Microsoft only recently added its artificial intelligence (AI) assistant, Copilot, to Windows 11 via the optional Moment 4 update, but is now introducing some much-needed improvements.
The AI-powered tool was announced last month on Microsoft’s AI and Surface and began rolling out to a broader user base via the optional Windows 11’s Moment 4 update (September 26 update).
Users report an update to the appearance of Copilot and customization that adds a modular interface. This apparently allows users to adjust the Copilot window to the size they prefer, rather than having a fixed size that takes up about a third of the screen. The ability to resize Copilot would give users more control over how they use Copilot, for example if they want more space for documents or more space for longer Copilot responses.
Windows Latest Reports that this update is being tested via preview build, while Microsoft has not yet made an announcement about it. However, apparently some users can already see the new ‘expandable’ view.
The change is being welcomed by users who want to be able to adjust Copilot’s window size or move the window. Microsoft seems to be taking a step in the right direction, targeting users who do activities like coding and writing longer content, and like to see larger chunks of text and longer code strings while working alongside Copilot. Windows Latest speculates that this is part of Copilot’s development to make it a completely flexible app that you can use virtually anywhere and in any way you want in Windows 11.
How to try Copilot for yourself
If you have Windows 11, you can assess the status of Copilot yourself by updating through the Windows Update app, or by trying a workaround if you can’t get the update yet. You need a Microsoft account and sign in to use Bing Chat and its online capabilities. While upgrades to Copilot’s modular functionality are good news for users, there’s still a long way to go before Microsoft fully realizes the vision it first presented for Copilot at its launch event a few weeks ago.
We recently found out that Copilot is only available in certain regions, as Microsoft is still working to make Copilot fully compliant with the privacy regulations of countries like Europe. This may be the reason you don’t see the optional Moment 4 update available in Windows Update.
In addition to limitations on availability, Copilot is still limited in what it can actually do at the moment. It can’t retrieve files from your file system or communicate with third-party apps, but you can ask it for help with simpler tasks.
However, there was also some unrest among users not long ago when some people saw third-party ads included in Copilot, generated with Bing AI.
Updates to Copilot’s user interface (UI) are a welcome effort from Microsoft, and hopefully they will be encouraged to continue by the positive response from their customers.
Of course, users would also like to be able to do more things with the tool, so I hope Microsoft continues to flesh out Copilot’s features as well. Bing AI and ChatGPT (which powers Copilot) have shown they have a lot of exciting potential, but if Microsoft wants Copilot to become a go-to application to take AI mainstream, it’s the fundamental features that will make that happen, rather than of a flashy salon tricks.