Copilot and other Windows 11 version 23H2 features are now rolling out

Microsoft is now officially rolling out new features for Windows 11, as the company had promised last week. These features include Copilot in Windows, a new backup and restore experience, and some major AI-powered updates for Windows 11 apps. While these features are essentially part of Windows 11 version 23H2, as we’ve been referring to it, Microsoft isn’t using that terminology for this update. Instead, the company is just now starting to roll out these features, and it’s doing so in the most convoluted way possible.

How to get the new Windows 11 features

If you’ve followed Windows news over the past few months, you may know about a new toggle Microsoft added to the Windows Update page in the Settings app, labeled Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available. This is how Microsoft is rolling out these new features now, and if you want them today, you have to look for updates on your PC while having this toggle switched on (though availability for some features may still vary).

Microsoft then expects to have these features enabled by default in the optional non-security October update, which will be released in the second half of that month. At that point, you’ll no longer need this toggle enabled, but because this is an optional update, you’ll still have to install it manually. Finally, in November, the mandatory Patch Tuesday update will mark the general availability of the new features, and it will also contain an enablement package that changes the version number to 23H2, rather than 22H2. This will be a small update, since these two versions share the exact same code base, except version 23H2 will have these features enabled. This will also extend the support period for another 24 months.

What’s new in this update

As for what exactly is new in this update, there’s quite a bit to look forward to. We’ve already extensively covered the new features in Windows 11 version 23H2, but here are some highlights:

Copilot and AI come to Windows

The big headlining feature in this update is — perhaps unsurprisingly — artificial intelligence. Microsoft has been going all-out with AI, and with this update, we’re getting Copilot in Windows, a digital AI-based assistant that’s meant to help you get things done. Largely based on Bing Chat and GPT-4, Copilot in Windows allows you to use natural language input to ask complex questions and get help with things like planning a trip or preparing a meal. It can search the web based on your specific input and bring it all together in a way that delivers the information you need more quickly.

However, Copilot in Windows is more than Bing Chat, too. It can summarize a webpage you’re looking at in Edge, compose an email, enable Bluetooth, or turn on dark mode on your PC. More capabilities will be added over time and this is still a pretty early version of Copilot, but it’s pretty promising.

AI is also being infused into other parts of Windows, though, specifically some of the included apps. Paint is a big one, which now has a background removal feature powered by AI, so you can easily remove distractions from a photo and focus on the main subject. Microsoft is also adding layer support to Paint and making it possible to properly edit transparent images. Additionally, on the topic of AI, Paint Cocreator is a new tool that uses AI to generate images using a text prompt, and you can add it to your image and edit it to suit your needs.

Clipchamp also has an AI-powered featured called Auto Compose. Basically, you can bring together a bunch of clips and assets and answer a few questions about the project you want to make. Then, Clipchamp will put them together in a pre-made video made to fit the style you want.

Another example is Snipping Tool, which now supports text recognition in screenshots along with a quick redact feature to hide phone numbers and email addresses automatically. Meanwhile, the Photos app uses AI to identify subjects, people, and scenes, and you can search for any term you want in the search bar to find the picture you’re looking for. Plus, there’s a new background blur feature, too.

A new backup experience

This update also includes a new Windows Backup app that makes it easier to see the backup status of your PC and choose what you want to sync to the cloud. You can then restore your settings and apps on a new device when you set it up, including app placement on the taskbar and Start menu.

More accessibility

Source: Microsoft

Accessibility is a major focus for Microsoft, and this update brings a few improvements on that front. Voice access is now more capable than ever, with the ability to easily correct incorrect words while typing with your voice. Plus, voice access is now available in places like the lock screen, so you can start using it right away.

Narrator is also getting support for natural voices in new languages, making it easier to listen to the content being narrated. Natural-sounding voices will sound more realistic and have better pacing, so the overall experience should be much better.

Security improvements

A few improvements have also been made to security, with Windows Hello now supporting passkeys in websites. Passkeys let you sing into websites using your Windows Hello credentials to verify your identity rather than a typical password, making it less likely someone will get access to your account.

Microsoft has also added new features for devices with presence sensors, like Wake on Approach and Lock on Leave, making it so that your PC automatically wakes up when you get close and locks when you walk away, so you don’t have to worry about someone else using it. There’s also the Adaptive Dimming feature that dims the screen when you look away to save power.

There’s still more

In addition to the AI app updates mentioned above, Microsoft is also making the new Outlook app generally available as a replacement for Mail and Calendar. The Microsoft Store is also getting a new Instant Games feature, allowing you to instantly start playing games from the Store without having to download them first. Plus, users will soon be able to choose what drive and location to install games on, similar to what you can already do with the Xbox app.

Meanwhile, for the OS itself, built-in RGB lighting controls are being added, reducing the need for third-party apps to enable to customize RGB effects. There are also new developer features like De Home, WinGet configuration, and new features for WSL like automatic memory reclaim.

Business users also have good news, like improved Windows Hello support for users with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) accounts, and features like Windows 365 Boot and Windows 365 Switch, which let you easily switch to a cloud PC inside Windows 11, or even boot your PC straight to your cloud PC rather than the local machine.

All of these features and more are rolling out now, and will become fully available by November, as explained above.