Microsoft is adding an 'experimental agentic features' toggle to Windows 11 as it gears up for AI OS future

Microsoft has rolled out a new preview build for Windows 11 Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channel today that introduces a new toggle called 'experimental agentic features' that can be enabled or disabled in the Windows Settings app.

According to Microsoft, this new toggle is designed to "allow agents to use new Windows agentic features." The company says the feature will work with AI-powered apps, which "help you automate everyday tasks—like organizing files, scheduling meetings, or sending emails—so you can spend less time on busy work and more time on what matters most. One powerful way apps are implementing AI today is by interacting with your apps and your files, using vision and advanced reasoning to click, type and scroll like a human would."

The setting in the Windows Setting says "When this setting is on, agents can use Windows agentic features." Features such as the recently announced Copilot Actions for Windows feature are going to take advantage of this new experimental agentic feature capability.

Copilot Actions for Windows is a new feature coming soon to the Copilot app that lets it take control of a task. You can ask it to crop a set of images, rename a bunch of files, or complete a task within an app, and Copilot will be able to use agentic capabilities that complete that task for you in its own workspace environment.

You'll be able to watch Copilot as it works, or minimize the app and continue with your own work, allowing you to do two things at once with the help of Copilot in the background. This new 'experimental agentic features' toggle will need to be switched on if you want to use Copilot's new Actions feature on Windows 11.

It's unclear when other AI-powered apps will be updated to support these new agentic capabilities in Windows 11. Microsoft is holding its Ignite conference this week, so we might learn more then.

In the last week, Microsoft has come under fire for focusing too heavily on AI and agentic experiences on Windows 11. A recent tweet from Windows lead Pavan Davuluri was met with major pushback from users online, to the point where he had to respond and reassure customers that Windows was going to remain a great platform outside of AI too.

But with things like an 'experimental agentic features' toggle making their way into the product just days later, the optics don't look too good. Hopefully it will all be worth it if it does enhance the product.

The new experimental agentic features toggle is rolling out as part of the Windows 11 preview build 26220.7272, which is available in the Insider Dev and Beta Channels. The build also includes an updated Narrator voice, and an improved Click To Do actions menu.

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