The Windows Team, Windows Experience Blog

Unwrap joy this season with this year’s Microsoft holiday sweaters

The Windows Team — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:31:18 +0000

Designed for joy

This holiday season, Microsoft will deliver a touch more joy with three unique holiday sweater designs – each celebrating a different chapter of Microsoft’s history. From Zune, to Xbox, to our Artifact Sweater, these limited-edition designs capture the spirit of Microsoft’s journey throughout the years. The Microsoft Artifact Sweater features vibrant cuffs and a collage of retro icons such as Clippy and Paint which celebrates the beloved tools that have shaped our digital lives. Be sure to check out the full list of featured icons on the Artifact Sweater here:

Pixel cursor
MSN
Clippy
Minesweeper
Internet Explorer
Microsoft 3.1 Paintbrush
Windows 3.1 Notepad
Windows Reversi
Microsoft Memo
Windows computer
Windows CD-ROM drive
Minesweeper emoji
Windows printer
Windows 3 logo
Windows recycle bin
Windows folder
Windows regional setting
MS-DOS
Copilot
Minecraft Creeper
Microsoft 50th Anniversary emblem

Where to get yours

Starting today, all three #MicrosoftUglySweater designs will be available in limited quantities through the Microsoft Company Store, Redmond Company Store in Seattle and Microsoft Experience Center NYC. Don’t miss your chance to own these nostalgic pieces and spark conversations this holiday season.

New experiences currently rolling out for Windows 11

The Windows Team — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:58:08 +0000

Today, we announced some new Copilot and agentic experiences that make every Windows 11 PC an AI PC with Copilot at the center. You can read all about these new experiences. We are also currently rolling out new features and improvements that make Windows 11 more intuitive, more secure, more accessible and more reliable for everyone. We continue to boost productivity in File Explorer with Microsoft 365 integrations, make accessibility and gaming better, protect you from phishing attacks and malware, and improve AI experiences on Copilot+ PCs.

File Explorer

AI actions

With AI actions in File Explorer¹, you can interact more deeply with your files by right-clicking to quickly take actions like editing images or summarizing documents. Just right-click (or press Shift + F10) on the file and select AI actions. [caption id="attachment_179993" align="alignnone" width="1166"] File Explorer with context menu expanded on a file showing new AI actions highlighted in a red box.[/caption] You can use these four AI-powered image actions with .jpg, .jpeg, and .png files:

Bing Visual Search: Allows you to search the web using an image instead of text with Bing Visual Search. Find similar images and products, get details about sites using the image, and identify landmarks, plants and famous faces. From searching what you see on your screen, to shopping your preferred style, getting help with that homework problem or translating text, getting answers is more intuitive than ever.

Blur background: Opens the Photos app which automatically finds the background in the photo, and with a single click, instantly highlights your subject and blurs out the background. You can also customize the effect by adjusting the Blur Intensity or use the Brush Tool to modify the areas being blurred.

Erase objects: With Photos, by selecting or highlighting an unwanted element in your photo and Generative Erase makes it disappear. It allows you to fix and remove distractions from your photos.

Remove background: With Paint allows you to alter any image automatically in just one click leaving a smooth cutout of the subject. Background removal can detect the subject from the entire canvas or using the selection tool.

With Microsoft 365, you can use the Summarize action in Copilot AI action to quickly generate summaries of files stored in OneDrive and SharePoint without needing to open each file. The Summarize action in Copilot AI action requires an active Microsoft 365 subscription and a Copilot license (Microsoft account and Microsoft Entra ID supported). And Microsoft 365 subscribers can also get more out of their OneDrive files in File Explorer with Copilot too.

Microsoft 365 People cards

For commercial customers who are signed in with their work or school account (Entra ID), File Explorer will now display people icons in the Activity column and the Recommended section at the top of File Explorer Home. When you hover over or select a person's icon, it opens their Microsoft 365 People card which shows who they are and how they're connected to the file. Click here to read more on the latest OneDrive changes. [caption id="attachment_180014" align="alignnone" width="1488"] Activity column under File Explorer Home showing people icons and the People card opening.[/caption]

Widgets

New visual experience for Discover feed

Discover feed has been updated with a new visual experience on your Widgets board. The layout is more organized, personalized and engaging. Copilot-curated stories are now included, offering a well-rounded view of each topic with summaries, videos and images from trusted MSN premium publishers. To customize your feed, go to Widgets > Discover dashboard > Personalization settings. [caption id="attachment_179994" align="alignnone" width="1920"] New visual experience for the Discover feed on your widgets board.[/caption]

Multiple dashboards for your Widgets board

Multiple dashboards for your Widgets board give you more space for your favorite widgets and help you stay informed with a feed that connects you to current events. A new navigation bar on the left side makes it easy to switch between your widget’s dashboard and other views like the Discover feed.

