Companions: Microsoft starts testing floating tiles in Windows 11

Simply put, Microsoft may be investing in some sort of extension for the Start menu as it releases a new test version of Windows to get feedback, he said.

The new feature will be floating blocks that display relevant data such as the price of international currencies and even the temperature of the user’s location. Check out this example posted by @/thebookisclosed on X (formerly Twitter):

albacore Microsoft will reportedly allow the data displayed in this menu, officially called “Utilities” by the company, to be selected in Windows settings. Information is captured over the internet and through some Windows 11 shortcuts that we already know about.

Going back in time a little, the Companions function It takes us directly to Windows 8, where the famous Live Tiles were released for Windows Phone and computers.

The biggest problem was that the app developers did not provide support, so they were solely dependent on Microsoft’s work. Due to these and other factors, Live Tiles It was discontinued in 2020.

Another piece of information is that in the new version released for testing, it will be possible to use Microsoft’s Copilot artificial intelligence directly from Settings. Call data can be sent directly to the AI ​​chat and all requests will also be saved in your account. See the following example in the screenshot below:

When will the source be published?

An exact date when floating blocks will be available to the public has not yet been announced, but we also remember that although they may arrive in the future, they may not be released at all. This is because Microsoft has a habit of testing many features, but not all of them are actually released.

The company first analyzes the feedback from people who participated in the testing program and decides whether to launch the testing program.