A new hidden Copilot button have been found in the File Explorer application on recent Windows 11 preview builds. The button remains invisible during normal use and only appears when users hover over a specific blank area in the navigation bar. The discovery, initially reported by user @phantomofearth, points to a direct integration with Microsoft Copilot. Internal strings within the preview build reference a feature titled "Chat with Copilot".
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There are also signs of features which would allow users to detach the Copilot interface from the File Explorer window. This strongly suggests that Microsoft plans to embed Copilot even more deeply into the file management experience.
While Microsoft has not released official details, the button is expected to launch a Copilot sidebar or pop-up interface. This would enable users to interact directly with Copilot in chat mode about specific files, such as documents or images, selected within File Explorer. The current implementation remains incomplete, and the feature is not operational in existing preview versions.
Current Copilot Integration in File Explorer
File Explorer already offers a basic Copilot integration through the right-click context menu. Selecting a file and choosing "Ask Copilot" opens the standalone Copilot application in a separate window, where users may compose queries about the selected item. This method, however, lacks seamless integration into the File Explorer workflow, which the new button may eventually offer.
Given its absence of functionality in current builds, Microsoft is yet to announce the final design, availability, or even the purpose of this feature. The company may alter or cancel plans before public release. What remains certain is that Microsoft is indeed on the way of adding more Copilot bits here and there in Windows 11.
Source: Windows Central
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