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Windows 11 AI is a collection of features, not a single capability or compatibility tier. The Microsoft Copilot app works on Windows 11 PCs (and should be preinstalled on new systems), while features such as Recall, Click to Do, enhanced Windows Search, and automatic super resolution are tied to Copilot+ hardware or other stated requirements.
The key dividing line is an NPU rated above 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS), Microsoft’s Copilot+ threshold. Even a qualifying PC may not receive every feature: RAM, storage, encryption, Windows Hello, processor platform, app and Windows versions, language, market, and rollout timing can all affect availability. The details below reflect Microsoft documentation checked on October 13, 2026.
Windows 11 AI at a glance
Microsoft groups several different experiences under the Windows 11 AI label. Some are ordinary Windows applications or accessibility tools; others are hardware-accelerated experiences reserved for Copilot+ PCs.
| Experience | What it does | Main eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Copilot app | Conversational help, questions about screenshots or open content, file search, and guidance to Windows settings | Windows 11 app availability; not proof of Copilot+ hardware |
| Recall | Searchable timeline of things previously seen on the PC | Opt-in Copilot+ PC meeting additional memory, storage, security and Windows Hello requirements |
| Click to Do | Recognizes selected text and images and offers actions such as summarizing, rewriting, background removal or object erasing | Copilot+ PC or eligible Cloud PC, with separate hardware and software requirements |
| Windows Search and Settings agent | Natural-language searches for files, photos and settings; guided setting changes | Copilot+ hardware and a current supported rollout; the cited Settings-agent documentation requires English as the primary display language |
| Paint and Photos AI | Cocreator, Image Creator, Restyle Image and related editing actions | Device, app-version, language and regional availability vary |
| Live Captions and Narrator | Translated captions, image descriptions and natural-language accessibility controls | Supported Windows version, language and device rollout |
| Windows Studio Effects | Camera framing, eye contact, background and voice enhancements, lighting and creative filters | Capabilities depend on NPU performance and, for some effects, Snapdragon Copilot+ hardware |
| Automatic super resolution | AI-assisted game-resolution and smoothness improvements | Copilot+ PC; supported games and behavior remain device-specific |
Microsoft warns that Windows 11 features can vary by device, market, language and rollout timing. Treat a feature list as a current compatibility check, not a permanent promise. See the Windows 11 update overview for the current inventory.
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What the Microsoft Copilot app does
The Copilot app is Microsoft’s conversational assistant for Windows. If it is missing, Microsoft says it can be downloaded from Microsoft Store; new Windows 11 PCs are expected to include it. You can open it with the Copilot key or Windows+C, and Microsoft documents an optional “Hey, Copilot” wake word.
Depending on your account, region and current app build, Copilot can answer questions about a screenshot, help locate common document types, discuss an open browser window or application through Copilot Vision, and point you toward relevant Windows Settings. These are app and service capabilities, so access to Copilot does not demonstrate that the computer has an NPU meeting the Copilot+ specification. Microsoft’s access details are in Access Microsoft Copilot on Windows.
What makes a PC a Copilot+ PC
Microsoft defines Copilot+ eligibility by hardware rather than by the Windows 11 name or a processor brand. The system must include an NPU capable of more than 40 TOPS (trillion operations per second). An Intel, AMD or Snapdragon label alone is not enough; the exact model’s specification and Microsoft’s compatibility information determine eligibility.
The NPU is a local processor for neural-network workloads. It can make selected Windows features more efficient, but it does not make every Copilot request offline. The Copilot app uses online services, and Click to Do can send selected content to a provider for a chosen action. Microsoft’s component documentation explains why an NPU should not be treated as a blanket “all AI stays on the PC” guarantee: Windows Copilot+ AI components.
Recall: a searchable history of what you saw
Recall creates an explorable timeline and semantic search index from snapshots of screen activity. It is intended to help you return to a document, webpage, conversation or other item you previously viewed without remembering its exact name.
