January 10, 2026, 10:38 AM EST. Microsoft is testing a built-in Copilot pane inside Windows 11's File Explorer, moving beyond the current right-click "Ask Copilot" option. Insiders spotted a hidden "Chat with Copilot" entry in preview builds (Build 26220.7523) tied to an internal name, "AppAssistantLaunch." Strings in Resources.AppAssistantLaunchLabel and Resources.AppAssistantDetachLabel reference a Chat with Copilot and Detach Copilot, hinting at a dockable Copilot pane in the File Explorer interface that could detach into its own window. Microsoft has not confirmed the feature. If real, Copilot would live inside Explorer, not as a separate app, with a potential sidebar or detail/preview pane.
