(Credit: Zain bin Awais/PCMag/Microsoft)
Microsoft is reportedly looking to scale back Copilot features across Windows 11 apps.
In its pursuit of making AI accessible to everyone, Microsoft has been integrating Copilot across the Windows 11 experience, from Settings and Notepad to Paint and Microsoft 365 apps. However, some users are unimpressed with the approach, and experiments like Windows Recall and Copilot Vision have raised privacy concerns.
Sources tell Windows Central that internal teams are also beginning to push back against excessive integration, and the company may therefore reconsider its stance. At the very least, Microsoft may dial back Copilot features or remove the chatbot’s branding from apps like Notepad and Paint to make the experience feel more conventional, the report says.
The company may also revisit the implementation of Windows Recall. Microsoft may not yank the feature, but it could rename it or explore better ways to make it work, the report adds. If you’re unfamiliar, Recall periodically takes screenshots of your screen so you can revisit your activity later. The feature was met with harsh criticism when it was announced and faced several delays.
Meanwhile, the operating system’s first update for this year was buggy, blocking users from shutting down PCs or putting them to sleep. Users also lost progress on their work since the PCs restarted automatically after the update. Microsoft later acknowledged the bug and rolled out fixes, but issues persisted.
In a more recent statement, Microsoft’s president of Windows and Devices, Pavan Davuluri, acknowledged that the software still has gaps and promised improvements. “This year you will see us focus on addressing pain points we hear consistently from customers: improving system performance, reliability, and the overall experience of Windows,” Davuluri said.