Windows 11 has got a new update for March 2024, which will include new features and significant enhancements for compatible PCs, laptops and workstations. On Thursday, Microsoft unveiled a long list of enhancements and indicated that the update had begun trickling out to users.
However, not all of the improvements will be available immediately; the additional Copilot features will be released later this month. Some of the significant additions are Widget improvements, new abilities for the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot Copilot, and new features for numerous apps.
Yusuf Mehdi, Executive Vice President, Consumer Chief Marketing Officer at Microsoft, announced the new features in a Windows blog, stating that the Copilot features expand on the launch of the Copilot key on Windows PC keyboards earlier this year. He also mentioned that Snap, Widgets, and Inking are getting significant updates.
Copilot is gaining new plugins that will allow it to execute things like making restaurant reservations through OpenTable and shopping groceries through Instacart. In the following months, support for Shopify, Klarna, and Kayak will be implemented.
Apart from plugins, Copilot may perform additional functions. Users can use a prompt to turn on the power saver, activate the narrator, empty the recycle bin, use the screen magnifier, display accessible Wi-Fi networks, and other features. These enhancements will be released in late March.
Windows 11 will also include new AI features for creativity apps. The Photos app will now have Generative Erase, which may erase undesired items or defects from images. This functions similarly to the AI technology seen in the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 8 series. Another enhancement to ClipChamp is the ability to erase awkward silences in audio recordings.
This update adds a highly intriguing feature that allows users to use their Android smartphone as a webcam for video conversations. This requires a smartphone running Android 9 or higher, as well as a Windows app version 1.24012 or higher. This feature is presently being tested with Windows Insiders.
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Widgets and the Snap layout tool will also receive improvements. Users will have greater flexibility over Widgets and can design their own boards based on their preferences. Snap is also becoming smarter, as it will remember user preferences for apps and rapidly organise them accordingly.
Finally, an accessibility function is being introduced. Users can now build unique tasks and assign Voice Shortcuts to them, resulting in more efficient spoken commands. Pasting text and media, pushing keyboard keys or mouse clicks, and opening folders, files, apps, or URLs are just a few examples.
