Microsoft’s ‘Click to Do’ Feature Will Be Your On-Screen Assistant Every Step of the Way

Oct. 3, 2024

Let’s admit it; the moment Google announced its Circle to Search feature earlier this year, our hands have been itching to get something similar on other OSes. Well, it looks like Microsoft heard us. The company has now announced anew ‘Click to Do’ featurefor Windows users alongside its Copilot redesign, making quick actions available every step of the way.

This is not the first time Microsoft has tried bringing a Circle to Search-like feature. Microsoft Edge Canary features aCircle to Copilotfeature that works all too similarly. Using your mouse, you just have to circle on-screen content to get more details about it. However, with Click to Do in Windows 11, you can hit right-click to find the option to do a“Visual Search with Bing”right there.

You can also hit the Windows Key, and an interactive overlay will appear, that features this option. Yusuf Mehdi, Executive VP and Consumer CMO at Microsoft states,“Click to Do works by first understanding everything you’ve seen on your screen and enabling useful shortcuts to actions to help you more quickly search, learn, edit, shop, or act on those items. It works on any window, document, image, or even video.”

However, that’s not the only spotlight in the myriad of announcements. Turns out, Microsoft isfinallyimproving Windows Searchwith the use of AI. Users can now search for images by simply describing its contents. This is similar to how one can make use of Pixel Screenshots to search for image content.

Given how terrible the image clutter can get (just look at my downloads and screenshots folder), it seems like a feature that the community will welcome with open arms. Moreover, Windows Search has been terribly slow and buggy for a long time. So, hopefully, with the addition of new AI features, Microsoft will address those issues as well.

The AI image search feature will first be introduced in the File Explorer and later expanded to other areas in Windows. However, do note that both Click to Do and the improved Search will be Copilot Plus PC-only features initially.

Microsoft will starttesting out the AI features starting in October, rolling it out to Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs. It will gradually roll out to every Copilot Plus PC user sometime next month. Later on, the features will also make it to Intel and AMD-powered Windows PCs.

What do you think about Microsoft’s answer to Circle to Search? Tell us your thoughts on it in the comments down below!

Sagnik is a tech aficionado who can never say “no” to dipping his toes into unknown waters of tech or reviewing the latest gadgets. He is also a hardcore gamer, having played everything from Snake Xenzia to Dead Space Remake.