Windows 11's big annual update is live and rolling out. Version 23H2 includes everything Microsoft announced at its September event, including the ability to use the company’s AI assistant, Co-Pilot, with a keyboard shortcut. It also makes Teams an official default app, so if you weren’t using it before, Microsoft certainly hopes you’ll use it now.
Microsoft’s Vice President of Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery, John Cable, calls this a “cumulative release” in the official update blog since it comprises features touted last month, plus a few extra “enhancements.”
This update makes it easier to interact with Microsoft’s Co-Pilot by simply holding down the Windows key and the letter “C.” From there, you can ask it to help you with common Windows-based tasks, like changing the wallpaper on your desktop or connecting a new pair of headphones.
Other AI-assisted features include the ability to pluck text off of a webpage or image using the Snipping Tool. The new Windows Backup mechanism is a part of this update, which now offers more robust options for backing up files and folders. This officially enables Microsoft’s version of passkeys, which you can use on browsers including Edge and Chrome.
Microsoft Teams also gained a little victory with this update. Teams is now officially a default app placed in your taskbar. You can make it disappear if you don’t plan to use it by removing it from the start-up lineup in the settings, but by default, Microsoft will place it right in your taskbar.
If you do decide to use Teams, you can now use it to send texts and even make call phones—akin to how you used to be able to use Google Chat Hangouts to use a Google Voice number back in the day. Microsoft hopes you’ll use Teams to keep tabs on conversations in the background.
If you want the latest Windows 11 update, head into Settings > Windows Update, then turn on “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.” If you’re a Windows Insider, you may have already been using some of these new Windows features as described above.