Windows 11 will let you cut Copilot key from your life, no knife or screwdriver required

Microsoft rolled out a new feature to Canary Channel Windows Insiders that lets you customize the Copilot key.

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What you need to know

Windows 11 will soon support setting the Copilot key to open a different application. The change will be welcomed by many who view Copilot as either an unnecessary app or that prefer to bring up the tool with a different keyboard shortcut. The change is in testing inWindows 11 Build 27729, which is now available to Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel.

If all this sounds familiar, it’s becauseMicrosoft started testing the optionwith Dev and Beta Channel Insiders last month. Now, the option is available to those in the Canary Channel as well.

AllCopilot+ PCsfeature a Copilot key, as do many newer keyboards. At the moment, that key is not customizable, making it a waste to those who do not use Copilot. The Salesforce CEO is a likely candidate to remap the Copilot key to another app, since he said that"Copilot is just the new Microsoft Clippy. It doesn’t work or deliver value."

Assuming all goes well in testing, the ability to customize the Copilot key will make its way to everyone in the near future. When it does, swapping the Copilot key to open your app of choice will be possible through the Windows 11 Settings app.

There are some limits on the apps that you can open with the Copilot key. Microsoft restricted the feature to MSIX packaged and signed apps to ensure customer security and privacy.

While it doesn’t affect the functionality of the Copilot key, it’s fun to note thatMicrosoft did not invent a new key for Copilot. Instead, the teach giant programmed the Copilot key to use the key combination of Left Shift + Windows key + F23 to open Copilot. That combination of keys is unlikely to be bound to a different shortcut because very few computers have an F23 key.

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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.