Widgets on the lock screen

We have updated the widgets experience for your lock screen, replacing what was previously referred to as “Weather and more.” You can add, remove and rearrange lock screen widgets such as Weather, Watchlist, Sports and more. We also provide suggested widgets on the lock screen to help you discover more widgets. Any widget that supports the small sizing option can be added. To customize your lock screen widgets, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. [caption id="attachment_179995" align="alignnone" width="1810"] Customization settings for lock screen widgets shown in Settings and highlighted in a red box.[/caption]

Narrator

Braille viewer

Narrator now includes Braille viewer, which shows both on-screen text and its Braille equivalent on a refreshable Braille display. Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) can use Braille viewer to help improve student’s Braille skills or follow along in classroom as the teachers can visually see the textual and Braille representation on the screen while the student reads it on their connected Braille display. To open Braille viewer and start Narrator, press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter, press Narrator key + Alt + B. A new floating window opens and updates dynamically as you navigate with Narrator. Before using Braille viewer, you must set up Narrator for Braille. To download and install the Braille support package, go to Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Use a Braille display with Narrator. [caption id="attachment_179996" align="alignnone" width="3840"] On-screen textual and Braille representation shown over a Word document.[/caption]

Narrator + Microsoft Word

Narrator offers a smoother, more natural experience in Microsoft Word, with improved voice feedback, reliable continuous reading, and better navigation for footnotes, comments, lists and tables. Enhancements include consistent list announcements, clearer table boundaries and intuitive selection feedback.

PC Gaming

Gaming Copilot (Beta), your personal gaming sidekick, is now seamlessly integrated into Game Bar on Windows PCs! Gaming Copilot is designed to help get you past those obstacles so you can get to the fun faster and spend more time playing the games you love. For example, you can use Voice Mode to talk to Copilot directly and get help on the game you are playing. You can also ask for recommendations, or about your achievements and play history. To get started, make sure you have the Xbox PC app installed, press Windows + G, and launch Gaming Copilot from Game Bar. You can learn more on getting started with Gaming Copilot here. [caption id="attachment_179997" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gaming Copilot (Beta) in Game Bar.[/caption] In the Xbox PC app, you can now seamlessly access your gaming library, apps and play history in one place with Xbox on Windows PCs and Handhelds. [caption id="attachment_179998" align="alignnone" width="1440"] Seamlessly access your gaming library.[/caption] The new Network Quality Indicator (NQI) tool is now available to help you monitor and troubleshoot common cloud gaming issues like audio and video disruptions.

To turn NQI on before streaming: Go to your Profile pic > Settings > Cloud Gaming > Network Quality Indicator.

To turn NQI on during streaming: Press Win + G > Xbox Cloud Gaming widget > Settings > Enable Network Quality Indicator.

The Xbox PC app also gets better handling of un-synced game saves across devices. When there’s a save that has not been synced from a previous session, on the next device you play on you’ll see a progress bar, device name, timestamp and more details to help you understand what’s going on. For Game Bar, we’ve given Social widgets a visual update for a cleaner design across both Compact and Desktop Modes. Controller navigation has been improved as well with smoother, more intuitive movement. You can read more about these changes as part of Xbox’s September Update.

Security

Windows 11 is secure by design and by default, with layers of defense enabled on day one to enhance your protection. And we continue to improve these layers of defense, making Windows 11 even more reliable and more secure for all our customers. With the new Copilot and agentic experiences announced today, we are establishing a set of durable security and privacy principles that must be met to make use of new agentic capabilities in Windows. We have also made some changes that are designed to protect you from phishing attacks with enhanced identity protection and protect you from malware with stronger app and driver controls while also improving overall Windows reliability. These are key pillars of our Windows Resiliency Initiative.

