Windows 11 has received a new March 2024 update that will bring new features and major improvements to supported PCs, laptops, and workstations. Microsoft unveiled a long list of features on Thursday and said the update has begun rolling out to users. However, not all features will be available immediately, with new Copilot features launching later this month. Some notable features include improvements to widgets, new skills for the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot Copilot, and new features for multiple apps.
Announcing the new features via the Windows Blog, Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer, emphasized that the Copilot feature builds on the introduction of the Copilot key on keyboards supporting Windows PCs earlier this year. He also said that Snap, Widgets and Inking are receiving major upgrades.
Copilot is getting new add-ons that allow it to perform tasks like making restaurant reservations through OpenTable and ordering groceries through Instacart. In the coming months, support for Shopify, Klarna and Kayak will also be added. In addition to plugins, Copilot can perform many more tasks. By simply entering a prompt, users can turn on battery saver mode, activate VoiceOver, empty the Recycle Bin, activate Screen Magnifier, display available Wi-Fi networks, and more. These features will ship in late March.
Windows 11 will also bring new AI upgrades to creative applications. Photos app introduces Generative Erase feature to remove unwanted objects or defects from images. This is similar to the AI features in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series and Google Pixel 8 series. Another improvement to ClipChamp now removes awkward silences from audio tracks.
A very interesting feature added with this update will allow users to use their Android smartphone as a webcam for video calls. This requires a smartphone running Android 9 or higher and needs to be linked with a Windows app version 1.24012 or higher. This feature is currently being rolled out to Windows Insiders for testing. Widgets and Snap layout functionality have also been improved. Users will have more control over widgets and can create their own panels to their liking. Snap is also getting smarter, remembering users’ app preferences and quickly organizing them accordingly.
Finally, accessibility features have been added. Users can now create custom tasks and add voice shortcuts to them, allowing for more efficient spoken commands. Some of these tasks include pasting text and media, pressing keyboard keys or clicking the mouse, opening folders, files, applications or URLs, etc.