How Recall stores information
Recall is opt-in. Microsoft’s documentation states: “By default, saving snapshots for Recall aren’t enabled.” When enabled, it saves snapshots every few seconds or when the active window changes. The snapshots and derived context are encrypted on the local hard drive, and Windows Hello authentication is required to access Recall.
Recall is not an audio recorder or a continuous video recorder; it saves images of screen content. Local encryption does not eliminate the need to consider who can sign in to the computer and whether retaining screen history is appropriate for confidential work or shared devices.
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Controls and filtering
You can pause snapshot saving, delete snapshots and filter applications or websites. Browser support is not identical: supported browsers differ in how they can filter particular websites and private-browsing activity. Review those limits before enabling the feature on a work profile.
Recall minimums
| Requirement | Microsoft’s documented condition |
|---|---|
| System class | Copilot+ PC meeting the Secured-core standard |
| NPU | 40 TOPS |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Free space to enable | At least 50 GB free |
| Low-space behavior | Automatic snapshot saving pauses below 25 GB free |
| Security | Device Encryption or BitLocker enabled |
| Sign-in | Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security with at least one biometric option |
These are requirements from Microsoft’s current Recall documentation. A Copilot+ badge by itself does not confirm that every listed condition is met.
Click to Do: actions on visible text and images
Click to Do appears when you actively open it and recognizes text and images visible on the screen. Text actions include summarizing, rewriting and creating lists. Image actions can include removing a background or erasing an object through Paint or Photos. You can also send selected material to Copilot.
What stays local—and what may leave the PC
Microsoft says the initial identification of visible text and images is processed locally. Analysis starts only after you open Click to Do and ends when you exit it. If you choose an action that requires another service, the selected content may be sent to Copilot, Bing or another provider associated with that action. Therefore, “on-device recognition” does not mean that every resulting operation is local or offline.
Click to Do requirements
- A Copilot+ PC or an eligible Cloud PC.
- An NPU capable of 40 TOPS.
- At least 16 GB RAM, eight logical processors and 256 GB storage.
- Snipping Tool version 11.2411.20.0 or later for its entry point.
- A supported language and region; available actions vary.
Check Microsoft’s current list and regional notes in Click to Do: do more with what’s on your screen.
Natural-language Search and the Settings agent
On Copilot+ PCs, enhanced Windows Search can interpret ordinary descriptions instead of requiring an exact filename or settings label. For example, a search describing a photo or a setting can return relevant files, pictures or controls. Microsoft’s update overview lists support across Snapdragon, AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs.
The Copilot-powered Settings agent is designed to help locate and change settings through natural-language requests. The cited Microsoft overview currently says it works only when English is the primary display language. Both experiences are rollout- and version-dependent, so a qualifying NPU does not guarantee that they are already enabled on your installation.
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AI in Paint and Photos
Paint
Microsoft’s feature inventory includes Cocreator and Image Creator. Cocreator assists with generating images from a description while you work in Paint; Image Creator provides another generative-image workflow. Exact controls, account requirements and availability depend on the current Paint build and region.
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Photos
Photos includes Restyle Image for reimagining an existing picture. Click to Do can also offer image-editing actions such as background removal and object erasing, which open in Paint or Photos. Keep the apps updated and check the feature’s current regional support instead of assuming that every Windows 11 installation has the same tools.
Accessibility: Live Captions, Narrator and Voice Access
Microsoft’s Windows 11 update overview says Live Captions on Copilot+ PCs can translate audio and video into English subtitles from 44 languages. This is particularly useful for meetings, videos and conversations where the source language is not English, but language availability and translation behavior depend on the current Windows release.
Windows updates also describe AI-powered image descriptions in Narrator and natural-language Voice Access features. These tools address different needs: Narrator can describe visual content for screen-reader users, while Voice Access lets users control Windows with spoken, more conversational commands. Confirm the supported language and rollout for your build before relying on them for accessibility-critical work.
Windows Studio Effects and the NPU differences between PCs
Studio Effects can improve video calls with automatic framing, standard or teleprompter eye contact, background blur, voice focus, portrait lighting and creative filters. Microsoft says the full range depends on Copilot+ hardware, but lower-performance NPUs can still support background effects, standard eye contact, automatic framing and voice focus.
