardware.

A Smarter, More Connected Start Menu

Among the most visible changes is the redesigned Windows 11 Start Menu, now featuring a full-screen All Apps view with category organisation for improved navigation. It also includes a long-awaited Phone Link companion panel, offering real-time access to recent messages, calls, battery status, and contacts from connected Android or iOS devices.

AI Agent in Settings

A new AI agent baked into the Windows Settings app promises to simplify troubleshooting. Users can describe a problem, like a small mouse pointer, in natural language, and the agent will guide them to the correct settings. With user permission, changes can even be made automatically. Microsoft has included a disclaimer noting that "recommendations are AI-generated and may be incorrect," urging caution when using the tool for sensitive settings.

Expanding ‘Click to Do’ Actions

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

• Ask Copilot to analyse text or images on screen
• Draft content in Microsoft Word
• Convert on-screen information into an Excel table
• Schedule Teams meetings or send messages
• Launch Reading Coach or Immersive Reader

These upgrades aim to streamline repetitive tasks using contextual awareness.

Copilot Vision and Press to Talk

Copilot Vision, which enables on-screen content analysis, is now expanding beyond Insiders. Users will also be able to interact with Copilot via Press to Talk, simply by holding down the Copilot key on their keyboard and speaking a command.

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

Photos: A new Relight tool allows users to add up to three customisable light sources to an image. Focus points and intensity can be adjusted manually or via presets. Initially, this feature will be exclusive to Snapdragon-powered PCs.

Paint: Gains a content-aware selection tool, generative fill, and a sticker generator that can create digital stickers from text prompts.

Snipping Tool: Introduces Perfect Screenshot, which auto-crops around key visual content. It also adds a text extractor, allowing users to copy text from images, and a colour picker tool.

Notepad and File Explorer Get AI Enhancements

Microsoft’s minimalist text editor, Notepad, is getting a modern upgrade. A new AI write function can generate and summarise content, and even includes basic formatting like bold and italic, a controversial shift for long-time users of the app.

Meanwhile, File Explorer now supports AI actions such as:

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

Microsoft Store and Accessibility Updates

The Microsoft Store will feature a new personalised recommendations section, while Copilot will provide in-context assistance as users browse. Apps optimised for Copilot+ PCs will now carry a clear badge to highlight their enhanced performance.

On the accessibility front, an improved Narrator tool will now offer rich image descriptions for visually impaired users. This feature is currently live for Snapdragon users in the Insider programme, and will roll out to other Copilot+ PCs soon.

Rollout and Availability

Many of the AI-enhanced features will debut on Snapdragon-based Copilot+ PCs, with AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ machines following soon after. Some features are available to Windows Insiders immediately, while broader public availability will follow in the coming months. Not all features will be universally available; some will remain exclusive to Copilot+ hardware.