Microsoft on Thursday launched its “official” checklist of the options arriving within the subsequent level, or Moment, replace of Windows 11, together with many we already knew about. A couple of — together with new Copilot management updates and the power to make use of your Android cellphone as a webcam — look like new.

Between the options Microsoft included within earlier Windows 11 preview releases and Microsoft’s official announcement at the moment, Microsoft is now telling us what new options it’s best to count on to reach in your Windows 11 PC within the coming weeks. But you received’t obtain them straight away; whereas we referred to this incremental Windows 11 replace because the February 2024 Moment in our earlier report, Microsoft has missed this window.

Microsoft is now providing two time durations so that you can obtain these characteristic updates: first, in the course of the March 2024 non-obligatory non-security preview launch, assuming you’ve opted in to obtain updates as quickly as they’re obtainable. “Most of these new features will be available then,” Microsoft says. Otherwise, you’ll have to attend a month longer.

“We anticipate broad availability for most new features by the April 2024 security update release for all eligible devices,” Microsoft added in a blog post, permitting itself some wiggle room to push the newest Windows 11 options out at an excellent later date. Microsoft isn’t formally referring to this as a “moment” or “update,” both — only a launch of latest options.

New Copilot Skills, plugins, shortcuts, and instructions

Remember, Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot was launched each as a chatbot and a management heart of types for controlling your PC. But there have been only a token variety of actions it might take, together with switching your PC to darkish mode. Now, there are an entire lot extra. They embrace:

• Turn on/off battery saver
• Show system data
• Show system data
• Show battery data
• Open storage web page
• Launch stay captions
• Launch narrator
• Launch display magnifier
• Open voice entry web page
• Open textual content dimension web page
• Open distinction themes web page
• Launch voice enter
• Show obtainable Wi-Fi networks
• Display IP tackle
• Show obtainable cupboard space
• Empty recycle bin

Microsoft calls these actions “Copilot Skills,” and so they’ll roll out in late March, Microsoft says.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Put one other method, you’ll be capable to open Copilot after which kind “Show battery information” to (presumably) view the Windows Settings web page in regards to the battery standing of your PC. If you don’t know the place that’s, this shall be useful. (It could be much more useful for Copilot to incorporate a regular command to elucidate what it might probably do to regulate your PC.)

Copilot may also transfer to the decrease right-hand nook of your PC, as a substitute of its conventional dwelling on the Taskbar. Microsoft already quietly added just a few new task-specific Copilots inside Copilot — together with a trip planner, cooking assistant, and health coach — and has now formally added plugins from OpenDesk to facilitate reservations. Shopify, Kayak, and Klarna shall be added quickly as properly.

Microsoft

Use your smartphone as a webcam

Microsoft can be sort of dropping a bombshell with the power to make use of your Android smartphone or pill digital camera as a webcam in any video utility. While this was initially anticipated to be half of the particular characteristic launch, Microsoft says that it’s “gradually” rolling out this characteristic to all of its Insider Channels. That presumably contains Release Preview, so the characteristic ought to be obtainable quickly.

Microsoft says that you simply’ll have to be operating the Link to Windows cellphone utility, model 1.24012 or above, and personal an Android cellphone operating Android 9.0 or increased.

Praise be to Gates — Paint 3D’s best feature, Magic Select, is now a characteristic inside Photos. Last 12 months, we hoped that an AI-powered ability to remove an object from a photograph could be added to the Photos app, and it’s coming. What Microsoft calls Generative Erase will roll out to Photos at the moment, permitting you to take away your ex- from a vacation picture and intelligently exchange the background. Photos in all probability received’t mean you can exchange that individual with a Santa Claus or vacation elf, however perhaps later.

Microsoft can be offering a simple strategy to trim any undesirable silences inside a Clipchamp audio observe through AI. That’s obtainable at the moment.

Foundry

Voice Shortcuts

Voice Access has been obtainable inside Windows 11 for months, and Windows 11’s voice capabilities embrace each dictation and precise management of the PC. Voice Shortcuts are an offshoot of that, permitting you to carry out duties like discovering and opening a selected folder or app utilizing simply your voice.

It’s not clear how detailed Voice Shortcuts shall be — for instance, in case you’ll be capable to “code” a voice macro to open Outlook, seek for any emails out of your boss, and open them. But you’ll be capable to use shortcuts throughout a number of shows, which is one other enchancment. And extra languages shall be obtainable too: French (France and Canada) plus Spanish (Spain, Mexico) and German.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Nearby sharing and the remaining

Microsoft additionally bundled a number of of the smaller options inside a second blog post, such because the newfound potential to share recordsdata through your most popular apps for work or your individual private account, and to share sooner than you will have earlier than. Some of the smaller additions are referenced in our earlier Windows 11 preview of the brand new Moment.

Microsoft is boosting Snap Layouts, for instance, in order that it makes use of AI to raised perceive what apps you will have open and the place you’ll favor they find yourself in your desktop. You’ll be capable to ink in additional apps, equivalent to Photos, Paints, WhatsApp, and Messenger, and modify the Widgets board into classes for work and play.

Interestingly, Microsoft didn’t point out something about its plans for the EU, which contain the liberty to take away many default Windows apps, even Microsoft Edge. It’s potential that both Microsoft is intentionally downplaying these adjustments, or else European clients will obtain their very own updates.

With that stated, although, Microsoft’s new Moment seems extra, er, momentous than it did earlier than. Expect Microsoft to roll on to extra AI-powered updates due within the second half of 2024.

This story was up to date at 2:27 PM with further data.