Microsoft Is Removing “unnecessary” Copilot Features From Windows.
After years of integrating (read: implementing) Copilot into as many Windows apps as possible, Microsoft appears to have made a shocking discovery: users don’t want Copilot forced into as many Windows apps as possible. On Friday, Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s president of Windows and devices, published a post on the official Windows blog , updating readers on the changes the company is making to Windows in response to user feedback. While Davuluri stopped short of outright stating that “this whole AI thing was a mistake,” he did say, “What we’ve heard [from user feedback] is the voice of people who care deeply about Windows and want it to be better.” So, now we have a set of changes that will hopefully make Windows better.
The Copilot feature will be deprecated in future versions of Windows 11.
The biggest change is a regression in the area of AI. In a section titled “Integrating AI where it matters most, with care and thought,” Davuluri says Microsoft will be “more intentional” about where and how it places Copilot in the operating system. Going forward, the goal will be to create “genuinely useful and well-designed” interfaces. Specifically, Microsoft is currently “reducing the number of unnecessary entry points into Copilot.” While more changes may come in the future, the exclusions begin with the Snipping Tool, Photos, widgets, and Notepad. Davuluri doesn’t say how far Microsoft is removing Copilot from these apps, but hopefully the company will at least tone down the visibility of its AI features.
The first round of changes may not be perfect, but it seems to address the main issues users have complained about with Copilot in Windows 11. Browse Windows forums and tech forums like Reddit, and you’ll see plenty of criticism. For example, this thread is full of it: one user writes, “I hate the way they cram it into every tool, changing it almost daily and leaving most features enabled by default,” while another says, “It reminds me of Windows 8, but on steroids.” One even tried to use it technically, but with no success: “I [set up] the Copilot agent as an additional learning resource, and it takes on a life of its own. I tell it not to do something, and it does the opposite.”
While I’m sure some users find Copilot’s features useful , the fact is that most of them are simply unnecessary for the tasks people want to do on their computers. If they were necessary, Microsoft likely wouldn’t have had to cram Copilot into as many corners of the OS as possible to prove to the world (or investors) that it’s serious about AI. The company created a special Copilot key for PCs and even went to extreme lengths to trick people into using Copilot . If you have to trick customers into using your product, it’s probably not worth using.
Other changes coming to Windows 11.
Too much Copilot isn’t the only complaint users have about Windows 11. In fact, people have been complaining about Windows 11 since its launch, long before the generative AI boom that began in late 2022. That’s why Davuluri’s post is full of plans to improve Windows 11, supposedly in response to user feedback.
This includes changes to taskbar customization, including the ability to move the taskbar to the top or sides of the screen. File Explorer will also launch faster, with less flickering and smoother navigation. Widgets will also be quieter by default, with new controls for displaying them. Updates are another major issue with Windows 11 that’s being addressed this year. You’ll soon be able to skip updates when setting up a new device to get started faster. You’ll also be able to restart or shut down your PC without having to update, and you can pause updates for longer periods if you don’t want to install the latest version of software.
Windows Insiders will also notice some changes: Davuluri says Microsoft will simplify navigation through the program by making each channel’s descriptions clearer (so you know exactly what you’re testing), making it easier to access new features (which is what most Insiders are testing), improving the quality of updates, and providing greater transparency about how user feedback influences future Windows builds. In conjunction with this, the overall Feedback Hub will be redesigned to make it easier for Insiders to share their feedback (and see feedback from others).
You can read Davuluri’s full post for all the details about Microsoft’s plans for Windows 11, but in my opinion, these are all good signs. Microsoft seems to recognize that its current OS is too cluttered and intrusive, whether it’s about AI or other features. By softening the overall design, Windows could become an OS that gives users more control over how they work and react—which is exactly what it was meant to be from the start.