Microsoft dropping Copilot notification plans is a victory for users but the fight over Windows 11s soul continues

Date:
Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:06:57 +0000

Description:
Microsoft stops trying to cram Copilot bloat into some parts of Windows 11 but it has a heck of a fight on its hands to win me back from macOS.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter It seems theres some good news for anyone who has despaired at Microsoft shoehorning AI features into every aspect of Windows 11 , as new reports suggest the company has dropped plans to add its Copilot AI assistant to core parts of its operating system.

Back in 2024 , Microsoft EVP Yusuf Mehdi promised Copilot would come to Windows 11 s Settings and File Explorer apps, and even be included in notifications. However, while the company has been adding AI features to Windows 11, despite many users showing a disinterest or downright hostility to those additions, the features Mehdi showed off a few years ago have yet to appear. Article continues below You may like Microsoft rumored to be cutting back AI ambitions in bid to save Windows 11 AI haters be warned Windows 11's folders may get a big dose of Copilot AI New Windows 11 preview provides more details on how AI agents will work As our sister site Windows Central reports , it seems the delay of the highly controversial Recall feature could be behind the decision to drop further Copilot AI features in certain parts of Windows 11. Recall continuously took screenshots while you used your PC so that the AI could search them in a bid to make finding things on your machine easier, but instead ended up being a privacy nightmare. If in doubt, blame Recall (Image credit: Microsoft) You might recall that Recall was initially a big part of Microsofts advertising push for Copilot+ PCs essentially any Windows 11 laptop or desktop that has an NPU (Neural Processing Unit).

However, once critics and users alike started pointing out that having everything on your screen being constantly recorded and stored could be a rather major privacy violation, Microsoft later delayed adding Recall, and belatedly released it as a beta test thats turned off by default. It is still in beta, seemingly waiting for Microsoft to address the numerous concerns people raised about it. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your
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That backlash has apparently made Microsoft cautious about adding AI features to Windows 11 with the Copilot branding, and while that doesnt mean the company will completely stop adding AI features, Windows Central suggests
that this is why weve not seen Copilot in Settings and File Explorer.

In fact, I wouldnt get your hopes up that Microsoft has had some sort of road-to-Damascus realization over how unpopular its decision to add AI features rather than fix some rather fundamental flaws in Windows 11 has
been. As Windows Central suggests, the continued work on fixing Recall
appears to have put some of Microsofts more ambitious AI features on hold.

If Microsoft somehow finds a way to adjust Recall to address peoples privacy concerns, while retaining the original goal of the feature and proving that its a feature people should use, then the influx of AI features into Windows 11 could resume. What to read next Almost 3 years later, it's time to admit that Microsoft Copilot was a mistake Microsoft is finally fixing Windows 11 under the hood but is it too late? Microsoft explains how Windows 11's AI agents get access to your files

Also, the report suggests to me that rather than putting Microsoft off from adding AI features, its just stopping Microsoft from labelling them as
Copilot perhaps in a bid to stop the Copilot brand getting further damaged
by unpopular features.

In fact, Microsoft has added AI features to both the Settings app and File Explorer, but they are not as integrated as the features Mehdi presented in 2024, nor do they reference Copilot.

As much as Id love for Microsoft to drop its AI obsession and get to work making Windows 11 a decent operating system , I just cant see it happening. The company has invested far too much in AI for it to give up now. Its also stuck with the Copilot brand, despite it being (in typical Microsoft fashion) a terrible name, and that brand is going to get damaged every time a bad product, feature or service is thrust onto users under the Copilot label.

Microsoft, then, needs to try to keep Copilot separate from the Microslop accusations . While you might hope the company would do this by cutting down on poorly thought out AI features, it seems we might still get them, but with fewer Copilot mentions.

Until then, Im afraid Im going to continue to use my macOS-powered devices until Windows 11 becomes a more appealing operating system that actually
works well, rather than a Trojan horse used to justify the companys AI obsession.

Still, there are reasons to be positive. When Windows Central reached out to Microsoft, a spokesperson responded saying: Our approach to product development is to preview with customers and evolve with feedback. Some experiences we may preview privately and update before rolling out more broadly, while others we may preview and iterate publicly with feedback from Windows Insiders, which suggests Microsoft is taking user feedback on board.

Coupled with reports that Microsoft is cutting down on adding AI features to Windows 11 , and instead actually fixing the operating system, Im hopeful
that the company is finally paying attention to its customers who have so far not been too impressed with the AI push, especially as it seems to have come at the expense of quality control. I just hope its not too little, too late. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M4 2. Best budget: Asus Chromebook CM14 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best gaming: Razer Blade 16 5. Best for pros MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro) Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsoft-dropping-copilot-notific ation-plans-is-a-victory-for-users-but-the-fight-over-windows-11s-soul-continu es


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