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Redmond desk5 min

Windows 11 AI Features: What You Can Do and Which PCs Support Them

Windows 11 AI is a collection of separate tools, not one feature. Learn what each does, its hardware requirements, and important privacy and rollout limits.
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Windows 11’s AI features are spread across the Copilot app, Windows tools, and individual apps such as Paint. Some work on a wider range of PCs; others require a Copilot+ PC, and a few depend on a particular processor, language, account, or app version. The most useful starting point is the task: finding something you saw, acting on screen content, locating a file or setting, improving a call, creating an image, or asking Copilot for help.

What AI features are in Windows 11?

There is no single “Windows AI” switch. The Copilot app is an assistant you open, Windows-integrated features act on system content or settings, and apps such as Paint have their own AI tools. Which experiences appear depends on the PC, app updates, market, language, account, and rollout status. Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC overview describes this device category as having an NPU capable of more than 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS); many of the more prominent Windows AI features are limited to this class.

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Feature What it helps with Copilot+ PC required? Key qualification
Recall Search an opt-in history of screen snapshots Yes Optional snapshot saving; local encrypted storage and user controls
Click to Do Take actions on detected screen text or images Yes Analysis is local after activation; selected content may be sent online for an online action
Windows Search and Settings agent Find files or settings using natural language Some described features require one Availability varies by device, market, and language
Paint AI tools Generate or edit artwork Yes for the features described here Updated app required; generative fill is limited to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs
Windows Studio Effects Adjust camera and audio during calls Depends on effect and hardware Some effects have Snapdragon-specific limits
Copilot app Ask questions, work with supported files, or get guidance No, not as a general requirement for the app Capabilities vary with sign-in and feature availability

How do I use Recall to find something I saw?

Recall is an optional feature for Copilot+ PCs. If you choose to enable snapshot saving, it periodically saves images of active screen content and related context to encrypted local storage. You can search using a remembered phrase or visual clue, browse a timeline, and return to the original item. Windows Hello authentication is part of access. Microsoft says Recall does not record audio or save continuous video.

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Because snapshots can capture sensitive material visible on screen, enabling Recall is a choice about keeping a searchable screen history. You can pause or disable saving, filter apps and websites, and delete snapshots. Microsoft lists these minimum requirements on its Recall support page: a 40-TOPS NPU, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB storage capacity, and at least 50 GB of free storage to enable it. Automatic snapshot saving pauses when free storage falls below 25 GB. Check current support and your device configuration, since eligibility and availability can change.

Can Windows AI see what’s on my screen?

Click to Do can identify text and images in the current screen or in a Recall snapshot, then offer actions such as copying text, opening a website, searching the web, summarizing or rewriting a selection, or sending an image to Paint for editing. It is a Copilot+ PC feature. Microsoft says analysis happens locally after you activate Click to Do; if you choose an action that uses an online service, the selected content is shared with that service.

Some intelligent text actions require English as the default language and a selection of at least 10 words. Feature availability and integrations can vary. See Microsoft’s Click to Do documentation for supported actions and current conditions.

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How can I use AI to find a file or setting?

Search with a description

Microsoft’s Windows 11 2025 Update information describes improved Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs, using semantic indexing to match natural-language descriptions such as “change my theme.” Results can include local and cloud-stored photos and files, and may show matching terms found inside file contents. This is useful when you remember what a file is about but not its exact name.

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Ask Settings for a change

The same update describes a Copilot-powered Settings agent that can help locate and change settings from a natural-language request. At the time documented, it worked only when English was the primary display language. Microsoft cautions that these features vary by device and market and may continue rolling out. Consult its Windows 11 2025 Update page for the update’s stated scope.

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What can Paint’s AI tools do?

On an updated Paint app running on a Copilot+ PC, Microsoft lists several creative tools. Cocreator combines a text prompt with your drawing to generate artwork; generative fill adds objects to a selected area; sticker generation makes stickers; and Object Select helps select parts of an image. Generative fill is specifically limited to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs.

These features have a mixed local-and-online privacy model: Microsoft says image generation happens locally, while Azure services provide online safety filtering. Using the features requires a Microsoft account and an internet connection for those safety services. See Microsoft’s Paint support documentation for supported features and requirements.

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How can Windows Studio Effects improve a call?

Windows Studio Effects can offer camera and audio options such as automatic framing, eye contact, background blur, portrait lighting, creative filters, and voice focus. Availability depends on the NPU’s performance and the device’s hardware, rather than being universal across Windows 11 PCs. Microsoft’s documentation limits some options—including portrait lighting, teleprompter eye contact, and creative filters—to Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs. Effects can also affect performance and battery life on some devices. Check the Studio Effects support page for supported effects on your setup.

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What can Copilot do on a Windows PC?

The Copilot app is a separate assistant experience from Recall, Click to Do, Search, and Paint. Microsoft’s Windows Copilot app documentation describes Copilot Vision for help with open browser windows or apps, file search and questions about supported files, questions about screenshots, web content shown alongside a conversation, and guidance to Windows Settings. If the app is not installed, Microsoft says it can be installed from Microsoft Store.

Signing in with a personal Microsoft account provides features including chat history, image creation, longer conversations, and voice interactions. The available capabilities depend on account context and feature availability, so the app should not be confused with a promise that every AI feature is available on every Windows PC.

How to decide which features are relevant to your PC

  • For a searchable screen history: check whether the PC supports Recall and decide whether periodic snapshots suit your privacy needs.
  • For actions on screen content: check Copilot+ eligibility for Click to Do, and consider whether an action sends selected content to an online service.
  • For file or settings discovery: check whether the semantic Search or Settings agent features have reached your device and language.
  • For art or call effects: check the exact processor, app version, and effect requirements; some Paint and Studio Effects capabilities have Snapdragon-specific limits.
  • For general assistant help: the Copilot app is a distinct option, with some capabilities tied to a personal Microsoft account.

A Copilot+ PC makes sense to consider only if the device-dependent features matter to you. Microsoft defines the class by an NPU capable of more than 40 TOPS, but buyers should verify the specific model’s configuration and the availability of each desired feature. Someone who only wants the Copilot app or other broadly available Windows functions may not need new hardware.

Quick Recap

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