Microsoft is giving Windows 11 users the ability to customize the new Copilot key, which has started appearing on laptops and keyboards.
By default, the Copilot key launches Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot app, but the company is now testing a feature that allows users to reassign it to launch other apps.
In a new beta build of Windows 11, available to testers, users can configure the key to open any MSIX-packaged and signed app that meets security and privacy standards. Until users make this change, the key will continue to launch the Copilot app on devices where it’s installed.
This update marks the first significant change to Windows keyboards in 30 years, as Microsoft encourages more users to try out its AI assistant. Some new laptops, branded as Copilot Plus PCs, have already been shipping with the key earlier this year. However, the latest 24H2 update to Windows 11 has reduced the Copilot’s functionality by turning it into a web app, limiting its integration with system settings like dark mode and other controls.
While the future of Microsoft’s Copilot experience remains uncertain, the customization of the Copilot key in this beta suggests that more options for its use could be coming soon to all Windows 11 users.
