Windows 11 could get some big changes: Start menu 'companions' and Copilot in Settings

Windows 11 has some interesting new features incoming based on the latest preview version of the operating system.

As well-known leaker on X (formerly Twitter) Albacore noticed, in the fresh preview build 26212 (deployed in the Canary channel), Microsoft has introduced what are called 'companions' for the Start menu.

These are widget-style concoctions that are attached to the Start menu in a floating panel that can be docked to the left or right-hand side, piping through info in real-time to the UI in a kind of 'Live Tiles' style. (Which of course was a piece of functionality Microsoft previously did away with - these were introduced with Windows 8, but Windows 11 dropped them).

As the leaker notes, this functionality was apparently quietly introduced with the new build, so Microsoft is keeping this low-profile for now. That tentative approach could hint that this is something that may not make the cut for release, and could just be an experiment - we'll just have to see. That said, it's an ambitious looking experiment if it does turn out to be just that.

Elsewhere in build 26212, it seems that Microsoft is planning on ushering Copilot into another corner of the Windows 11 interface, namely the Settings app.

In the event that a search query in Settings brings up nothing, as you can see in the above tweet, an option will be offered to ask Copilot about the search - the hope being that the AI assistant might produce some useful advice where the core Windows 11 interface has failed.

Do note, though, that this change for Settings is still hidden away in the preview build, and not actually live in testing. So, this one looks somewhat more tenuous.

Controversial changes?

Both of these potential changes to Windows 11 could prove divisive, especially the tweak for the Start menu, but the good news is that regarding that, there's an option to turn off companions - so you won't get them, if you don't want them.

Now, Microsoft: what we really want to know is where's the system-wide toggle to turn off all adverts, suggestions, recommendations, nags, and any similar general detritus cluttering up the Windows 11 interface? We live in hope (actually we don't, realistically - but we can but hope that Microsoft at least tones down the advertising push somewhat in the future).

What we can clearly expect, going forward, is more of Copilot sending out its various AI tendrils into every corner of the Windows 11 interface (though that's not necessarily a bad thing, of course).

• Read more: It looks like Microsoft could cram more adverts veiled as 'recommendations' into Windows 11
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