Microsoft Unveils AI-Powered Features for Windows 11, Prioritizing Copilot+ PCs

Copilot+ PCs are leveling up -- Windows 11 beta reveals new AI upgrades, but there's a catch

Windows 11, just like macOS or ChromeOS, is a work in progress, and beta builds are a nice preview into all the cool new things and fixes coming. And in the catchily named Windows 11 Preview Build 26120.3872 (Beta Channel), we just got a closer look at all the new Copilot+ PC features coming soon, along with fixes to some of the bigger issues users have been facing. To get access to Windows 11 Preview Builds, go here and register. After this, switch "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" to on, and then click "Check for updates." You'll get the Insider Preview. This is a big update to Windows 11, which starts to expand the usability of Copilot+ PCs. Let's break them down: Not only that, but there are huge new accessibility features, too: On top of this, Microsoft is dropping a bunch of fixes and security tweaks. This includes the ability to turn off searching for cloud-saved content via Windows search box, better controls to reduce the amount of notifications you'll get from widgets and finally fixing that pesky Start menu crash caused by creating folders. But there's a catch. Not every Copilot+ PC will get these features, and chances are many of you will have to wait a while for this. If you remember back to when Copilot+ PCs were introduced last year, it all started with Snapdragon X Elite -- moving over to chips with an Arm architecture (running the same way as your phone works) rather than the aging x86 that's been around for over three decades. This has started a trend of all these new cool Copilot+ PC features coming to Snapdragon PCs first, and in this blog post, Microsoft does confirm that these AI features are "coming soon" to AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs. Fortunately, the accessibility features aren't locked in a waiting room. But the lack of a uniform launch of all these features across all Copilot+ laptops does sting a little.

Microsoft is working on some seriously exciting Windows 11 improvements - but not everyone will get them

Search has also been pepped up with AI, and Voice Access has got a handy new addition too Windows 11's latest preview version just arrived packing improved search functionality and some impressive new capabilities for accessibility, including the integration of Microsoft's 'Reading Coach' app on certain PCs. This is preview build 26120.3872 in the Beta channel, and some of the fresh additions are just for Copilot+ PCs, and specifically only for devices with Snapdragon (Arm-based) chips. So, first up in this category is the integration of Reading Coach with Click to Do. To recap on those pieces of functionality, Click to Do provides context-sensitive actions which are AI-powered - this was brought in as the partner feature to Recall on Copilot+ PCs - and Reading Coach became available for free at the start of 2024. The latter is an app you can download from the Microsoft Store in order to practice your reading skills and pronunciation, and Reading Coach can now be chosen direct from the Click to Do context menu, so you can work on any selected piece of text. (You'll need the coaching app installed to do this, of course). Also new for Click to Do (and Copilot+ PCs) is a 'Read with Immersive Reader' ability which is a focused reading mode designed for those with dyslexia and dysgraphia. This allows users to adjust the text size and spacing, font, and background theme to best suit their needs, as well as having a picture dictionary option that Microsoft notes "provides visual representations of unfamiliar words for instant understanding." You can also elect to have text read aloud and split into syllables if required. Another neat feature for Copilot+ PCs - albeit only in the European Economic Area to begin with - is the ability to find photos saved in the cloud (OneDrive) via the search box in the Windows 11 taskbar. Again, this is AI-powered, so you can use natural language search to find images in OneDrive (such as photos of "Halloween costumes" for example). Both local (on the device) and cloud-based photos will be displayed in the taskbar search results. All of the above are now rolling out in testing to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, but devices with AMD and Intel CPUs will also be covered eventually. A further noteworthy introduction here - for all PCs this time - is that Voice Access now grants you the power to add your own words to its dictionary. So, if there's a word that the system is having difficulty picking up when you say it, you can add a custom dictionary entry and hopefully the next time you use it during dictation, Voice Access will correctly recognize the word. There are a bunch of other tweaks and refinements in this new preview version, all of which are covered in Microsoft's blog post on the new Beta build. It's good to see Microsoft's continued efforts to improve Windows 11 in terms of accessibility and learning, even if some of the core introductions here won't be piped through to most folks - as they won't have a Copilot+ PC. What's also clear is that Microsoft is clearly giving devices with Snapdragon processors priority on an ongoing basis, and that's fine, as long as the same powers come to all Copilot+ PCs eventually (which they are doing thus far, and there's no reason why they shouldn't). The Voice Access addition is a very handy one, although I'm surprised it took Microsoft this long to implement it. I was previously a heavy user of Nuance (Dragon) speech recognition tool (my RSI has long since been cured, thanks in part to taking a break from typing by using this software) and it offered this functionality. As Windows 11's Voice Access is essentially built on the same tech - Microsoft bought Nuance back in 2021 - it's taken a while to incorporate what I felt was an important feature. As ever, though, better late than never, and I certainly can't complain about Voice Access being free, or at least free in terms of being bundled in with Windows 11.

