Copilot on Windows: Semantic File Search & New Home Page for Insiders

Microsoft has begun rolling out a staged update that brings semantic file search and a redesigned Copilot home to the Copilot on Windows app for Windows Insiders, with the semantics-driven search initially available only on certified Copilot+ PCs and the new homepage surfacing recent apps, files, and Vision-powered guided help directly inside the Copilot workspace.

Background​

Microsoft’s Copilot initiative has evolved from a taskbar/side-panel assistant into a deeper, system-level AI layer for Windows. Over the past year that effort has been split into two complementary threads: the broadly available Copilot capabilities in Windows, and a hardware-accelerated slate of features for Copilot+ PCs that offload heavier AI inference to on-device Neural Processing Units (NPUs). The new Copilot app update continues that trajectory by embedding meaning-aware file discovery and a more actionable landing surface into the Copilot experience.
This roll‑out is being previewed to Windows Insiders and delivered through the Microsoft Store as a staged feature: not every Insider will see the new functionality immediately. Microsoft has explicitly tied the initial semantic indexing experience to hardware-certified Copilot+ PCs while promising broader support over time.

---

What Microsoft shipped: headline features​

• Semantic file search inside the Copilot app — describe what you’re looking for (for example, “find images of bridges at sunset on my PC” or “find my CV”) and Copilot will return candidate documents or photos based on meaning rather than exact filenames or literal keyword matches. This functionality is initially limited to Copilot+ PCs.
• Redesigned Copilot homepage — a new landing surface that surfaces recent apps, files, and your Copilot conversations. The left pane lists recent files (sourced from the standard Windows “Recent” folder), and the “get guided help with your apps” area can launch a Copilot Vision session to analyze the current app window for contextual assistance. Clicking a recent file uploads it into the Copilot chat (with your action), allowing quick summarization, extraction, or follow-up Q&A.
• Permission controls and scoped indexing — Copilot surfaces recent items from Windows’ Recent folder and from indexed locations; it does not automatically scan and upload your entire drive. Uploading or attaching a file to Copilot is an explicit action that grants Copilot the permission to process that file. Settings expose permission controls so users and administrators can limit what Copilot may access.

---

How semantic file search works (high-level technical view)​

Semantic indexing + traditional indexing​

Microsoft is layering a semantic index on top of the existing Windows indexer. The semantic index stores vectorized representations (embeddings) of document text and descriptors for images, enabling similarity-based retrieval rather than strict string matching. This approach allows queries expressed in natural language to match files by concept, context, and visible content instead of only by filename or literal text tokens.

On‑device inference on Copilot+ NPUs​

For Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft intends to run the inference needed for semantic queries locally on the device’s NPU to reduce latency and lower the privacy surface. Public Microsoft insider posts repeatedly reference NPUs with “40+ TOPS” (trillions of operations per second) as a performance class enabling richer on‑device semantics and vision tasks, though exact thresholds and per‑OEM implementation details remain subject to certification criteria. That local-first design is positioned as both a responsiveness and privacy improvement versus a cloud-first approach.

Supported formats and languages (preview)​

At launch Microsoft documents that semantic file search and the Copilot upload experience support a constrained list of document and image types and are optimized for select languages. Supported upload types for Copilot chat include common images and documents (.png, .jpeg, .svg, .pdf, .docx, .xlsx, .csv, .json, .txt), while semantic search on Copilot+ PCs is optimized for English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Expect incremental expansion of formats and languages as the preview evolves.

---

Why this matters for users and productivity​

Semantic file search addresses a perennial Windows pain point: spending time hunting for documents when filenames, folder locations, or exact phrases are fuzzy in memory. By matching intent and content, the Copilot experience can dramatically shorten discovery time for:

• research documents and notes;
• visual search (finding a specific photo among thousands);
• triaging inbox exports, reports, or receipts when the filename doesn’t reveal the contents.

The new Copilot homepage aims to be a practical hub that moves users from discovery to action faster — click a file, let Copilot summarize it, and ask follow-ups without juggling applications. For persons who regularly pivot between tasks and files, that flow reduces friction and context switching.

