It looks like Microsoft might have thought better about banishing Copilot AI shortcut from Windows 11

Windows 11 could again be graced with the ‘Windows key + C’ shortcut to summon Copilot
This keyboard shortcut was removed from Windows 11 last year for reasons that it’s difficult to fathom, frankly
Microsoft now seems to have had second thoughts about banishing the shortcut – or so a rumor suggests

There’s some potentially good news for Windows 11 users who miss the old keyboard shortcut that invoked Copilot, as early hints have been dropped that this functionality could be reinstated by Microsoft.

The keyboard shortcut in question – which is ‘Windows key + C’ – essentially served as a substitute for those who don’t have a dedicated Copilot key (as seen on Copilot+ PCs like the new Dell XPS 13) to summon the AI assistant.

According to PhantomOfEarth on X, a regular source of gossip and leaks for Windows, Microsoft is “experimenting with bringing back” this keyboard combination.

Microsoft is experimenting with bringing back the Windows key + C keyboard shortcut. It will do the same action as the Copilot key, so can be customized in Settings.”Choose what happens when you press the Copilot key or Windows logo key + C”March 23, 2025

I assume that PhantomOfEarth has uncovered clues in a recent preview build of Windows 11 to indicate this process is underway, but they don’t make that clear.

As noted, just like the Copilot key, you will be able to customize the function of this shortcut in Settings. So, if you don’t use the AI assistant, you can get Windows + C to perform a different action more useful to your particular way of working.

(Image credit: Future)

Analysis: Cleared for landing on your keyboard (after being in a holding pattern for a long time)

There’s actually quite a backstory here that you may not be aware of. Many moons ago, Windows + C was used to fire up Cortana, but when that AI assistant was ditched (back in 2023), Microsoft transferred the shortcut to Copilot.

Then, in what was a puzzling twist at the time, in the middle of 2024 the keyboard shortcut was decoupled from Copilot – the reasons for that being best known to Microsoft. As I observed at the time, the more cynical might suggest that it did lend extra value to the convenience of that dedicated Copilot key, effectively making that more of a (slight) selling point for Copilot+ laptops, at least in theory.

(I should also note that Windows Latest, which spotted the above post, points out that back at the time, Microsoft did argue that using the Windows key in conjunction with the “number position for Copilot pinned to your taskbar” is a “great way to open Copilot,” rather than Windows + C. Still, what’s the harm in having another – more convenient in my book – way of doing that? It wasn’t like Windows + C got another more important use allocated to it when Copilot was removed from the shortcut – it just didn’t do anything).

At any rate, whatever the reasoning was back then, Microsoft is seemingly going to reverse course now – and it’s about time. Well, I say that in the full knowledge that no AI chickens should be counted just yet – not until we actually see this keyboard shortcut reemerge officially in testing as a way to bring up the Copilot app. For now, this remains just a hint that Microsoft is busy reintroducing this small but potentially useful feature.

Of course, even if you don’t use Copilot in Windows 11, you’ll likely appreciate having the ability to redefine the shortcut to something else, rather than the combo lying dormant. Although I’m guessing this ability could come laden with the same limitations as remapping the dedicated Copilot key to another function, namely that only certain apps can be linked to it – but who knows, maybe that won’t be the case.