Details of the major Windows 11 update have been revealed: Copilot, new Paint and more

At its recent event, Microsoft talked about new Surface hardware and new features that will be added to its services such as Windows. The software giant clearly wants to add generative AI to any of its services or applications. In this context, the release date of the next major update of Windows 11 and the new features to come have been announced. We expected this update to be the Windows 11 23H2 update, but it is not.

Windows 11 update and release date

Microsoft’s next major Windows 11 feature update under Windows 11 22H2 has a major addition: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. Microsoft is ushering in the age of AI computing with the addition of Windows Copilot powered by Bing Chat. And it will be released in preview form on September 26, before a wider release in October.

While Windows Copilot is powered by generative AI, there will also be a dedicated AI section in the Microsoft Store app, as well as recommended files in File Explorer and Start. In addition, various minor improvements across Windows, both in terms of ease of use and functional updates such as restoring applications from backup, will come with Windows 11 23H2.

When will Windows 11 23H2 come to my computer?

Microsoft did not announce the date of the Windows 11 23H2 update. Everything new in this article will be part of a feature update that will be released in preview form on September 26 and will then be rolled out to all Windows 11 PCs. Microsoft officially states that this update will be in Windows 11 version 22H2: “These experiences on Windows, including Copilot and more, will be available on September 26 as part of version 22H2, our latest update for Windows 11.”

Details of the major Windows 11 update

Windows Copilot, the main feature of the Windows 11 update, brings the same Bing Chat feature directly to the Windows 11 desktop. This feature, which appears as a sidebar in Windows 11, allows you to control settings on the computer, launch applications or simply make prompts. It’s also integrated into the entire operating system: Microsoft says you can use Copilot to compose text messages using data from your calendar, navigation options in Outlook, and more. Click on the link we provided to get more detailed information about Windows Copilot.

If the idea of ​​an AI assistant isn’t your thing, Microsoft has a lot more to offer with this update. File Explorer is getting a more modern look. The updated File Explorer user interface includes a modern main interface with large file thumbnails and a carousel interface that can show recent files and favorites. These changes allow File Explorer to better fit into the overall Windows 11 design. File Explorer has already received design changes in recent months, and these complete the process.

Stylus users are getting an important new feature called Ink Anywhere, which lets you handwrite with a Surface Pen or other stylus in any text box anywhere in Windows. The operating system will convert your text to text and use it where appropriate.

An improved Windows Backup app will now let you back up your computer in case you want to switch to a new device. This tool will automatically apply your existing settings to the new computer, thanks to cloud backup. Pinned apps from your Start menu and taskbar will also be transferred, and all apps from Microsoft Store will be restored automatically.

Snipping Tool will also have a new text copy feature that can detect text in screenshots and allow you to share text from apps. This feature is similar to the feature to copy text from images found on Android or iOS. Microsoft also added a feature that allows you to automatically edit and hide emails and phone numbers from images.

If you are using the Photos app for Windows 11, you will get a new background blurring option with this update. Background blur will automatically find the background in a photo and highlight the subject and blur the background. You can customize the intensity of the blur and even change the blurred areas. Other AI-powered features include background removal in Paint, plus layers, transparency and PNG support, and more.

Still, there are a lot of features missing from this update. We thought this would be the bigger 23H2 update that Microsoft would release on September 26, but that will arrive a little later and include even bigger changes to Windows 11. A new audio mixer is also on the way, along with native RAR and 7-zip support, Dynamic Lighting to control RGB accessories, and even app labels and grouping removal for the Windows 11 taskbar.