Microsoft retires Win+C shortcut as copilot becomes web app

Updates are coming to Windows 11 22H2 and newer versions that will change the behavior of the Win+C keyboard shortcut. Currently, this shortcut triggers Copilot on computers where it is already available, but Microsoft has decided to change that. Since Copilot is now a web application, the shortcut in Windows 11 will cease to work.

As noted by the site Windows Latest, the Win+C shortcut can almost be considered cursed because, historically, none of the functions initially assigned to it have achieved particular success or user approval or were removed. Previously, Cortana was available under the same shortcut, and in the days of Windows 8, it launched the "Charm bar."

The currently implemented shortcut to Copilot in Windows 11 no longer makes sense, as Microsoft has given up on pushing AI usage in the system. Copilot itself has become a separate web application pinned to the taskbar. However, since users can give up using it anytime, the keyboard shortcut is largely redundant. It is worth noting that Windows 11 has a whole slew of valuable shortcuts, not just those using the Win key.

The new button that was announced some time ago is also essential in the context of Copilot in Windows 11. It will most likely appear on the keyboards of new computers later this year. This is the first such change in 30 years—the new button will be a shortcut to Copilot and be located to the right of the space bar.

Interestingly, on devices where Copilot will not be available or when the user does not want to use it, the new button on the keyboard will be a hardware shortcut to the system search. Currently, Windows 11 can launch this with the Win+S combination.