Visual refresh for Windows Hello

With the modernized visual refresh to Windows Hello, we automatically prioritize the best credential for you when you sign in to your Windows 11 PC with your Microsoft account. You no longer need to look at a long list of ways you can sign in; it all happens automatically to get you signed in as safely and easily as possible and right to your desktop. [caption id="attachment_179999" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Windows 11 login screen depicting new Windows Hello iconography for signing in to your PC as safely and quickly as possible.[/caption] As part of these visual updates to Windows Hello, you will also see a cleaner experience that supports secure and quick authentication with passkeys. You can now easily switch between authentication options such as passkeys or connected devices.

[caption id="attachment_180000" align="alignnone" width="1781"] Image showing new passkey sign-in flow screens.[/caption]

Passkey manager integration

Speaking of passkeys, Windows 11 now has seamless passkey manager integration. This means you can use your passkey credential manager of choice such as 1Password to use passkeys in Windows. You can turn this on via Settings > Accounts > Passkeys > Advanced options. Once you turn this on, you will need to complete user verification using Windows Hello (through biometric authentication using face recognition or fingerprint, or with a PIN). Once verified, you can use your existing passkeys saved in your passkey credential manager or save new passkeys – and your passkeys are protected by Windows Hello. [caption id="attachment_180001" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Enabling plugin passkey services in Settings.[/caption]

Password management with Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge has recently introduced significant improvements to password management, designed to make browsing safer and more seamless. The legacy Wallet experience has been fully retired, and all credentials now live in Microsoft Password Manager under Settings > Passwords and autofill. This change ensures better integration with Microsoft accounts, enabling secure syncing across devices. Learn more about password management in Edge, including Password Monitor, which checks your saved passwords against data breaches and identifies reused and weak passwords. [caption id="attachment_180002" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Password Manager in Microsoft Edge.[/caption]

Improved kernel security

Parts of the kernel in Windows 11 have been rewritten in Rust which helps mitigate against memory corruption vulnerabilities like buffer overflows and helps reduce attack surfaces. Driver developers can also begin writing their drivers in Rust to take advantage of its benefits in terms of security and reliability.

Wi-Fi 7

Windows 11 now supports Wi-Fi 7 offering unprecedented speed, reliability and efficiency for your wireless devices. This also includes Wi-Fi 7 support for enterprise access points. Our commercial customers can benefit from better speed, high throughput, improved reliability and enhanced security for modern enterprise environments that support Wi-Fi 7 enterprise access points. Find more information on Wi-Fi 7 for enterprise connectivity.

App Control for Business with Intune managed installer

IT administrators can now use Intune managed installer to designate their line of business apps as verified and allowed to run when rolling out App Control for Business in their organizations. With App Control for Business, our commercial customers can ensure their workforce is allowed to run only verified trusted apps – protecting against malware and other security threats.

For Developers

Advanced settings

The redesigned Advanced settings page (Settings > System > Advanced) is an update of the For Developers page and makes it easier to find key options. Settings include File Explorer + version control, which shows Git details such as branch, diff count and last commit message directly in File Explorer when you select a repository folder. The Advanced settings page is also open source on GitHub. [caption id="attachment_180003" align="alignnone" width="1888"] The new Advanced settings page.[/caption]

Microsoft Edit

Edit, a command line text editor, is now delivered with Windows! You can quickly edit a file while in your terminal by typing edit followed by the file name. Edit is open source on GitHub and for a full list of its features, check out its docs. [caption id="attachment_180004" align="alignnone" width="1414"] Editing a text file in Terminal using the Edit command line text editor.[/caption]

Windows ML

Windows ML is now generally available for production use to assist developers with deploying production experiences in the evolving AI landscape. First introduced at Build 2025, Windows ML is the built-in AI inferencing runtime optimized for on-device model inference and streamlined model dependency management across CPUs, GPUs and NPUs, serving as the foundation for Windows AI Foundry and utilized by Foundry Local to enable expanded silicon support which is being released today. Find more details on getting started with Windows ML today.

