Microsoft says Windows 11 users can now start a conversation with the AI-powered Copilot digital assistant by saying the "Hey Copilot" wake word.
Windows Insiders have been testing it since May, when the company revealed that the new conversational input works with the Microsoft Copilot app available in the Microsoft Store and is an opt-in feature that users must manually enable to respond to the wake word.
"To get started, enable 'Hey, Copilot' in the Settings of your Copilot app, then simply ask a question starting with 'Hey, Copilot'," said Microsoft executive vice president Yusuf Mehdi.
"To end a conversation, you can say "Goodbye", tap 'X' or Copilot will end the conversation automatically after a few seconds of no interaction. You will hear a chime confirming that the conversation has ended."
After activation, users will see the Copilot microphone above the Windows taskbar and hear a chime alert indicating that Copilot is listening.
Once unlocked via Copilot Voice, Copilot Vision analyzes what's on the screen to help troubleshoot settings, provide step-by-step guidance, or teach users how to use Windows apps and tools.
To enable "Hey Copilot," you have to tap your avatar in the bottom left corner of the Copilot app, click Settings, scroll down to Voice mode, and then toggle on the "Listen for 'Hey, Copilot' to start a conversation" option.
Microsoft says 'Hey Copilot' uses a wake word spotter with an on-device 10-second audio buffer, stored locally and never recorded. However, although wake word recognition works offline, Copilot will require internet access to process the user's requests.
"People are already talking at their PCs every day for dictation and note taking, transcriptions, searching, and with important accessibility features like Voice access and Voice typing. Now, your PC can understand you," Mehdi noted.
"We're seeing that when people use voice, they engage with Copilot twice as much as when they use text. This ease of use leads to deeper engagement within Copilot."
On Thursday, Microsoft announced that Copilot can now generate Office documents and connect to Microsoft and third-party accounts, like Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar. Just like "Hey Copilot," these connectors are opt-in and must be configured in the Copilot Windows app's settings.
Last month, the company also started rolling out the Gaming Copilot "personal gaming sidekick" on Windows 11 PCs for users aged 18 or older, and the content-aware Copilot Chat to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote for paying Microsoft 365 business customers.
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