AI is transforming the landscape of personal computing, as highlighted by a recent consumer AI report commissioned by Microsoft. The findings reveal that nearly 60% of individuals have utilized generative AI for work-related tasks over the past year, while an even greater 64% have embraced AI for personal pursuits, including art, music, and DIY projects. In response to this shift, Windows is evolving to offer intuitive experiences designed to enhance everyday tasks on your PC.
Changing Windows Settings has never been easier, with Windows’ first agent
Adjusting settings in Windows has reached new heights of simplicity. On Copilot+ PCs, users can now articulate their desired changes in the settings search box, receiving immediate recommendations and one-click options to adjust relevant settings. This innovation is powered by the new agent in Settings, Windows’ inaugural agent optimized for Copilot+ PCs.
With hundreds of customizable settings spanning displays, connectivity, and accessibility, users can enable or revert any changes made. To utilize the agent in Settings:
- Open Settings from the Taskbar or Start Menu.
- Type your desired change in the Settings search box using natural language, such as “I want to enable quiet hours” or “connect Bluetooth device.” For specific requests, you might say, “change my resolution to 1920×1080.”
- If the agent can facilitate the change, it will present an option to execute the action and an option to undo any modifications.
- For settings that cannot be adjusted by the agent, enhanced Windows search will guide you to relevant settings more efficiently.
This feature is rolling out today for Windows customers using English on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, with support for Intel and AMD devices to follow.
Do even more with Click to Do (preview)
Click to Do is designed to streamline your workflow, offering contextual actions related to text and images on your screen. After invoking Click to Do, relevant actions will appear, enabling you to prompt Copilot, conduct web searches, create bulleted lists, draft documents or emails, and even schedule Teams meetings—all without leaving your current window.
New actions available today include:
- Practice in Reading Coach: This feature aids in improving reading fluency and pronunciation by allowing users to select text on their screen, read it aloud, and receive feedback.
- Read with Immersive Reader: This action presents text in a distraction-free environment, enhancing reading and writing skills for all levels.
- Draft with Copilot in Word: Quickly convert recognized text into a draft, eliminating writer’s block.
- Microsoft Teams Integration: Easily send messages or schedule meetings directly from recognized email addresses.
To get started with Click to Do:
- Press the Windows key + mouse click, Windows key + Q, or access it through the Start menu and Snipping Tool.
- Utilize hardware-specific options such as double-clicking your pen on pen-capable devices or swiping from the right on touch screens.
- Explore all the ways Click to Do can enhance your productivity on a Copilot+ PC.
Photos relight brings professional lighting controls to your pictures
The Relight feature in the Photos app introduces professional lighting controls to enhance your images. Users can open any photo, select Edit > Relight, and position up to three virtual light sources around their subject. Adjust the intensity, color, and position of each light with user-friendly sliders or choose from built-in presets like “Studio Portrait” and “Cinematic Glow.”
To use Relight in Photos:
- Open the Photos app and select the image you wish to edit.
- Select Edit, then choose Relight from the options.
- Pick a lighting preset and customize each light’s location, brightness, softness, or color.
Paint adds even more creative capabilities with sticker generator and object select
Recent enhancements to Paint on Copilot+ PCs elevate the creative experience. The Sticker generator allows users to create custom stickers by typing a prompt. Simply click the Sticker generator button in the Copilot menu, describe your desired sticker, and generate a unique set to apply to your canvas or save for later.
Additionally, the object select tool utilizes AI to help users isolate and edit individual elements in their images. To use these new features:
- Open the Paint app.
- Explore the welcome experience to learn about features like Cocreator, generative erase, sticker generator, and object select.
- Experiment with the sticker generator and object select tools.
Be more productive with Snipping Tool perfect screenshot and color picker
The Snipping Tool has been enhanced with two new features: perfect screenshot and color picker. Perfect screenshot allows users to capture specific areas of the screen without needing to crop or resize afterward. To try this feature:
- Invoke the Snipping Tool capture toolbar from within the app or using the Print Screen keyboard shortcut.
- Select the Perfect screenshot button and choose a region of your screen.
- Adjust the selection as needed before confirming your capture.
The color picker feature enables users to identify and capture colors seen on their screen, providing HEX, RGB, or HSL values for precise color matching.
Do more with Microsoft Copilot and Edge on Windows 11
Copilot Vision on Windows offers a new interactive experience, enabling users to share their screen with Copilot, which can analyze content and provide real-time insights. This feature acts as a second set of eyes, assisting with navigation and answering questions while working across multiple applications.
To get started with Copilot Vision:
- Open the Copilot app and click the glasses icon in your composer.
- Select the browser window or app to share.
- Engage with Copilot for assistance on your tasks.
Moreover, Microsoft Edge enhances the browsing experience with AI-powered tools and performance features, including Edge Game Assist, which provides tips and guides for popular PC games.
Making the unexpected easier with faster recovery
To address the frustration of unexpected restarts, Windows 11 is introducing a new recovery mechanism that detects and resolves common issues during restarts. This improvement reduces the time spent on recovery screens from 40 seconds to just 2 seconds for most consumer devices.
How to get these updates
Over the coming month, several of these features will be gradually rolled out to consumers. Many experiences are already available through this month’s Windows non-security preview update and updates in the Microsoft Store. To ensure you receive the latest enhancements, navigate to Settings > Windows Update and enable “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.” Then, select “Check for updates” to download the most recent non-security preview release.