Advanced shader delivery

At gamescom this year, the DirectX team announced advanced shader delivery in partnership with Xbox and AMD. Advanced shader delivery addresses one of the most frustrating challenges for PC gamers today – long load times and disruptive stuttering during a game’s first launch. These delays are caused by the need to compile graphics shaders and cache them for future use. PC game developers can take advantage of advanced shader deliver in their games with the release of Agility SDK 1.618.

Task Manager improvements

Task Manager will now use the standard metrics to display CPU workload consistently across all pages and aligning with industry standards and third-party tools. For backward compatibility, a new optional column called CPU Utility is available (hidden by default) on the Details tab showing the previous CPU value used on the Processes page.

Craft improvements

We continue to make craft improvements to Windows 11. In July, we introduced user friendly improvements such as the streamlined unexpected restart experience and quick machine recovery so you can quickly recover, troubleshoot and get back to where you left off should something go wrong with your PC. We are delivering more improvements in areas like system tray and taskbar, File Explorer, Settings and more:

The larger clock with seconds is now back in the notification center, displayed above the date and calendar. To turn this option on, go to Settings > Time & language > Date & time, and turn on Show time in the Notification Center.

[caption id="attachment_180005" align="alignnone" width="1210"] Clock showing in notification center with the calendar both collapsed and expanded.[/caption]

Notification center will now show on secondary monitors. To open it, just select the date and time in the system tray on the taskbar on a secondary monitor. This includes the larger clock with seconds mentioned above.

We have added dividers to the top-level icons that show at the top (or bottom) of the File Explorer context menu.

[caption id="attachment_180006" align="alignnone" width="502"] Dividers between top-level icons in the File Explorer context menu.[/caption]

You can now move the hardware indicators for brightness, volume, airplane mode and virtual desktops to different positions on your screen. To change their position, go to Settings > System > Notifications, and then pick from the options in the Position of the onscreen pop-up in the dropdown list.

Insert dashes with new keyboard shortcuts. You can quickly insert an en dash (–) or em dash (—) while typing. Press Windows logo key + Minus (-) to insert an en dash, and Windows logo key + Shift + Minus (-) to insert an em dash. If Magnifier is running, Windows logo key + hyphen (-) will zoom out Magnifier instead of inserting an en dash.

We continue to update dialog pop-ups across Windows 11 with a more modern design including the dialogs for Windows Update, activating Windows and when an app fails to open.

More time, language and keyboard settings have moved from Control Panel to Settings. You can now add additional clocks, change your time server, and customize date and time formatting—including AM/PM symbols—directly from Settings > Time & language > Date & time. Number and currency formats, Unicode UTF-8 support, and options to copy language and region settings to other accounts are now under Settings > Time & language > Language & region. Keyboard character repeat and cursor blink rate settings are now easier to find under Settings > Accessibility.

Copilot+ PC Experiences

Recall (preview) homepage

When you open Recall³ (preview) on your Copilot+ PC, we’ve introduced a new personalized homepage that puts your recent activity and top-used apps and websites front and center, making it easy to pick up where you left off. [caption id="attachment_180007" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Personalized homepage in Recall.[/caption] After you opt-in to snapshot collection, Recall’s homepage will highlight:

Recent snapshots, which will show the latest snapshots to help you quickly resume tasks.

Apps and Websites, which will display the three apps and websites you’ve used most in the past 24 hours. You are in control of which apps and websites get captured in snapshots in Recall.

We have also improved the way you navigate in Recall with a new navigation bar located on the left side of the Recall screen.

Click to Do improvements

For Click to Do⁴, we now show new and popular action tags in the Click to Do’s context menu to help you discover our newest and most popular AI-powered actions available to use. And Click to Do will now provide more concise summaries with Summarize action. [caption id="attachment_180008" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Example of a top action highlighted in a red box in Click to Do’s context menu.[/caption] If you are opening Click to Do for the first time, you'll see a quick interactive tutorial that will show you how to complete tasks faster by demonstrating actions on both text and images. For example, it’ll show you how to summarize large blocks of text or remove image backgrounds. You can always revisit the tutorial anytime by selecting more options (…) and then Start tutorial. Many of the actions in Click to Do today such as the ability to rewrite and summarize on-device is powered by our small language model called Phi Silica.

Agent in Settings improvements

When using agent in Settings⁵, a direct navigation link is now provided to the corresponding settings page in agent search results. Agent in Settings is also now available across all Copilot+ PCs. Agent in Settings is powered by one of our newest on-device small language models called Mu.