Windows 11 is getting a lot of new features, here's how to check if your PC qualifies

Table of Contents Table of Contents Reading Coach with Click to Do Read with Immersive Reader Search your cloud photos with just a few words Add your words to the dictionary in Voice Access AI enhancements in progress In a Windows Insider blog post, Microsoft announces some exciting new features coming to Windows 11, including Reading Coach integration, improved Voice Access, and AI-enhanced Search. These upgrades are part of preview build 26120.3872 in the Beta channel. However, some upcoming features will only be available on Copilot+ PCs, a new category of AI-powered devices that run on Snapdragon (ARM-based) chips. Beyond the features highlighted in this preview, more Copilot+ features are already on the horizon. For example, Microsoft recently confirmed that Recall, which raised privacy concerns, is coming to Windows 11 in build 26100.3902 (KB5055627), now available in the Release Preview Channel. That means it's just one step away from general release and likely to arrive soon on eligible Copilot+ devices. Recommended Videos So, what new features are coming to Copilot+ PCs, and how do you know if your PC will be compatible with them? Here's a list of the upcoming features and who can access them. Reading Coach with Click to Do One of the most practical new features in the update is the addition of Reading Coach to the Windows 11 "Click to Do" feature. This action uses AI to suggest context-aware tools. Microsoft says you can improve your reading fluency and pronunciation with the "Practice in Reading Coach" Click to Do action. You only need to highlight the text recognized by Click to Do on your screen, and then select the 'Practice in Reading Coach' option. Once you're done reading, the Reading Coach gives you feedback and guides you on where there is room for improvement. This is a valuable tool since it gives users a judgment-free way to improve their skills at their own pace. Applying the feedback helps build confidence over time. And, since the feature is always available on your Copilot+ PC, you can practice whenever it fits your schedule, which I find very convenient. Read with Immersive Reader The fewer distractions you have when reading, the better, and that's what Microsoft aims to deliver with Immersive Reader. You can access this feature the same way you would Reading Coach, and you can customize the text's appearance by changing the font, size, spacing, or background theme. While Immersive Reader was initially designed to assist readers with dyslexia and dysgraphia, it offers helpful tools for everyone. For instance, the feature reads the text aloud for you, uses syllable breaks to split words, and highlights verbs, nouns, and adjectives. Another feature that visual learners will love is the picture dictionary option, which shows unfamiliar words with pictures to help users understand them more easily. The picture dictionary feature is great since not everyone grasps information in the same way. I prefer visuals when learning something, since they help speed up the learning process. Who hasn't understood something better when you were shown an image of what they meant? Search your cloud photos with just a few words Good news for Windows Insiders in the European Economic Area, since they can search for pictures saved in the cloud using their own words via the Windows Search box. For example, you can use words like 'dog on the beach' and get pictures that fit that description. Being able to search for a picture this way is a huge time-saver since not everyone can remember the exact name they gave a file to find it. The updated search brings together cloud and local results, so everything is displayed in one place. Not too long ago, Microsoft announced this feature in a Windows Insider blog post that Windows Search would get an AI upgrade, allowing users with a Copilot+ PC with a Snapdragon processor to use both semantic and lexical indexing to search for specific photos. Although the feature is currently available for Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft has confirmed that support for AMD- and Intel-powered PCs is coming soon, but a specific timeframe was not provided. I hope it's sooner than later. Add your words to the dictionary in Voice Access Voice Access in Windows 11 is getting smarter, and one of the most useful enhancements is the option to add specific words to the dictionary. If you use hard-to-pronounce or uncommon terms, adding them can help improve dictation accuracy. Even words you typically struggle with won't be an issue anymore; you're teaching it your personal vocabulary. Microsoft says this feature will be available in all currently supported languages, including French, English, Spanish, Chinese, and German. AI enhancements in progress Microsoft's new features are genuinely helpful, especially for accessibility. Immersive Reader, for example, can make a real difference for users with dyslexia or dysgraphia. The only downside right now is that you'll need a Copilot+ PC with a Snapdragon processor to use them. Hopefully, support for other Copilot+ PCs won't be far behind. Tools like Picture Dictionary are a great example of how AI can make everyday tasks more intuitive, especially for visual learners.