Copilot on Windows 11 is rolling out a new “Home” tab, which replaces the traditional ‘chat-first’ interface that we typically have on AI assistants. Instead, Copilot’s new Home UI gives me Start menu-like vibes because it does what the Start menu is all about… home to finding apps or files. In the case of Copilot, the Home tab gives access to all AI features.
After I installed the update from the Microsoft Store, I noticed a new Home tab for Copilot’s features. It still greets you, but the most notable change is in the title bar, which now lets you toggle between the Home tab and the old UI that focused more on conversations, including previous chats.
In my case, Copilot’s Home tab has four big cards. It’s sort of similar to live tiles in Windows 8, but these cards are not static. Instead, you can use cards on Copilot to jump back into your files.
Copilot has access to all your files in Windows, but the feature needs to be enabled in settings.
In our tests, Windows Latest noticed that the “Jump back into your files” card on Copilot pulls recently accessed files from File Explorer’s Quick Access tab. Copilot only shows the list, but you can click on a three-dot menu next to the file name to access three options, including Open, Attach to prompt, and Summarise.
When I selected “open” for a Word document, Copilot opened MS Word because it’s the default app for the docx file format. Now, the point I am trying to make is that this new Copilot Home tab isn’t necessarily trying to restrict you to the AI interface.
It can also help you navigate Windows, which is very interesting and tells a lot about what the future of Windows would look like.
When you select “Attach to prompt,” it drops the file into the message compose box so Copilot can analyze it after you send. Then, there’s also a toggle that lets you “Hide all recent files.” This removes the entire section from Copilot’s Home tab, so it’ll be down to four cards once the recent files card is removed.
The other cards aren’t that interesting, but one of them allows you to get back to previous conversations on Copilot. Below that sits “Work on Copilot Pages,” which is similar to ChatGPT’s Canvas feature. It allows you to edit documents or code.
You’ll also notice a new “Get guided help with your apps” card on the homepage. This is probably the most interesting feature of Copilot. In my case, it shows recently used apps, such as Power BI, File Explorer, or WhatsApp.
When I click any tile, it starts a Vision session that can see your screen, hear your voice, and help you learn how to use the selected app.
I selected Power BI, and then a pop-up or small permission sheet appeared on the screen. I approved Copilot Vision to see my screen, and immediately, that changed the live banner to “Power BI Desktop (Untitled),” which means it’s actively seeing what’s on my screen, particularly Power BI.
In our tests, Windows Latest also found references to an upcoming feature that would allow you to launch Copilot’s ChatGPT-powered Agent.
Agent allows Copilot to open a terminal and browser in a Linux shell running inside an Azure cloud virtual machine. With Agent, Copilot can automate tasks for you, such as booking an online ticket or planning your next trip.
It’s pretty advanced, and I’ve used it to browse a number of sites, but right now, it doesn’t work in Copilot for Windows 11. This feature is coming in the next update.
I think the idea of Copilot for Windows is clear. Microsoft doesn’t want to restrict Copilot to just “chat with AI…” With this Home tab, Microsoft wants you to take Copilot’s help for your documents or spreadsheet, or use AI to find files stored on your PC. While it has a limited number of features, the idea does have a lot of potential.
Copilot’s new Home UI is rolling out to everyone, but it may not show up immediately.
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