Microsoft is testing a new feature within taskbar settings in Windows 11 that allows users to directly share any open window with AI assistants, including Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
The goal of this feature is to simplify the interaction between users and artificial intelligence. Until now, analyzing documents or web pages required manually sending files or taking screenshots, while the new approach relies on sharing the active window directly.
Window sharing with the Copilot AI assistant in Windows 11
The new option works by the user holding the mouse cursor over the application preview in the taskbar, after which the option to share that window with the AI assistant appears with one click.
When the window is split, Copilot can analyze the content currently displayed on the screen, recognize the text, create a summary, suggest a response or point to specific elements of the user interface using a virtual pointer.
Technically, the feature is based on a restricted API called ShareWindowCommandSource. At this testing stage, Microsoft has included only Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot in the list of allowed applications. At the same time, the settings indicate that it is possible to independently manage permissions for different AI assistants, which suggests that in the future, proven third-party AI tools could also gain access to this feature.
Microsoft emphasizes that it is an exclusively auxiliary, “read-only” layer. The AI assistant can see what the user sees on the screen, but has no ability to manage applications or access protected or confidential data. The function is currently turned off by default, and users retain full control over its use, with the possibility to turn it on or off at any time through the taskbar settings in Windows 11.