- Microsoft added new home options to Copilot on Windows, returning to the original sidebar design
- This comes amid promises that Microsoft will reduce AI visibility and bloatware to improve Windows.
- New Copilot home options still rolling out to Windows users
Windows 11 users have chastised Microsoft for its excessive use of AI and bloatware, which it promised to reduce as part of the Windows K2 project, but a new ruling suggests the company may not be as committed to removing AI features as some hoped.
As Windows Latest reports, Copilot has returned to its original sidebar design, which forces apps to the side when docking the AI assistant. This essentially works almost exactly like Windows 11’s Snap Layouts, which allows users to have apps side-by-side, but with Copilot’s new docking options on the left or right sides of the desktop.
Apps are also automatically resized to free up space for the Copilot window, giving priority to the AI assistant.
Copilot has undergone several design changes, originally functioning as a sidebar (very similar to the current design) and then as a standalone application, but now it functions as an Edge-based wrapper using more RAM, according to Windows Latest.
Fortunately, this new version of Copilot is still in the rolling out phase for Windows users, so the “quick view” option that acts like a floating window will be the primary way to use the AI assistant for now.
These home options are also arguably better than just a quick view, as they give users more options for customizing Copilot’s placement. However, returning to an old design seems counterintuitive to Microsoft’s attempt to reduce AI visibility and bloat the operating system.
Copilot is also not very easy to remove: even though the Copilot app can be uninstalled, it is still integrated into Windows on a broader level and requires complete removal via blocking in Group Policy or editing the Windows registry.
Not all PC users are tech-savvy, and rather than making it much easier for those users to completely remove Copilot, Microsoft is adding more features instead. Hopefully these docking options won’t do any good in the long run, but it’s hard to trust Microsoft to push for AI reduction on Windows.
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