---

Privacy, permissions, and governance — what’s been verified​

Microsoft’s messaging for this preview emphasizes local behavior where possible: the Copilot app lists recent files by pointing at the Windows “Recent” folder and does not automatically scan or upload files without explicit user action. Uploading a file to Copilot is an opt‑in action that grants Copilot permission to process that file. These controls are available in Copilot Settings under Permission settings. Those exact assurances are detailed in the Windows Insider announcement.
At the same time, several practical points require careful attention when adopting this preview:

• If a user chooses to attach a file or enable broader index scopes (for example, turning on “Enhanced” indexing to include more folders), relevant content becomes available to Copilot’s indexing and processing routines. That increases the surface area for content to be read by local or cloud components depending on device and feature fallbacks.
• On Copilot+ devices, Microsoft’s stated architecture routes inference to the device NPU. However, the company’s public posts and early reporting do not enumerate long‑term retention, ephemeral caching, or telemetry semantics for every scenario. Independent verification (or enterprise policy review) is required before trusting the preview for highly sensitive content. Early community notes flag gaps around retention and governance that administrators should treat as subject to change.

Because of these nuances, organizations should treat Copilot’s semantic indexing as a feature that needs active governance: test on non‑production devices, document which folders are indexed, and craft user guidance on when and how to upload files to Copilot.

---

Hardware gating, certification, and practical compatibility​

Microsoft’s staged approach makes the feature available first to Copilot+ PCs, meaning systems that meet the company’s hardware certification for on‑device AI acceleration. Early waves prioritized Snapdragon-based Copilot+ devices; Microsoft has said AMD and Intel Copilot+ hardware will be supported over time. That hardware gating is intended to guarantee responsive on‑device model execution and consistent user experiences.
A few practical points to note:

• Receiving the Copilot app update from the Microsoft Store does not guarantee you will see every feature immediately — Microsoft uses staged flags, telemetry, and device checks to control exposure.
• If your device is not Copilot+ certified, you may see alternate or reduced behavior; some experiences might fall back to cloud-assisted processing or be unavailable entirely.
• Device OEMs and SoC vendors determine NPU characteristics; “40+ TOPS” is a public guideline used in Microsoft communications, but exact performance and certification must be verified against vendor documentation for each model. Treat TOPS figures as helpful classification, not a precise compatibility contract.

---

Enterprise and IT perspective — risks, controls, and rollout checklist​

For IT leaders and administrators, the Copilot update is a feature preview that combines productivity upside with governance responsibilities. The following checklist outlines a practical, conservative approach to evaluating and deploying these capabilities:

• Pilot scope: Run an initial pilot on non‑production Copilot+ devices with a small set of users who understand the preview nature of the feature. Monitor behavior, logs, and user feedback closely.
• Index scope control: Verify which folders are indexed by Searching Windows settings. Use the “Enhanced” index option intentionally and only when its operational cost is acceptable.
• Permission guidance: Create clear guidance for end users about when to attach files to Copilot chat and what constitutes sensitive or regulated data that should never be uploaded.
• Data residency: Confirm whether any fallback behavior that relies on cloud services will send content outside of on‑device boundaries for particular queries. Microsoft’s local-first design applies where hardware permits, but fallback behavior for non‑Copilot+ devices may differ.
• Licensing considerations: Some Copilot-driven actions in other areas of Windows or File Explorer may require additional licenses (for example, Microsoft 365 Copilot for advanced summarization in some contexts). Document license dependencies before broad deployment.

Administrators should also update internal security and acceptable‑use policies to reflect that Copilot can ingest uploaded files and use Vision sessions when explicitly invoked, and should plan training sessions so users recognize permission prompts and the consequences of uploading files.

---

User experience and hands‑on notes​

Insiders who already have Copilot+ hardware and have seen the update describe the flow as straightforward:

• Open Copilot and use a conversational query like “find my CV” or “show images of bridges at sunset.”
• Copilot returns ranked candidates from indexed and recent locations.
• Clicking a recent file uploads it into the Copilot chat itself (an explicit action), where Copilot can summarize the content, extract data, or identify objects in images.

