10 pro tips for Copilot AI in Windows 11 to boost productivity

Windows 11

Copilot in Windows 11, previously known as Bing Chat, has evolved into a taskbar AI assistant that aims to enhance productivity and simplify interactions on your PC and within the Edge browser. Copilot is designed to assist users with various everyday tasks, offering a range of helpful functionalities.

As Copilot continues to evolve, exploring its features can significantly enhance the overall Windows 11 experience

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Copilot tips and tricks to optimise your Windows 11 experience

Launching Copilot with Keyboard Shortcuts

To quickly launch Copilot, use the keyboard shortcut Win + C. This will open a sidebar overlay on the right side of your screen.

Toggle the "Show as overlay" button on the sidebar to keep it side by side with your active window. This mode ensures that the sidebar doesn't overlap your work, giving you more freedom.

To hide the overlay sidebar, simply press the Win + C shortcut again.

Control Copilot using your voice

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Currently, there isn't a voice command to activate the Copilot sidebar like with other voice assistants. However, you can engage with Copilot using natural language. Simply select the microphone icon and start a conversation while working in any other app. Copilot will respond using text and a natural human voice.

Pay attention to follow-up questions

Copilot provides related questions below its initial answer, offering paths for deeper exploration of the topic. It also includes links to support its answers, allowing you to verify their accuracy.

Adjust Windows 11 Settings

You can control certain Windows 11 settings using Copilot, though the range of commands is currently limited. Microsoft is expected to broaden these capabilities over time, potentially allowing users to create custom routines. By combining Windows settings prompts with voice commands, Copilot enhances accessibility options. For example, you can instruct Copilot to open applications like Microsoft Word or File Explorer. Copilot will then request confirmation for the action through a dialog box.

Select your conversation style

The conversation style you choose influences how Copilot interprets your queries and the responses it provides. You have three options to select from: More Creative, More Balanced, and More Precise. By default, Copilot uses the "More Balanced" style for all interactions. However, you can switch to the other styles to prompt Copilot to use different algorithms, resulting in varied responses.

Each conversation style yields distinct responses, allowing you to experiment and determine which style best suits your needs. For example, opt for the More Creative style when asking Copilot to create a drawing or compose a song. Feel free to explore all three styles to discover the breadth of Copilot's capabilities.

Optimise your Copilot experience with Microsoft Edge

Copilot is integrated into Microsoft Edge, offering a seamless AI chatbot experience within the browser. You can access Copilot directly by selecting the "Open in Microsoft Edge" icon on the sidebar in Windows or by clicking the Copilot icon within Edge or Bing search.

Microsoft Edge enhances the Copilot experience with unique features like four Copilot GPTs, the Copilot Notebook, Insights, and the Compose tab:

The Copilot Notebook is ideal for complex tasks such as drafting emails or project proposals. Input your prompts on the left side and refine them until you achieve the desired result on the right side. The Notebook supports text inputs up to 18,000 characters.

Compose is a customisable AI text generator with formatting, tone, and length options for drafting emails, blog posts, and other content.

Insights provide trending searches as research starting points, although it is not AI-powered.

Enable plugins for additional services

Navigate to the top-right corner and select Plugins. You can activate up to three plugins concurrently, such as Instacart for grocery shopping or Kayak for travel information (Search is activated by default). Ask your questions, and Copilot will leverage these plugins to provide you with relevant information.

Create a summary of an online article

When seeking the main points of a lengthy article, let Copilot provide a summary. Afterwards, you can inquire further about the content.

To initiate, open the article in Edge and begin a new chat in the Copilot sidebar.

Opt for "Summarise the page in Microsoft Edge" and optionally select a conversation style.

By default, Copilot can read content from an active Edge tab. For privacy, toggle this option off in Settings > Allow Copilot to read context clues from Microsoft Edge.

Use Copilot to analyse images and screenshots

Copilot in Edge and Windows can analyse uploaded images and screenshots. You can use the built-in screenshot tool in both the Windows sidebar and Edge. After selecting a part of the screen and confirming, the image appears in the Copilot chat box, allowing you to ask follow-up questions about it.

Use GPTs for targeted tasks

When provided with the appropriate prompt, Copilot's chat becomes powerful. Additionally, Microsoft Edge includes four GPTs (Generative Pre-trained Transformers) tailored for specific tasks: Designer, Vacation Planner, Cooking Assistant, and Fitness Trainer. These tools are designed to help you save time on tasks related to their respective functions.