Microsoft has acknowledged that the Copilot key, which started to appear on new PCs in 2024, disrupted workflows for some users and has confirmed that later this year, Windows 11 will receive an update that introduces the ability to remap the unpopular Copilot key back to being a “Right Ctrl” or “Context Menu” key instead.
According to a Microsoft support document:
“Customers who rely on the Right Ctrl key or Context menu key for keyboard shortcuts or assistive technologies (such as screen readers) experienced some challenges to their workflows when using these devices. A Windows 11 update will ship later this year that will add a setting option to let you remap the Copilot key to act as the Context menu key or Right Ctrl key.”
If you’ve ever relied on the proper control or context menu key for your workflow, you’ll appreciate this update, as it lets you get that functionality back natively in the operating system. This will be of great use to those who don’t see the point of having a dedicated key on the keyboard to open the Copilot app.
Once enabled, users can change the functionality of the Copilot key through Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard. Microsoft’s new feature will be available on any Windows 11 PC with a Copilot key, although some PC makers already allow you to remap the Copilot key using their own software on the device.
As of now, there don’t appear to be any third-party programs that natively support opening with the Copilot key. However, Microsoft recently added the capability to remap the Copilot key to launch either Windows Search or another app.
The company has now said that users will be able to further customize the Copilot key and bring it back to a context menu key or a right control key that many would probably prefer. It’s encouraging that Microsoft is now admitting that it might have made a mistake with the new Copilot key. Later this year customers can change it to whatever works best for them.
In the coming weeks, Microsoft will add a number of highly demanded tweaks to Windows 11, including the ability to move the Taskbar and stop Windows updates forever. The company clearly has a commitment to fixing the biggest issues with Windows 11 as part of its ongoing Windows K2 initiative.
