Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel now have access to AI-Powered 'Windows Copilot' feature in Windows 11

Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel now have access to the new AI-powered 'Windows Copilot' feature in Windows 11, which was announced over a month ago. Copilot functions as a sidebar that is neatly docked to the right-hand side of the OS, allowing users to interact with it while using other applications. Users can use it to ask questions, issue system commands, and have web content summarized. It can also generate AI-generated images and text and display recommendations and ads from Microsoft Bing. In essence, it's basically the Microsoft Copilot sidebar integrated into Microsoft Edge but with the capability to interact with the OS.

The update also includes native support for a variety of additional archive formats, among which some notable ones are .rar and .7z (traditionally associated with WinRAR and 7-Zip), but it will also support .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, .tar.zst, .tar.xz, .tgz, .tbz2, .tzst, and .txz. This support is implemented through the libarchive open-source project, and while Microsoft acknowledges that there may be initial performance issues with this feature, they have plans to improve it in future builds.

The volume mixer UI in the Quick Settings section has also been improved (WIN + CTRL + V), allowing users to customize audio on a per-app basis and easily switch between devices (similar to EarTrumpet). Additionally, a new Settings homepage has been introduced, providing an overview of the device, important settings, and up to seven information cards. Users can manage Microsoft 365 or Xbox subscriptions, Bluetooth devices, wallpapers, and check OneDrive cloud storage from this interface (you can have a glimpse in the cover photo). Lastly, a new suggestions feature for Snap Layouts is being tested, which displays app icons based on compatibility when hovering over the minimize or maximize buttons.

There are many more changes coming with this Dev Channel version, and although we covered many of them in our report from a month ago, you can always take a look at the official announcement to get all the details.