Windows 11: Microsoft announces new Start menu and many AI functions
Microsoft has announced the "next wave of Windows experiences". Many of the new functions are aimed at Copilot Plus PCs.
Microsoft is giving Windows 11 a new boost in AI functions.
(Image: Microsoft)
Microsoft not only announced new Surface hardware on Tuesday, but also a colorful bouquet of new features for Windows 11, including a revised Start menu and the integration of many new AI features in Copilot+ PCs. Not all of these features are brand new; Microsoft has already introduced some of them in other contexts.
Microsoft revises the Start menu for Windows 11
As Microsoft writes, the Start menu is to become more personalized. The update, which Microsoft is initially making available to Insiders on the Windows preview channels, will give Windows 11 more options for customizing and organizing apps.
The Start menu will also have a new category view for all apps and categories, which Windows will automatically sort by frequency of use. The company is also delivering a new mobile app that can be used to connect smartphones to Windows. Microsoft promises direct access to Android and iOS devices from the Start menu. Microsoft plans to make this function available in Europe at a later date.
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Click-to-do: AI summaries and more with a right-click
The new announcements also include AI Actions in File Explorer. In the future, Windows will display new options such as "Summarize content" or "Edit image" when right-clicking on a file. Like the previous "click-to-do functions", the AI functions are aimed at Copilot Plus PCs. Among other things, the AI image editing functions of apps such as Paint and Photos and the Copilot features of Microsoft 365 apps will be used without having to open the respective applications.
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Microsoft is also bringing AI to the settings: with the help of an AI agent for Windows, users will be able to access Windows settings using natural text input. For example, you can write "The screen is too dark" or "My mouse pointer is too small" in the settings window and the system will guide the user to the relevant options without a lengthy search.
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This function will initially be made available for Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs with Snapdragon chips. Later, it will also land on AMD and Intel devices. In addition, input will initially only be supported in English.
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New AI features will also be added to Notepad, making it easier to create content and display it in certain formats.
Copilot for Windows is also getting a "Vision" function, which Microsoft's Head of AI Mustafa Suleyman had already announced for the Edge browser in mid-April. Insiders will be the first to be able to use this to evaluate screen content and make direct reference to it.
Windows Insiders can also try out the "Press to Talk" function: A long press on the Copilot button activates voice control. In the future, Windows computers will be able to call up Copilot with the phrase "Hey, Copilot!". This new function is opt-in and must be activated by the user.
AI updates for snippet tool, Paint and other apps
Microsoft is also expanding the AI capabilities of other system tools. For example, images and photos in Photos can be restaged with new exposure settings. In Paint, for example, an image can be further edited and changed with object selection and AI text prompts. Paint also has a sticker generator that allows users to generate their own designs using a text prompt.
AI is also moving into the snipping tool: The "Perfect Screenshot" function automatically adjusts the selected area so that the screen content is tightly framed. According to Microsoft, subsequent cropping is no longer necessary.
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(afl)
