In a significant move to enhance user interaction, Microsoft is currently rolling out a hands-free feature for its Copilot Voice application on Windows 11. This innovative capability allows users to initiate conversations simply by saying “Hey Copilot!”—a functionality that aligns with the growing trend of voice-activated technology.
Beta testers, known as Windows Insiders, can experience this feature by opting in and activating it within the updated app. While similar voice commands have been a staple in virtual assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa, this marks a notable advancement for Copilot, which has recently transitioned from the now-retired Cortana assistant.
According to a recent blog post, users will need to enable the feature to respond to the wake word. The rollout is gradual, meaning not all Insiders will receive the update immediately. Currently, it is available to testers worldwide who have set their display language to English. To check eligibility, users should verify that their Copilot app version is 1.25051.10.0 or higher.
Once activated, a microphone icon will appear at the bottom of the screen, accompanied by a chime notification indicating that the app is listening. Notably, the feature employs an on-device wake word spotter with a 10-second audio buffer, ensuring that audio clips are neither sent to the cloud nor stored locally. This means that the wake word can be recognized even without an internet connection; however, full functionality of the Copilot Voice feature will require online access to utilize cloud processing capabilities.
