Microsoft unveils new AI-powered Windows 11 features for Copilot+ PC users

Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled the latest AI features for Copilot+ PCs, with improved Windows search and a tool that can detect and act on the contents of a user’s screen. 

Click to Do places an interactive overlay on a PC’s desktop screen and provides suggested actions for ways to interact with text and images. This could mean running a “visual search” of an image in Microsoft’s Bing search engine, for instance, or summarizing selected text on a webpage. 

“Click to Do works by first understanding everything you’ve seen on your screen, then enabling useful shortcuts to actions that help you more quickly search, learn, edit, shop, or act on those items,” Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s corporate vice president and consumer chief marketing officer, explained in a pre-recorded press briefing ahead of the announcement. “It works on any window, document, image or even video.”

Click to Do will be available in preview for Windows Insider members in November.

It’s one of several Windows features developed specifically for Copilot+ PCs sold by Microsoft and OEM partners. The “AI PCs” feature a neural processing unit (NPU) that runs AI workloads more effectively on-device.

Microsoft also provided more details on plans to make another flagship Copilot+ feature — its controversial Recall timeline search tool — available to Windows Insiders this month. This will start with Copilot+ PCs running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, with access expanded to Intel- and AMD-powered devices in November. 

Announced in May, the launch of Recall was subsequently delayed in response to data privacy and security concerns. Microsoft has since made changes to Recall in response to the backlash; the company outlined those changes last week, and noted the feature will now be turned off by default. 

There’s no word yet on when Recall will be made generally available, however, with Microsoft saying only that more details will be shared “soon.”

Another feature announced on Tuesday for Copilot+ PC owners is improved Windows Search. This lets users describe what they’re looking for — such as the contents of photos — without needing to remember an actual file name or get the spelling right. The improved search, which can be performed offline thanks to the Copilot+ NPUs, will be available first with File Explorer before coming to Windows Search and Settings in the coming months, Microsoft said.

The Windows Search feature “could be a real boon to users,” said Tom Mainelli, IDC’s group vice president for device and consumer research.

“We all spend an inordinate amount of time either filing things so we can find them later or searching for things that we failed to file well,” he said. “This new search feature, as demonstrated, makes it much easier to find what you need quickly so you can stay in the flow of your work.”

There are also new AI features coming to two Windows apps, Paint and Photos. 

In Photos, the super resolution tool lets users enhance low quality images, upscaling photos to 4K resolution in seconds. 

Coming to Paint are two editing tools — generative fill and erase. “Using an adjustable brush, you can remove unwanted or distracting elements in your image or add new ones, exactly where you want them,” Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Windows and devices, said in a blog post. “We’ve also improved the underlying diffusion-based model to deliver better results faster, and with built-in moderation, it’s a creative experience you can trust.”

The new Copilot+ features are unlikely to prompt the average consumer or IT decision-maker to rush out and buy a new PC, said Mainelli. The aging PC installed base is more of a driving factor, with many commercial customers still relying on Windows 10 devices acquired four or more years ago. “Windows 10 EOS is in October 2025, so many companies are moving toward a refresh,” he said.

But for those planning an upgrade, the additional capabilties make Copilot+ devices more compelling.  “These new features could make buyers who are already contemplating new PC purchases consider moving up the stack to buy a Copilot+ PC,” said Mainelli.

“These new AI features also position Microsoft and Windows to keep existing users from defecting to Apple and the Mac, which will see the rollout of Apple Intelligence in the coming weeks and months.”

Microsoft also announced the rollout of the Windows 11 24H2 update to customers on Tuesday. This version includes features such as Energy Saver, designed to reduce energy use and extend battery life; enhancements to hearing aid support with Bluetooth LE Audio such as audio preset controls and ambient sounds; and Wi-Fi 7 compatibility.