The topic Microsoft spent two months overhauling Windows, and yes, that includes cutting… is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
Microsoft has a user faith crisis on its hands, and it knows it. It spent the better part of 2025 trying to convince the Windows userbase to adopt Copilot across the operating system, including adding the AI assistant to as many Windows applications as it could. Unfortunately for Microsoft, its users weren’t so keen on having Copilot in Notepad for whatever reason, and the company has since stopped its AI-fuelled conquest and has begun working on the core OS again.
Now, in seemingly a bid to prove to everyone that the operating system is back on the right track, Microsoft has published a blog post describing everything that got added to Windows 11’s Insider branch over the last two months, and things are looking good so far.
It’s part of a huge drive across all of Microsoft’s brands to regain trust.
Over on the Windows Blogs, Microsoft explains what it worked on over the last two months. In 2025, such a post would likely have contained a ton of AI integrations and Copilot rollout details, but this time around, we’re seeing the reverse:
In Snipping Tool and Photos, we’ve removed the “Ask Copilot” button entirely. And in Notepad, we’ve replaced the generic Copilot icon with a clearer “Writing Tools” label that better describes what it does. This is part of a broader shift to make AI in Windows more intentional and realign the experiences to those that provide the most value to users, and you’ll see us continue to be deliberate about where Copilot shows up, with fewer more curated experiences.
So, it seems that Microsoft doesn’t want to roll AI all the way back; however, it does want to be more deliberate with its integrations and only add it where it truly makes sense.
Fortunately, that’s not all the company has up its sleeves. Microsoft also took the time to show off its new Windows Update feature that aims to pester the user less and give them more control over when updates happen. File Explorer also got some tweaks that made it faster and more stable. Even the Windows Insider screen itself got an update, which makes it easier for people to opt in and pick the branch they want. Here’s hoping Microsoft continues its momentum.