Microsoft’s most recent update to Windows 11, formally known as the Windows 11 2023 Update (23H2), is the most consequential update in some time. Of course, you probably think you know why: Windows Copilot, Microsoft’s first step in creating a Windows “AI PC.” But there’s as much under the hood and within updates to familiar applications like Paint that almost overshadows the rest.
Microsoft began rolling out the Windows 11 2023 Update at the very end of October, and you should see it start to deploy on your PC in the coming weeks—if it’s not there already. Consider this a review of the new features, but also recommendations for those you should try.
It’s important to note that Windows 11’s 2023 Update is a cumulative update, as well as one that won’t be rolled out in one fell swoop. I expected to see some features in my Windows 11 Home test laptops, including features other publications have reported were present. At press time, some of those had shown up; a few had not. To ensure that you do have the latest features, update your PC via Windows Update after checking the “Get the latest updates as soon as they are available” box. Check the Microsoft Store, too, for individual app updates.
My favorite new features in the Windows 11 2023 Update? Passkeys, the updates to Paint and Photos, and heck, even the Snipping Tool. Copilot is…okay. But killing off Mail in favor of the new Outlook app? Boo.
WINDOWS COPILOT (COPILOT) IS BLANDLY EFFECTIVE
Windows Copilot, now just called Copilot, is the flagship feature of Windows 11’s 2023 Update, and for good reason: Copilot helps usher in a new generation of AI-infused PCs. Copilot is an odd amalgamation of Bing Chat with some of the capabilities of Windows’ old Cortana app, now deprecated. Type a question in the small chat box (up to 2,000 characters, or less than about 500 words) and Copilot will return a Bing Chat–like response with a couple of sources at the end. Ask it to draw you a picture, and it will. It can even perform a few Windows tasks for you, such as shifting your PC to dark mode.
You’ll find the Copilot icon on your Taskbar, most likely just to the right of the Search box. (Or else use Windows+C).
Copilot is rudimentary at best. It’s slow: On a 400Mbps home broadband connection, it took about 18 seconds to respond to a request, and several more to generate a response. Copilot churns