Voice access natural language commanding

Voice access in Windows 11 enables people with mobility disabilities to control their PC through voice commands. Traditionally, voice commands in voice access would require you to follow a fixed syntax, making interactions rigid and sometimes frustrating. For example, if you said “Can you Open Edge application” instead of “Open Edge” which is the actual command, it wouldn’t work. Now with natural language commanding in voice access, you have the flexibility to speak commands naturally, using filler words and synonyms, rather than rigid, predefined commands. With this improvement on Copilot+ PCs, you can now say “Can you open Edge application”, or “Switch to Microsoft Edge”, or “Please open the Edge browser”. Voice access understands your intent and executes the right action for the voice command you speak. This means that you no longer need to pause and remember the exact phrasing of a command, just say what feels most intuitive. This feature is now available across all Copilot+ PCs. [caption id="attachment_180009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Real-time command suggestions in voice access to help you remember the right commands.[/caption]

Inbox apps

Project files and opacity slider in Paint

We’ve introduced project files in Paint so you can now save your creation as an editable Paint project file (.paint files) and seamlessly pick up where you left off. Just go to the File menu and select Save as project. An opacity slider has also been added, giving you control over the transparency of your strokes with the Pencil and Brush tools. [caption id="attachment_180010" align="alignnone" width="952"] Paint app screenshot of pumpkin and saving as a project file.[/caption]

Quick markup in Snipping Tool

Quick markup in Snipping Tool is a faster way to annotate your screenshots. Just open Snipping Tool (Win + Shift + S). You will now see a Quick markup button in the top toolbar before capturing your selection area. Click on this button to toggle the feature on, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + E. Once Quick markup is on, go ahead and select your selection region. You’ll notice after this, you’ll be able to mark up and make edits to your image right in Snipping Tool’s selection area before finishing your screenshot! [caption id="attachment_180011" align="alignnone" width="438"] Snipping Tool Capture Toolbar with the cursor hovering over the new Quick markup tool.[/caption]

No subscription needed for Notepad AI features

Notepad now supports AI features like Summarize, Write and Rewrite on Copilot+ PCs, with no subscription required. If you have a subscription, you can seamlessly switch between local and cloud models based on your needs. If you’re not signed in or don’t have a subscription, you can use the local model to accomplish your tasks. These AI features in Notepad support English only today.

Get updated!

Windows 11, version 25H2 is available today via our “seeker” experience in Windows Update. Just go to Settings and Windows Update and check for updates - if you are on a PC that meets the Windows 11 hardware requirements you will see Windows 11, version 25H2 available⁶ for you to download and install. Update today! [caption id="attachment_180012" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Windows 11, version 25H2 shown as available as an optional update for you to install today.[/caption] Once you’re on Windows 11, version 25H2 – please be sure to update to the October 2025 security update to ensure you are getting the latest features⁷ and improvements rolled out via a controlled feature rollout. Keeping your Windows 11 PC updated from Windows Update ensures your PC has the latest features and security improvements! ----------------------------------------------------- ¹Availability varies by market. ²Functionality will vary by device and market; text actions will be available across markets in select character sets. See aka.ms/copilotpluspcs. ³Requires Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security. Optimized for select languages; content-based and storage limitations apply. See aka.ms/copilotpluspcs. ⁴Actions vary by device, region, language and character sets. Subscription required for some actions. See aka.ms/copilotpluspcs. ⁵Inputs limited initially to English; availability varies by market. ⁶If we detect that your device may have an issue, such as an application or driver incompatibility, we may put a safeguard hold in place and not offer the update until that issue is resolved. ⁷Because Windows 11, version 25H2 and version 24H2 have a shared code base and servicing branch, the above mentioned features and improvements are also available for customers on Windows 11, version 24H2.

