Windows Copilot brings AI assistance directly into Windows 11, offering centralized AI features within the operating system. While it's easily accessible from the Taskbar icon next to the Search bar or by pressing Windows + C, having a desktop shortcut can provide even quicker access, especially if your Taskbar is cluttered with open and pinned apps.
Creating a desktop shortcut for Copilot on Windows 11
Adding a desktop shortcut for Copilot allows you to launch it swiftly without depending on the Taskbar icon. Before you begin, ensure that your Windows 11 device has the September 2023 update (version 23H2) installed.
Step 1: Right-click on an empty space on your desktop, hover over 'New', and select 'Shortcut' from the context menu.
Step 2: In the 'Create Shortcut' window that appears, paste the following path into the 'Type the location of the item' field, then click 'Next':
microsoft-edge://?ux=copilot&tcp=1&source=taskbar
Step 3: Enter a name for your shortcut, such as 'Copilot', and then click 'Finish'.
Step 4: The Copilot shortcut will now appear on your desktop. You can double-click it anytime to open Copilot quickly.
Customizing the Copilot shortcut icon
By default, the shortcut will display the Microsoft Edge icon, which might be confusing if you have multiple Edge shortcuts. To personalize it and make it easily identifiable, you can change the icon to the Copilot logo.
Step 1: Right-click on the Copilot shortcut on your desktop and select 'Properties' from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: In the properties window, click on the 'Change Icon...' button.
Step 3: You can choose an icon from the default list, or click 'Browse' to select a custom icon file from your computer. The icon file should be in the .ico format.
Step 4: If you don't have the Copilot icon file, you can download it in .ico format here:
If you prefer, you can download a Copilot logo in .png format and convert it to an .ico file using an online converter like Convertio. Alternatively, open the .png image in Microsoft Paint and save it as a 24-bit Bitmap (.bmp) file, which can also be used as an icon.
Step 5: After clicking 'Browse', a file explorer window will open. If you don't see your icon file, make sure to select 'All files' in the file type dropdown menu at the bottom right.
Step 6: Navigate to the location where you saved the Copilot icon file, select it, and click 'Open'.
Step 7: Ensure the icon is selected in the list, then click 'OK' to confirm your choice.
Step 8: Back in the properties window, click 'Apply' and then 'OK' to save the changes and exit.
Step 9: Your Copilot shortcut now displays the new icon on your desktop, making it easily distinguishable.
With these steps, you can quickly access Copilot right from your desktop, making Windows 11's AI assistant even more convenient to use. If you're interested in learning more about how to use Windows Copilot or want to know how to disable Copilot on Windows 11, check out our other guides.
Member discussion