Microsoft brings Ask Copilot and Agents to the Windows 11 taskbar for business users

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7523 (KB5072043) to the Dev and Beta Channels, bringing with it a number of important changes and additions. As is the case with so many updates to Windows 11 at the moment, this is heavy on the AI.

The difference this time is that Microsoft is starting to focus more on business users – starting by introducing Ask Copilot on the taskbar with Microsoft 365 Copilot. The taskbar is also now adorned with Agents, but not everything is related to artificial intelligence.

Getting the Copilot news out first, Microsoft says: “In October, we introduced Ask Copilot on the taskbar in build 26220.7051 for consumer customers. Now, we’re starting to roll out a version tailored for commercial customers—first announced at Microsoft Ignite. This opt‑in experience will roll out gradually in the coming weeks to commercial Windows Insider Program customers in the United States who have Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses”.

The company goes on to add:

Ask Copilot on the taskbar provides a unified entry point that fluidly connects Microsoft 365 Copilot, agents, and search. This makes Copilot and agents feel like a natural part of how you use your PC, turning everyday interactions into moments of productivity and impact.

   •  One-click access to Copilot from your taskbar: This opt-in experience is the most integrated and natural way to engage with Copilot through voice or text in the way that works best for you. Commercial users will have all the power of their Work IQ as contextual information that they can reference in their Copilot chats and with Microsoft 365 AI Agents.
   •  Invoke agents: You’ll be able to invoke agents directly from Ask Copilot on the taskbar using the tools button or by typing “@.”
   •  Streamlined search experience: Lightning-fast results in a refreshed design makes finding apps, files and settings easier.
To get started go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Ask Copilot to enable the experience.

Ask Copilot in taskbar complements the familiar Windows Search experience, so you can continue using Search as you always have from Start while trying out this new experience.

Continuing the AI theme, Microsoft goes on to talk about Agent Launchers and Agents on the taskbar:

Windows is adding a new way to keep an eye on your Agents right from the taskbar.
Researcher in Microsoft 365 Copilot can dig into a topic and build a detailed report, and now you’ll be able to track its progress without breaking your flow. Give it a try by asking Researcher a question from within the Microsoft 365 Copilot App.

We’re also testing a hover experience—when you move your cursor over the Copilot or Researcher icon, you’ll see real‑time reasoning updates, so you always know how the task is progressing. Researcher will also let you know when it’s done. This opt‑in experience will roll out gradually in the coming weeks to commercial Windows Insider Program customers in the United States who have Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses.

When the report is complete, you will receive a notification as well as seeing a ‘completed’ state on the taskbar. Click either to go back to Microsoft 365 or review the report and turn your learnings into action.

There are changes to Narrator which allows for customization of just what, and how, the tool speaks about different UI elements. A related change see the touch keyboard being updated to make it better for voice typing:

The new design removes the previous full‑screen overlay and instead shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key, helping you stay focused on what you’re doing without extra visual distractions.

Full release notes for this build are available here.