Microsoft marks 50 years with limited edition Crocs shoes nodding to Windows XP

The Windows Team — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 16:06:07 +0000

Windows is taking a playful step into nostalgia. A new Microsoft Limited Edition Crocs Bundle will feature design elements inspired by some of the brand’s most recognizable moments, including Windows XP. “As part of Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration, we’re releasing a Microsoft Limited Edition Crocs Bundle that includes nostalgic nods like Windows XP-inspired Crocs, custom Jibbitz™ charms, and a Bliss-themed drawstring backpack,” said Frank Shaw, chief communications officer at Microsoft. The Bliss backdrop, a photograph of a green hill and blue sky with white clouds taken in Sonoma County, California, became a cultural icon for millions of Windows XP users in the early 2000s. Now it returns in a new form, reimagined as part of this limited-edition release. UPDATE: The #MicrosoftCrocSweepstakes has now closed. Thank you to everyone who joined in and helped make it such a huge success. UPDATE: Based on the incredible response and positive engagement across social media, we’re thrilled to share that the Microsoft Limited Edition Crocs Bundle officially drops globally beginning today. Please visit the Microsoft Merchandise Store for instructions on how to order the bundle: https://aka.ms/microsoftcrocs. This drop is a chance to purchase a pair and join in on the celebration as part of a broader set of moments marking Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, bringing together culture, creativity and community in ways that honor the past while looking toward the future.

Windows 11 is the home for AI on the PC, with even more experiences available today

The Windows Team — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 17:00:02 +0000

AI is changing the way we use our PCs. According to a new consumer AI report commissioned by Microsoft, nearly 60% of people report using generative AI for work and business purposes in the past year. Even more (64%) report using AI for hobbies and personal interests like art, music and DIY projects. As the world adapts to this new era of AI infused with daily life, Windows is here to meet you where you are, with intuitive experiences built in to make what you already do on your PC even easier. Windows 11 is the home for AI, offering the most expansive and capable AI experiences for consumers today on Copilot+ PCs—with exclusive AI superpowers like Recall (preview), Click to Do (preview) and improved Windows search, as well as groundbreaking new ways to interact with your PC, like Copilot Vision on Windows, all available now. Today, we continue to make new experiences generally available for Windows 11 and Copilot+ PC users that make Windows more intuitive, more accessible and ultimately more useful. Read on to discover what’s available and how to get started using these experiences today.

Changing Windows Settings has never been easier, with Windows’ first agent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPbaiXDAQrU It's never been easier to adjust your settings in Windows. Now on Copilot+ PCs, you can use your own words in the settings search box to describe something you’d like to change, and instantly get recommendations, including actions to adjust the relevant setting with one click. This is made possible through the new agent in Settings, Windows’ first agent optimized for Copilot+ PCs. Hundreds of settings across displays, connectivity, accessibility and much more are now customizable through the agent in Settings, with the ability to enable or undo any setting you change. To use the agent in Settings:

Open Settings from the Taskbar or Start Menu
Type in the Settings search box what you want to change using your own words, such as “I want to enable quiet hours” or “connect Bluetooth device.” For some settings, you can even make specific requests, such “change my resolution to 1920x1080.”
If the agent can make the change, it will offer an option to complete the action to change the setting, as well as an option to undo any setting you change.
When settings are unable to be adjusted by the agent, improved Windows search will surface relevant settings to help you get closer to what you’re looking for, faster.

Learn more about how you can use Settings agent and other Windows features like Copilot Vision on Windows to troubleshoot your PC. The agent in Settings begins to become available starting today for Windows customers using English on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, with availability on Intel and AMD devices as of Aug. 29.

Do even more with Click to Do (preview)

Click to Do keeps you in the flow to get things done faster, providing contextual actions to text and images on your screen. After invoking Click to Do, relevant text or visual actions will appear that include the ability to prompt Copilot, search the web, create bulleted lists, start a draft of a document or email, or even schedule a Teams meeting—all without leaving your current window. New actions available starting today includeⁱⁱ:

Practice in Reading Coachⁱⁱⁱ is a new Click to Do text action that helps you improve reading fluency and pronunciation. Select text on your screen, choose Practice in Reading Coach, and read the text aloud. Reading Coach gives you feedback and shows where to improve.
Read with Immersive Reader is a new text action in Click to Do that displays text in a focused, distraction-free environment. It helps improve reading and writing for all skill levels and abilities. You can adjust text size, spacing, font and background theme, have text read aloud, break words into syllables and highlight parts of speech. The picture dictionary shows images for unfamiliar words.
Draft with Copilot in Word^iv is a new text action enabling you to quickly turn any recognized text into a full draft. Whether it’s a sentence in an email or a snippet on your screen, press Win + Click on the recognized text, then select Draft with Copilot in Word. No more blank pages. No more writer's block. Just momentum.
Click to Do now supports actions through Microsoft Teams. When you select an email address recognized by Click to Do on your screen, you can choose to send a Teams message or schedule a Teams meeting. These options make it easy to ask a question or set up time to talk without interrupting your workflow.

