Microsoft has announced an important update for its Copilot app for Windows 11, introducing two useful features: improved file search and Copilot Vision.

The improved file search feature allows users to interact with Copilot using natural language queries, to find specific files quickly. The AI-powered tool will return relevant results from a wide range of file types including .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, .txt, .pdf, and .json formats. Improved file search is designed to be an intuitive and efficient way to manage files. Microsoft has outlined some example scenarios to highlight how the feature works. A user can ask Copilot things like "Open the trip planning doc I was working on last week," or “Can you find my resume”, and find what they wanted instantly.

Users can control the permissions for the files that Copilot can access, retrieve, or read, under the app's settings.

Another notable addition in the latest update is Copilot Vision, which allows users to share any application's window with Copilot. Once a window is shared, Copilot can analyze the content and provide contextual assistance and guidance. You can also interact with it to ask questions about the content that you shared, and Copilot will respond with relevant information. Windows Central writes that this feature was first introduced for Microsoft Edge but has now been expanded to include other applications, to broaden its utility.

Early feedback from testers who accessed the features are positive, improvements like these could help boost the adoption of Copilot as a digital assistant.

The new features are available in the Copilot app version 1.25034.133.0 and higher. Copilot Vision is currently rolling out to Windows Insiders in the U.S. Improved file search will roll out to insiders worldwide. To access Copilot Vision, click on the glasses icon in the Copilot app's composer, and select the window that you want it to analyze.