Microsoft has said that the rolling out of several new features for Windows 11 will begin now. However, it will take until August for the majority of users to see these features on their PCs. The top six new features that will be available in the upcoming month are shown here.
Make sure that Windows Update has the “Get the latest updates as they become available” option toggled on if you wish to have access to these new features sooner. By doing this, you can be sure you’re using the most recent versions when Microsoft releases them. In general, all of these features ought to be accessible by the end of August.
- Copilot Vision
The Copilot app comes with a feature called Copilot Vision for Windows 11 that allows the AI assistant to view what you see on your desktop. If you have Copilot Vision activated, you can have real-time conversations with it regarding a project you’re working on, a video you’re watching, or a website you’re reading.
Because it can offer tips, ideas, and insights on anything you’re doing on your computer, Microsoft refers to this as a helpful productivity tool. You have the option of sharing a single app window, a tab in your browser, or your full desktop, which enables you to quickly switch between apps and have Copilot follow.
If you need assistance finishing a task or finding anything on a website, Copilot Vision can even highlight the parts of an app that it suggests you click.
Unfortunately, Copilot Vision is now only accessible to users in the United States, even though it is now being rolled out more widely. Although no specific dates have been announced as of yet, it is anticipated to expand to additional areas in the upcoming months.
- AI Agent in Settings
Microsoft plans to launch what it calls Windows’ first artificial intelligence agent in August. This feature, which is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, turns the Windows Settings app’s built-in search box into a command line that allows you to change PC settings using natural language.
In essence, you can ask Microsoft’s tiny AI assistant to adjust settings for you by adding it to the Settings apps search box. To make your cursor appear larger, for example, simply put “make my cursor larger” into the search box, and the AI assistant will present you with the option to make the change.
Those who might not know where to find a specific setting will find this feature particularly helpful. Now, all you have to do is ask the Settings app to turn on Bluetooth and enable quiet hours. This should make using the Settings app more efficient and quick, allowing you to enter and exit without having to search for a specific setting or option page.
Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon processors are the first to gain this feature; support for Copilot+ PCs with AMD and Intel processors will follow. However, the new search bar user interface, which is now located in the very top center of the Settings app, will be visible on all PCs.
- Relight in Photos
Relight in Photos easily adds studio-quality lighting effects to photos using on-device AI. This feature allows you to apply several lighting styles to alter the appearance of a picture and add up to three virtual light sources that you may move about the image.
You may adjust your own style on the fly with the use of unique sliders, in addition to the presets like Studio Portrait and Cinematic Glow that are pre-installed.
This feature is exclusive to Copilot+ and is only available on Snapdragon PCs at the moment. Copilot+ PCs from AMD and Intel will eventually be able to access it.
- Object Select in Paint
Paint’s Object Select feature uses artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize things in an image and makes it very simple to isolate and remove those particular items for usage elsewhere. It is referred to by Microsoft as a “smart selection tool” and makes it very simple to remove certain objects from a photo.
Additionally, Paint is getting a new sticker generator feature that allows you to make custom stickers by just inputting a prompt into the AI generator that is already installed. These stickers may only be applied to a canvas within the Paint app, which is where they are most useful.
Although available on all three platforms—Snapdragon, AMD, and Intel—both of these features are exclusive to Copilot+.
- Perfect Screenshot in Snipping Tool
Microsoft is adding a new feature to the Snipping Tool app in Windows 11 called “perfect screenshot.” Based on your selection, this feature automatically crops a section of the screen using AI.
For instance, you could use Perfect screenshot to automatically crop the screenshot so that it only shows the app window in the saved image if you wanted to take a screenshot of an app window but didn’t want your wallpaper to be in the background.
Until you really need it, you won’t understand how helpful this little addition is. You may now trim a screenshot to only include the desired subject matter without having to open Paint or Photoshop.
This feature is available on all three platforms—Snapdragon, AMD, and Intel—but it is exclusive to Copilot+ PC!
Additionally, Snipping Tool will have a built-in color picker, a feature that color experts will love! You may now verify the hex code of a color you observed online without downloading a third-party tool. By pressing Win+Shift+S, you can now open the Snipping Tool app, which has it integrated directly into it.
- Fast Machine Recovery
In August, Microsoft will also release some significant upgrades to Windows 11’s recovery and BSOD screens. First, a more straightforward black screen that shows an error message is taking the place of the recognizable blue screen in Microsoft’s makeover of the BSOD.
Additionally, the new BSOD screen is speedier, so it will be shown on the screen for shorter periods of time than previously. Instead of 40 seconds, the company says that the new BSOD should only be visible for about two seconds. The goal is to get your computer into recovery mode as soon as possible so that Windows can try to fix itself more quickly.
Additionally, Microsoft has unveiled a new feature dubbed rapid machine recovery, a recovery mechanism designed to quickly identify, debug, and restore the operating system to a bootable condition in the event that the computer finds itself in a boot loop.