To get started with Click to Do:

Press the Windows key + mouse click, Windows key + Q, or access through the Start menu and Snipping Tool.
Click to Do also supports hardware-specific options like double clicking your pen on your pen-capable device or swiping from the right with your pen or finger on your touch screen.
Learn more about all the ways you can use Click to Do to get more done on your Copilot+ PC.

Photos relight brings professional lighting controls to your pictures

https://youtu.be/Zd1yFxnw-II Relight in the Photos app brings professional lighting controls to your snapshots. Open any image in Photos, select Edit > Relight, and then click to place up to three virtual light sources around your subject. Adjust each light’s intensity, color and position with simple sliders, or choose from built-in presets like “Studio Portrait” and “Cinematic Glow.” To use relight in Photos:

Open the Photos app and select the image you want to relight.
Select Edit, then select Relight from the available options.
Choose one of the lighting presets, and optionally customize each light's location, brightness, softness or color, and the overall intensity of the effect.

Learn more about tips to get the most out of your photos. This feature is available now on Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X Series processors, with support for Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel and AMD coming soon.

Paint adds even more creative capabilities with sticker generator and object select

In May, we introduced multiple enhancements to elevate your creative experience, now available on Copilot+ PCs. Sticker generator^v is a new AI-powered feature in Paint that lets you create custom stickers by simply typing a prompt. To get started, click on the Sticker generator button in the Copilot menu. From there, you can type in a description of the sticker you want to create, like “a cat wearing sunglasses,” and hit the Generate button. Paint will then generate a set of unique stickers based on your prompt. Once the stickers are generated, you can click on any one of them to instantly apply it to your canvas, copy the sticker for use in other applications, or save it for later. To access your recently generated stickers, click on the new Stickers option in the Paint toolbar. We’re also releasing object select, a smart selection tool that uses AI to help you isolate and edit individual elements in your image. To get started, click on the Object select tool in the toolbar and simply pinpoint specific elements on the canvas to select and make edits instantly. To use the new updates in Paint:

Open the Paint app.
Explore the new welcome experience to learn more about features like Cocreator, generative erase, sticker generator, object select and Layers.
Try out the new sticker generator and object select features.

Be more productive with Snipping Tool perfect screenshot and color picker

https://youtu.be/OPDbG5LNGiU

Snipping Tool’s screen capture and perfect screenshot capturing a specific area of the screen.

We’ve also added two new features to Snipping Tool—perfect screenshot and color picker. Perfect screenshot is a new AI-powered feature exclusive to Copilot+ PCs that allows you to precisely capture content on your screen with the Snipping Tool app without the need to crop or resize it post-capture. To try Snipping Tool perfect screenshot:

Invoke the Snipping Tool capture toolbar from within the app or by using the Print Screen keyboard shortcut.
Select the Perfect screenshot button from the toolbar when in rectangle mode and start selecting a region of your screen.
Once activated, perfect screenshot will intelligently resize based on the content in your selection. You can also quickly enable perfect screenshot by holding the Ctrl keyboard shortcut after invoking Snipping Tool while selecting a region of your screen.
Move or edit the area before confirming your capture, ensuring you get the perfect screenshot every time!

For all Windows 11 PCs, we have also added the ability to easily identify and capture colors seen on your screen through the introduction of color picker. Color picker is great for anyone who might need to quickly match a color you see on your screen as part of a project—whether that be designers, developers or everyday color aficionados.

Snipping Tool’s color picker tool selecting a color on the screen to inspect.

To try color picker in Snipping Tool:

Invoke the Snipping Tool capture toolbar from within the app or by using the Print Screen keyboard shortcut.
Select Color picker from the toolbar and then inspect or select a color code on your screen, choosing from HEX, RGB or HSL values. Need to be more precise? You can zoom by scrolling in on your pointer or using by using the Ctrl +/- keyboard shortcuts.

