- Microsoft is nudging folks to use a new keyboard shortcut for Copilot
- The nudge reportedly arrives via a pop-up after updating the Copilot app
- The problem is the key combo used could interfere with the existing workflows of some Windows 11 users
Microsoft is keen to get folks on Windows 11 using its Copilot assistant more, and the software giant is now flagging up a fresh keyboard shortcut to summon the AI to your desktop.
Windows Latest reports that after updating the Copilot app in Windows 11 – remember, the assistant was turned into a standalone app last year, in a separate window, whereas it was previously anchored to the right-hand side of the desktop – the tech site received a pop-up promoting the new shortcut for Copilot.
The pop-up tells the user that they can hit Alt + Space as a keyboard shortcut to fire up the Copilot app. This panel also has a button to click to enable the shortcut, or you can pass on that option and click ‘Not now’ if you prefer.
This was seen last month in testing, where it was introduced to open Copilot’s new ‘quick view’ feature. (The dedicated Copilot key, on PCs that have it, is used to open the assistant in its main view – though this key can be reconfigured).
So, this functionality is seemingly rolling out via an update to the Copilot application, with a fresh prompt to use it.
Analysis: Interfering with workflows
Okay, then – what’s the big deal here? Well, for some Windows 11 users, this won’t be important. However, others may have Alt + Space set to something else (PowerToys uses it, for one thing), and moreover, by default, it also brings up the context menu for any active window. That’s part of the core Windows 11 interface, and it might be an ability used regularly in the workflows of some folks.
Meaning that Copilot could mess with those workflows, which could lead to some frustrations.
Microsoft previously acknowledged this issue in testing, noting that: “Many apps use this keyboard shortcut [Alt + Space] today. For any apps installed on your PC that might utilize this keyboard shortcut, Windows will register whichever app is launched first on your PC and running in the background as the app that is invoked when using Alt + Space.”
This isn’t exactly clear (to us, anyway), but we take it to mean that with other apps (like the mentioned PowerToys), if you run them first (and not the Copilot app), they will keep the Alt + Space shortcut. However, you won’t be able to use Alt + Space as part of the main Windows 11 interface (meaning to summon the context menu for the active window on the desktop), as this isn’t an app (but part of the core UI as mentioned).
This whole setup might change, Microsoft said last month in its blog post for testers, though it appears that the software giant might be going ahead with the plan at this point. That doesn’t mean this course can’t still be altered, of course, if enough Windows 11 users complain via the Feedback Hub and usual channels.
Windows Latest points out that you can disable (or enable) the Alt + Space shortcut for Copilot in the app’s Settings (accessed via the three-dot menu at the top-right).