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Microsoft introduces agentic AI experience for Copilot Plus PCs: What's new
Microsoft has announced that it will soon begin rolling out a range of new AI-powered features exclusive to Copilot+ PCs. In addition to expanding existing tools like Click to Do, the company is introducing entirely new abilities, including an agentic AI experience within the Settings app that can suggest and change device configurations on the user's behalf. New features are also coming to Photos, Paint, Snipping Tool, and Narrator. These updates will begin rolling out to Windows Insiders in the coming months.
Microsoft has also launched its latest Surface devices—a 13-inch Surface Laptop and a 12-inch Surface Pro—both powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus chip. The devices are now available for pre-order in India and will go on sale from July 15.
New Microsoft Copilot + PC features
Agent in Settings
Microsoft is introducing a new AI agent in the Settings app, designed to understand user intent and automate tasks. Users can describe their needs using natural language prompts like 'how to control my PC by voice' or 'my mouse pointer is too small,' and the AI will suggest steps to resolve the issue—or even carry them out directly, with user permission.
Initially, this experience will be available to Windows Insiders on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, with support for AMD and Intel versions coming later. The feature will only support English language inputs at launch.
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Click to Do, which offers contextual shortcuts such as copying text from images or removing backgrounds, is getting an upgrade. Upcoming additions include:
Use Ask Copilot to act on text or images.
Leverage Microsoft 365 Copilot to draft content in Word.
Convert selected text into a bulleted list.
Send an on-screen table directly to Excel.
Use a Reading Coach to practice reading selected text aloud.
Launch Immersive Reader for better reading experience.
Schedule a Teams meeting from an email.
Some of these features are already rolling out to Windows Insiders on Copilot+ PCs, with others arriving later this month.
Improved Windows Search
Microsoft announced that improved Windows Search which lets users find local files with natural language prompts is expanding to more places. With this change users can:
Search for specific Windows settings.
Quickly find and install apps from the Microsoft Store.
Search within the Photos app to locate particular images.
Photos relight
The new Relight feature in the Microsoft Photos app brings dynamic lighting controls to images. Users can:
Place up to three adjustable light sources.
Set light colours and move a focus point.
Adjust brightness and intensity.
Apply preset lighting styles with one click.
Relight will launch first on Snapdragon X Series Copilot+ PCs, with AMD and Intel support to follow later this year.
New features in Paint
Two new AI-powered features are coming to Paint on Copilot+ PCs:
Sticker generator: Creates digital stickers from a simple text prompt. These can be used on the canvas, copied into documents, or shared in chats.
Object select: Offers context-aware selection to isolate and edit specific elements on the canvas.
These features will be available to Windows Insiders later this month.
New features for Snipping tool
The Windows Snipping Tool is gaining several new features:
Perfect screenshot: Automatically adjusts the capture area to tightly frame content, with crop handles for fine-tuning.
Text extractor: Lets users copy text directly from images or screenshots.
Color picker: Captures exact colour values from anywhere on the screen.
Microsoft has also upgraded the tool's diffusion-based model to deliver better results more quickly. This is the same model used in Paint's Cocreator and generative fill features.
New features for Narrator
Narrator, the built-in screen reader, now provides rich image descriptions, offering detailed context for visuals such as charts, user interface elements, and photos. This helps blind and low-vision users interpret content that lacks alt text.
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