Customizing Copilot Keyboard Shortcuts on Windows 11

• To modify the action associated with the Copilot physical key on Windows 11, navigate to Settings > Personalization > Text input and adjust the keyboard key via the “Customize Copilot key on keyboard” setting.

In Windows 11, you can change the function of the Copilot key on your keyboard to launch virtually any application. This guide will explain how to make these changes.

Initially announced as Bing Chat online, Microsoft’s Copilot AI was subsequently integrated into Windows 11, featuring a side panel that appears from the right side of the screen.

As part of a marketing strategy, Microsoft later revealed that new keyboards would include a dedicated physical Copilot key for quicker access to the chatbot, proclaiming it as one of the most significant updates to the PC experience in the past thirty years.

Shortly thereafter, new devices, including the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, began shipping with the updated Copilot feature. However, the company’s strategy evolved, resulting in the removal of the chatbot interface in favor of the Copilot web app, which no longer responds to the Copilot key.

With the Copilot key losing its initial functionality, starting with Windows 11 build 22635.4225 (KB5043186), Windows now offers a way to customize the Copilot key’s action. This setting allows users to open Windows Search or any application, provided it is a signed MSIX package. (MSIX is a modern application packaging format prioritizing security and privacy.)

This guide will detail the steps necessary to change the action for the Copilot key on Windows 11.

How to Change the Copilot Key Action on Windows 11

Follow these steps to change the function of the physical Copilot key on your keyboard:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on Personalization.

3. Access the Text input page.

4. Option 1: Select the Search option to launch the Windows Search experience with the Copilot key under the “Customize Copilot key on keyboard” setting.

5. Option 2: Choose the Custom option in the “Customize Copilot key on keyboard” setting.

   

6. Select the application you wish to launch with the physical Copilot key.

   Quick Note: During my setup, I observed that Microsoft does not provide options to locate additional apps outside the existing list. Furthermore, web apps installed through Edge or Chrome are not supported.

7. Click the Select button.

   

8. Option 3: Choose “None selected” to disable the key, if desired.

After completing these steps, pressing the Copilot physical key on your keyboard will launch your chosen app.

If you cannot find this setting, it may be due to not using a version of the operating system that supports this option. As of this writing, the feature is available through the Beta Channel and may become widely accessible with the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 release. Additionally, this option only works on keyboards equipped with the dedicated Copilot key.

It’s important to note that you can only assign applications sourced from the Microsoft Store or those using the signed MSIX package format, meaning many of the apps installed on your system may not be usable. For instance, popular applications like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or VLC were unavailable in my configuration. Likewise, while web apps installed via your web browser cannot be configured, you can select the Copilot, as it is also categorized as a web app.

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