Do more with Microsoft Copilot and Edge on Windows 11

https://youtu.be/zcu8hzrTSdw Copilot Vision on Windows, now available in the U.S., is a new way to engage with your Windows 11 PC. When you enable it, it can see what you see on your device and talk to you about it in real time. It acts as your second set of eyes, able to analyze content, help when you’re lost, provide insights and answer your questions as you go. Whether you’re browsing, working or deep in a project, Copilot Vision offers instant insights and answers. And with Highlights, you can go a step further and ask Copilot “show me how” for a specific task and it will show you within the app you’re in where to click and what to do. On Windows, Copilot can help you navigate multiple apps at once, including your full desktop, serving as a true companion to help you accomplish any task. To get started with Copilot Vision on Windows:

Open the Copilot app and click the glasses icon in your composer.
Select which browser window or app you want to share.
Ask Copilot to help with whatever you’re working on. To stop sharing, press ‘Stop’ or ‘X’ in the composer. It’s a fully opt-in experience that always puts you at the controls.

Microsoft Edge is also the only browser built for Windows, offering the most seamless PC browsing experience with AI-powered tools, productivity features, and built-in performance and security features that help you browse quickly and safely. With features like Edge Game Assist, now available on Windows 11^vi, you can get tips and guides for many of the top PC games, easy access to essential sites like Discord, Spotify, and Twitch, and more — all right in your game. To use Edge Game Assist, simply press Win+G to open Game Bar and start using Microsoft Edge for a seamless and immersive gaming experience. Learn more about how you can get the most out of Edge on Windows.

Making the unexpected easier with faster recovery

Unexpected restarts are frustrating, that’s why starting today, people will begin to experience several improvements that make this experience quicker and more user friendly so you can pick up right where you left off. With quick machine recovery, a new recovery mechanism for Windows 11 PCs, your PC will automatically detect and fix widespread issues during an unexpected restart using the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). We’ve also streamlined the unexpected restart experience, reducing the time users spend on the screen from 40 seconds to just 2 seconds for most consumer devices on Windows 11, version 24H2.^vii As part of these changes, we also made an update to how our interface appears during an unexpected restart, introducing a simplified user interface (UI) that pairs with the shortened experience to display a more readable layout while keeping the technical details visible. Learn more about the changes to the unexpected restart experience here.

Move forward with Windows 11

From modern security to faster performance and the latest features and experiences, Windows 11 is built to help you work, play and create with ease. With support for Windows 10 ending on Oct. 14, 2025, we’re here to ensure your transition is smooth, secure and up to date. We understand that moving to a new PC can take time, and we’re here to support you throughout the process. The Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program is designed to keep your current Windows 10 PC protected after support ends—helping you stay secure during the transition. Starting today, individuals will begin to see an enrollment wizard through notifications and in Settings, making it simple to select the best option for you and enroll in ESU directly from your personal Windows 10 PC. Learn more about Windows 10 end of support and explore the tools and resources available to help you transition with confidence.

How to get these updates

Over the next month, we will be gradually rolling out several of these features via controlled feature rollout (CFR) to consumers. Some of these experiences are available today via this month’s Windows non-security preview update, as well as updates available in the Microsoft Store. Consumers who would like to be among the first to experience new enhancements can simply go to Settings > Windows Update and turn on “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.” Then select “Check for updates” to download and install the most recent non-security preview release. Ensure that Microsoft Paint, Photos and Copilot applications are updated to the latest versions available. For a full list of features available via today’s Windows Update, learn more here. Editor's note -- July 23, 2025 -- The blog was updated to include links to two support articles. Editor's note -- September 5, 2025 -- The blog was updated to reflect availability for agent in Settings on AMD and Intel silicon. End notes: ii These Click to Do actions are not available in the European Economic Area. iii To use this feature, install the free Microsoft Reading Coach app from the Microsoft Store. iv For “Draft with Copilot in Word” – a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription is required. v Optimized for English text prompts and requires a Microsoft account and internet connection to access cloud services that help ensure the responsible use of AI. vi Game Assist is available where Edge is available. Enhanced game content is available English-only at this time. Game Assist experience may also vary depending on game and geography. vii Source: Internal testing of Windows 11 memory dump write speed, October 2022.