Windows 11 gets AI powered intelligent text actions and Settings app
Microsoft is rolling Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3964 to the Beta channel, bumping up the version to 24H2 starting Monday. Available for those on the Insider channel, the latest build brings several bug fixes as well as some new AI experiences including the much awaited AI powered agent in the Settings app.
Announced last week, Microsoft says the new agent in Settings is designed to help users find and change settings on their PC. Unlike normal searches, which take keywords as input, users will now be able to describe what they are looking for using natural language and help with things like 'how to control my PC by voice' or 'my mouse pointer is too small.'
However, the new feature is currently limited to Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon chipset and primary language set to English, with support for AMD and Intel powered machines coming soon.
Microsoft is also adding a new dedicated FAQs section on the About page located under System in the Settings app, which the company says provides information about system configuration, performance and compatibility all in one place.
Another AI powered Windows 11 feature called 'Click To Do', which Microsoft unveiled last year is getting an upgrade. Available for those with an AMD or Intel powered Copilot+ PC, the tech giant says users can now use the Win + mouse click or Win + Q shortcut to highlight a text block and get options like Summarize, Rewrite and Create a bulleted list.
Powered by an on-device small language model called Phi Silica, the new intelligent text actions are only available when you select at least 10 words, the default language is set to English and the user is signed with a Microsoft account.
As for Windows Insider users who have set their primary language to either French or Spanish, Microsoft says the Rewrite functionality is currently unavailable and will 'return in a future update.'
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