Soon you will be able to shout Hey Copilot to your Windows laptop
Microsoft is testing a new hands-free voice activation feature for Copilot on Windows 11. The feature will allow users to simply say 'Hey Copilot' to interact with the AI assistant. The Copilot wake word feature is currently in beta testing and is being rolled out to select users who are part of Microsoft's Windows Insider Programme.In its official blog post, Microsoft reveals that the upcoming update will allow users to start talking to Copilot in a manner similar to how other voice assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa work. While voice commands are not new in the tech space, this is the first time Microsoft's AI Copilot is getting a wake word. Previously, Microsoft offered a similar feature for its now-discontinued virtual assistant, Cortana.advertisementHow to use the "Hey Copilot" featureThe Copilot wake word feature is currently under testing. Once available, to try out the new voice feature, users will first need to opt in and manually enable the 'Hey Copilot' wake word in the Copilot app's settings. Once activated, your PC will listen for the wake phrase as long as it is unlocked. Upon detecting the command, a floating microphone UI will appear at the bottom of the screen, along with a chime to indicate Copilot is actively listening.
Once active, users can ask anything from 'Hey Copilot, what's the weather like in Palm Springs this weekend?' to more complex queries or productivity tasks. The interaction will end automatically after a few seconds of inactivity or when the user taps the 'X' on the floating UI, accompanied by an audible confirmation.advertisementThe wake word functionality will even work offline, though an internet connection will still be required for Copilot to process and respond to queries, as the core AI runs in the cloud.Microsoft says that its upcoming hands-free interaction is built around an on-device wake word detection system that processes voice input locally. The company emphasises that the feature will consider user privacy, stating that the assistant uses a 10-second audio buffer that neither stores voice data locally nor uploads it to the cloud.Hey Copilot feature availabilityThe voice-enabled version of Copilot is available to testers with app version 1.25051.10.0 or higher, and whose system language is set to English. Microsoft says the rollout is gradual, so not all eligible users will see the update immediately. The official rollout is expected in the coming weeks or months, as the company completes beta trials successfully.Meanwhile, for now, users eager to test this feature can join the Windows Insider Programme.
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