The new homepage is a practical productivity hub that reduces the number of steps needed to convert a find operation into an action. It’s designed to be the starting point for a session rather than a passive results list. Early hands‑on commentary emphasizes the convenience, especially for users with large, messy archives; however, reviewers also note that the real value depends heavily on index coverage and hardware eligibility.

---

Limitations and claims that need cautious treatment​

While Microsoft’s blog post and early reporting outline the feature set clearly, a few claims and technical specifics require cautious interpretation or further verification:

• The public “40+ TOPS” figure is a useful shorthand for NPU capability but is not a literal universal requirement across all Copilot+ experiences. Exact performance needs and how Microsoft enforces certification vary by OEM; verify model-level details with the device vendor before making procurement decisions.
• Retention, telemetry, and the lifecycle of semantic index entries (how long vectors and metadata live, how they are protected at rest, and which telemetry is collected) are not exhaustively documented in the public blog post. Administrators should request detailed documentation or contact Microsoft support channels for enterprise‑grade assurances.
• Language and format coverage at preview is limited. If your organization relies on uncommon file formats, encrypted archives, or niche languages, expect gaps until Microsoft broadens support. The Windows Insider blog clearly states the optimized language set and supported upload types for the Copilot chat in this preview.

---

How this compares to previous Windows search improvements​

Microsoft has been incrementally moving Windows search from literal matching to semantic discovery throughout 2024–2025. Earlier Insider previews brought semantic indexing to File Explorer and taskbar search on Copilot+ PCs; the current Copilot app change packages that index into a conversation-first interface combined with Vision-driven help. The key differentiator now is the integration: discovery, upload, and follow‑up actions are all possible from the Copilot chat surface, rather than being split across separate UI entry points.

---

Practical recommendations (concise)​

• If you’re an early adopter with a Copilot+ PC: enable the preview, test typical workflows, and keep permissions conservative. Use the Copilot homepage to speed up routine discovery tasks, but avoid uploading regulated documents during preview testing.
• If you’re an IT admin: pilot on non-production machines, document index coverage, educate users about explicit upload actions, and verify licensing and telemetry for enterprise contexts.
• If you’re a general Windows user without Copilot+ hardware: expect to see related Windows Search improvements trickle down over time; however, the fully local semantic experience will be richer on hardware-certified devices.

---

The broader view: tradeoffs and the path ahead​

This Copilot update is emblematic of a larger industry shift toward local-first AI experiences where possible: keeping inference on device to improve responsiveness and reduce data exposure while providing richer, conversational interactions. For Windows users, the combination of semantic search and an actionable Copilot home promises measurable productivity gains.
That promise comes with tradeoffs. Hardware gating fragments the experience across device classes, and enterprise adoption will hinge on clear answers about data handling, index retention, and fallback behavior for non‑Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft’s staged rollout through Insiders is the right operational step — gathering telemetry and user feedback while expanding language and format coverage before a broader release.

---

Conclusion​

Microsoft’s Copilot on Windows update brings meaningful, user‑facing changes: semantic file search that understands intent and a new Copilot homepage that turns discovery into action. For Copilot+ PC owners, the experience can significantly reduce time spent hunting for documents and images while enabling vision‑assisted troubleshooting without juggling windows. For administrators and privacy‑conscious users, the preview offers clear safeguards but also requires measured governance — index scopes, explicit upload permissions, and careful pilot testing are non‑negotiable.
The features are verified in the Windows Insider announcement, and independent coverage by multiple outlets corroborates the staged, hardware‑gated rollout and the expected productivity gains. As Microsoft broadens hardware and language support and documents enterprise telemetry and retention policies more fully, Copilot’s semantic search will move from promising preview to practical everyday tool — but that transition will require deliberate testing and policy work from both users and IT teams.

---

Source: Thurrott.com Copilot on Windows App Adds Semantic File Search and New Homepage for Insiders