Microsoft hijacks keyboard shortcut to bring Copilot to your attention
Copilot has gone native for Windows Insiders and comandeered a popular keyboard shortcut in the process.
The move from a Progressive Web App (PWA) to a native binary – although most of it appears to still be a website, just not running as a PWA – will be welcomed. Microsoft noted that once the app update has been installed, Copilot will appear in the system tray.
However, the assistant's quick view feature has been given the Alt+Space keyboard shortcut. This is already used by many other applications, including Microsoft's own PowerToys. PowerToys Run, for example, uses Alt+Space to open a launcher into which users can type in the name of the service they are seeking.
Alt+Space is also used to show the context menu of the active window. Therefore, Microsoft's decision to hand the shortcut over to Copilot is unlikely to please keyboard warriors who are used to their shortcuts working in a particular way.
The Windows vendor acknowledged that the shortcut was already in use by many apps, saying: "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."
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The update is gradually rolling out to all Windows 10 and 11 devices in the Windows Insider program. While Microsoft won't extend support for Windows 10, it will grab a keyboard shortcut for its unloved AI assistant.
It's unclear why Microsoft used this particular shortcut key to bring up Copilot's quick view. We're sure the conversation within Redmond didn't go like this:
Boss: Nobody is using Copilot, but we have investors who want results. How do we get it in the face of more customers?
Engineer: How about loading it from a keyboard shortcut that lots of customers already use?
Boss: Brilliant! ®
