Microsoft is Testing Copilot, DMA Compliance, More in Windows 11

Microsoft today released Windows 11 builds 22631/22621.2787 to the Release Preview Channel with some major OS changes related to Copilot and Digital Market Act (DMA) compliance. The appearance of these features in this Windows Insider Preview channel suggests that they could be coming to the stable version of Windows 11 relatively soon.

Here’s what’s new in these builds:

Copilot in Alt + Tab. One of the weird things about Copilot is that you can’t access it with Alt + Tab, the Windows multitasking keyboard shortcut (or with Task view, which is Winkey + Tab). But with these builds, some Insiders will start seeing Copilot in Alt + Tab, with broader availability in “the months that follow.”

Copilot on other displays. Today, Copilot only appears on your primary display, but with this build, some Insiders will be able to open Copilot on any secondary display by clicking the Copilot button in the Taskbar on that display. From then on, the Winkey + C shortcut will open Copilot on the last display it was used on. As with the other Copilot feature, this will be made available more broadly in “the months that follow.”

Copilot with local accounts. These builds will enable Copilot for those who sign in with a local account. It will work for 10 queries and then prompt you to sign in with a Microsoft account or Entra ID (Work or School account).

DMA compliance. In keeping with today’s news that Microsoft will comply with certain DMA requirements, these builds will implement those changes, albeit only in the European Economic Area (EEA): The ability to uninstall most in-box apps, the ability to remove Bing and Edge, and so on.

Windows Spotlight. This will be set to the default background, and so some users currently using a stock Windows 11 background image might be switched over.