Portrait light, teleprompter eye contact and creative filters are documented as available only on Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs. Two machines can therefore both qualify as Copilot+ PCs yet expose different Studio Effects. Compatible third-party cameras are supported. Camera processing can increase battery use or affect performance on some systems, especially when several effects are active.
See the current platform details in Windows Studio Effects.
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Automatic super resolution for games
Automatic super resolution is a Copilot+ system feature intended to improve game resolution and smoothness with AI processing. It is hardware-gated, and the exact supported games and behavior can change by device, driver and Windows update. Check the current support information for a particular PC and game rather than treating the Copilot+ label as a universal performance guarantee.
How to check whether a PC supports a feature
Use the exact model and Windows build, not a general CPU family description. This checklist avoids the most common compatibility mistakes:
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall- Confirm the NPU rating. Look for an NPU specification above 40 TOPS if you need Copilot+ experiences. “AI PC” or a processor brand is not a substitute for the stated rating.
- Check the individual feature’s requirements. Recall adds memory, storage, free-space, encryption and biometric Windows Hello conditions. Click to Do has its own RAM, logical-processor, storage and Snipping Tool requirements.
- Verify the Windows and app versions. Install the current Windows updates and, for Click to Do, confirm Snipping Tool is version 11.2411.20.0 or later.
- Check language and market. Feature actions, captions, the Settings agent and creative tools can be limited by display language, region or staged rollout.
- Check platform-specific functions. If Studio Effects matters, verify whether the exact processor platform supports the desired lighting, teleprompter or filter features.
- Review data handling. Decide whether opt-in Recall snapshots fit your privacy requirements, and identify which Click to Do actions send selected content to an online provider.
- Use the manufacturer’s current specification page. Microsoft recommends checking the exact device and feature documentation; do not infer eligibility from a product family name.
Common misconceptions and fixes
“If Copilot opens, my PC is Copilot+.”
False. The Copilot app has broader Windows 11 availability. Copilot+ status requires the specified NPU capability and, for individual features, additional conditions.
“Every Copilot+ PC has Recall.”
Not necessarily. Recall is opt-in, currently documented as a preview, and requires the listed RAM, storage, free-space, encryption and Windows Hello configuration. It can also be unavailable because of rollout, language or market.
“An NPU means all AI runs offline.”
No. Some recognition or enhancement steps run locally, while Copilot and selected Click to Do actions can use online services. Read the action-specific data description before sending sensitive content.
“Studio Effects are identical on all Copilot+ machines.”
No. Microsoft documents extra lighting, teleprompter eye contact and creative filters for Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs, while other NPUs may support a smaller set of effects.
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Recall saves screen snapshots rather than continuous audio or video, is disabled for saving by default, requires opt-in and provides pause, filtering and deletion controls. It still deserves a deliberate privacy review because snapshots may contain sensitive on-screen information.
Choosing between Windows 11 PCs for AI
| Priority | What to verify before purchase |
|---|---|
| General Copilot help | Windows 11 compatibility and Copilot app availability; an NPU is not required to establish app access |
| Recall | Copilot+ NPU, Secured-core status, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB storage, 50 GB free space, encryption and Windows Hello biometric security |
| Click to Do | Copilot+ or eligible Cloud PC, 40-TOPS NPU, 16 GB RAM, eight logical processors, 256 GB storage and current Snipping Tool |
| Video-call enhancements | NPU tier, camera compatibility and whether the exact platform offers the desired Studio Effects |
| Accessibility translation | Supported Windows version and language; Copilot+ hardware for the documented 44-language Live Captions translation capability |
| Gaming enhancement | Copilot+ qualification plus the current supported-game and driver list |
The practical distinction is simple: buy or keep a Windows 11 PC for the Copilot app if conversational assistance is all you need; choose a verified Copilot+ configuration when a specific on-device feature is the reason for upgrading. Confirm that feature’s complete requirements and regional rollout first.
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