Microsoft’s Shift Towards Windows Settings
In a strategic move to streamline user experience, Microsoft is nudging its users away from the traditional Control Panel and towards the more modern Windows Settings app. This transition is part of the latest build 27928 for the Windows 11 Insider Preview Canary Channel, which also introduces enhancements such as Semantic Search for Copilot+ PCs and various updates to the Copilot App for all Windows Insiders.
The new settings encompass a range of functionalities, including the ability to add multiple clocks and select a time server. Notably, time formatting settings have been relocated, allowing users to adjust number and currency formats directly within the Settings app. Additionally, users can now enable Unicode UTF-8, which enhances language support on a global scale.
Last year, Microsoft stirred up quite a conversation by using the term “deprecated” in a support document regarding the Control Panel. Although the company quickly reassured users by stating that “the Control Panel still exists for compatibility reasons,” it is evident that Microsoft is keen on phasing out this relic from the early days of Windows.
The recent updates to time and language settings signify that the Control Panel’s days may be numbered, having been a staple of Windows since version 1.0. However, should Microsoft ultimately decide to officially deprecate the Control Panel, it seems unlikely that it will face the same fate as other applications, such as Notepad, which have been integrated into the Copilot framework.
Continuing its focus on artificial intelligence, Microsoft has rolled out additional features for all Windows Insiders. Users equipped with Copilot+ PCs can now utilize the Copilot App to perform semantic file searches, enabling them to use natural language queries to locate documents or images. For those concerned about privacy, Microsoft has assured users that they can manage permissions regarding what Copilot can access, retrieve, or read through the Permission settings in the app.
The Copilot App has also been enhanced to showcase a list of recent documents, specifically those compatible with the chatbot, which includes formats like .png, .jpeg, .svg, .pdf, .docx, .xlsx, .csv, .json, and .txt. Users can opt to allow the app to access and display the contents of these files.
Describing this as “the new Copilot home experience,” Microsoft emphasizes that it aims to bring recent applications, files, and conversations into the Copilot interface, making them readily accessible at users’ fingertips.
