How to Change Copilot Key Function in Windows 11

Option 1Change What the Copilot Key Opens for Your Account

Reconfiguring your Copilot key is most commonly managed through the Windows Settings ⚙️ app. You can change these settings for your personal account, which is ideal if you are the sole user of your PC.

Step 1Open Settings

Press Win+I to open Settings ⚙️ immediately.

Step 2Go to Keyboard Settings

Within the Settings ⚙️ window, click on Bluetooth 🔷 & devices in the menu on the left. Then, on the right side, locate and select Keyboard.

Step 3Find the Copilot Key Setting

Scroll down within the Keyboard settings until you find the option labeled Customize Copilot key on keyboard. Adjacent to this, you’ll notice a dropdown menu. This is where you’ll make your adjustments!

Step 4Choose What the Copilot Key Does

Windows 11 lets you change the Copilot key Windows 11 function by picking from three main options in your keyboard settings. You can keep the default Copilot AI assistant, turn the key off completely so it does nothing when pressed, or set up a custom app to open instead.

• Copilot: This is the default. Pressing the key will open the Copilot AI assistant.
• Do nothing: If you find the key annoying and never want it to do anything, choose this.
• Custom: This lets you choose another app to start.

Step 5Pick a Custom App (If You Chose "Custom")

If you selected 'Custom' from the menu, a new button labeled Select will appear. Click this button. A list of applications that Microsoft has pre-approved for launch by the Copilot key will then display. Choose the application you wish to associate with your Copilot key and click Select.

Step 6Close Settings

All done! Your changes are saved automatically. You can now close the Settings window and test your customized Copilot key.

Option 2Change What the Copilot Key Opens for All Users (More Advanced)

This method is more advanced and is exclusively available on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

Step 1Open the Local Group Policy Editor

Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2Find the Copilot Policy

Within the Local Group Policy Editor, examine the list of folders presented on the left. Click on User Configuration. Then, expand Administrative Templates, followed by Windows Components, and finally, select Windows Copilot.

Step 3Edit the Copilot Hardware Key Policy

On the right-hand pane, locate the setting named Set Copilot Hardware Key. Double-click this setting to access its configuration options.

Step 4Set Up the Policy

Setting up the Group Policy for the Copilot key Windows 11 feature lets advanced users assign any installed app to the dedicated keyboard key. You need to enable a specific policy setting and paste the exact application identifier code into the configuration box to make it work.

• To change what the Copilot key does: Select the circle next to Enabled. Then, in the box labeled Enter App AUMID in the box, you need to type the unique identifier for the app you want to start. This identifier is called an Application User Model ID (AUMID). Think of it like a special code for each app. You will need to find the specific AUMID for the app you want to use. For example, the AUMID for the Microsoft Store app might look like Microsoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App.
• To go back to the normal behavior: Select the circle next to Not Configured. This will cancel any policy you set here and let Windows use the settings from Option 1 (the Settings app) or go back to the default Copilot behavior.

Once you've made your selection, click OK to confirm and save the policy settings.

Step 5Close the Local Group Policy Editor

You can now exit the Local Group Policy Editor. The applied changes should take effect immediately, or at the latest, upon the next user login.

References:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windows-itpro-blog/new-experiences-coming-to-the-copilot-key/4406802

Summary

Changing the Copilot key Windows 11 function takes just a few clicks through your standard Bluetooth & devices settings or the Local Group Policy Editor. Most people can pick a new action straight from the keyboard menu, while advanced users can map the key to open any custom app they want.