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In Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Actions to control AI Actions in File Explorer. Turn on the individual actions you want, then right-click a supported file and choose AI actions. To stop the commands, return to the same page and turn every action off. The AI actions heading can remain in the context menu after that, but it should contain no commands. Availability depends on your Windows 11 build, account, rollout status, installed companion apps, and region.
What are AI Actions in File Explorer?
AI Actions is a context-menu entry that sends a selected file to a capability supplied by another Microsoft application. File Explorer provides the entry point; it does not perform all of the editing or summarization itself. Depending on the file and the enabled toggle, the request can open or use Microsoft Photos, Paint, Edge, a system image-description feature, or Microsoft 365.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteMicrosoft introduced the feature for Windows Insiders in Canary Build 27938 on September 8, 2025. The announcement described it as a way to “interact more deeply with your files by right-clicking to quickly take actions like editing images or summarizing documents.” The September 2025 release notes later documented the experience for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, while warning that the rollout was gradual.
Because the actions are delegated to companion applications, an enabled switch does not guarantee that every command will appear. The relevant app, file type, account, subscription, and regional rollout all affect what you see.
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How do I enable AI actions in File Explorer?
Use the Actions page in Windows Settings, not a File Explorer preference. Each command has its own switch, so you can enable only the operations that fit your workflow.
- Open Settings. You can select it from the Start menu or press Windows key + I.
- Select Apps in the Settings sidebar.
- Open Actions.
- Turn on each File Explorer AI action you want to use. The list can include image tools, image description, and Microsoft 365 document actions, depending on your device.
- Open File Explorer and select a supported file.
- Right-click the file and open AI actions. The same menu is available with the keyboard: select the file and press Shift+F10, then choose AI actions.
Changes apply to the individual toggles. If a command is not listed after you enable it, check the file extension and the companion-app requirements before changing other Windows settings.
How do I disable AI actions in the Windows 11 right-click menu?
Disable the commands from the same Settings page. There is no separate master switch in the documented interface.
- Open Settings > Apps > Actions.
- Turn off every File Explorer AI action you no longer want displayed.
- Close and reopen File Explorer, or open a new folder window, and test a supported file.
Turning off the toggles removes the commands from the submenu. Windows Central reports that the AI actions heading itself may remain visible even when all actions are off; the heading is then empty. The cited control does not provide a way to hide that heading completely.
Which Windows 11 files support AI actions?
Support is action-specific. The first image actions target common image formats, while Microsoft 365 actions cover a broader set of document extensions. The following table separates the documented formats from the application used to carry out each operation.
| Action | Supported formats or file scope | Companion application or service | Important requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bing Visual Search | .jpg, .jpeg, .png | Edge | The action must be enabled and Edge must be available. |
| Blur Background | .jpg, .jpeg, .png | Photos | Photos supplies the editing capability. |
| Erase Objects | .jpg, .jpeg, .png | Photos | Photos supplies the editing capability. |
| Remove Background | .jpg, .jpeg, .png | Paint | Paint supplies the editing capability. |
| Describe image | Image files supported by the system action | Windows system experience | Its appearance can vary with the Windows build and rollout. |
| Summaries, insights, and table conversions | .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx, .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt, .rtf, .aspx, .html | Microsoft 365 applications | The required Microsoft 365 apps must be installed locally. |
Microsoft’s release notes specifically state that the Microsoft 365 Copilot summarization action requires an active Microsoft 365 subscription and a Copilot license. Microsoft account and Microsoft Entra ID support are listed for that experience. A file can therefore have a recognized extension and still lack a command if the local app or eligible license is missing.
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What does each image action do?
Bing Visual Search
This command sends the image into Edge’s visual-search workflow. It is useful when you want to identify objects or find visually similar results rather than edit the file itself.
Blur Background and Erase Objects
Both commands use Photos. Blur Background is intended to reduce the prominence of the scene behind a subject, while Erase Objects removes a selected distraction from the picture. The resulting editing experience is supplied by Photos, so its availability and behavior can change with the installed Photos version.
Remove Background
Paint handles this operation. It is separate from Photos’ Erase Objects command: removing a background isolates the subject, whereas erasing objects targets selected content within the image.
Describe image
The system Describe image command is intended to provide an accessibility-oriented description. Its exact wording and availability can depend on the Windows release in which the feature has reached your device.
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A missing submenu or an incomplete list usually reflects availability or prerequisites rather than a broken right-click menu. Check these causes in order.
Your Windows release or rollout does not include it yet
The documented release notes cover Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 and describe a gradual rollout. A computer on one of those versions can still lack the feature until Microsoft’s staged delivery reaches its build, account, or configuration. Check Settings > System > About for the Windows specifications and compare the installed release with current Microsoft release information.
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Your region is excluded from the current experience
The September 2025 notes said the experience was not yet available to customers in the European Economic Area. Windows Central also reported that the options were unavailable to users in Europe when its November 2025 guide was published. Treat those statements as time-specific rollout information: regional support can change, so verify the latest release notes for your location.
The file type is not supported
The initial image commands are for JPG, JPEG, and PNG files. Microsoft 365 actions recognize the document extensions listed above, but a different extension will not necessarily produce an AI Actions command. Test with a supported file before assuming the feature is absent.
A companion app is missing or not installed locally
Photos, Paint, and Edge provide the first image operations. Microsoft 365 actions require the relevant Microsoft 365 applications to be installed on the PC. If an app has been removed, is unavailable to the current Windows image, or has not completed its installation, its action may not appear.
The account or license does not qualify
Copilot summarization is not presented as a free, universally available command. The release notes require an active Microsoft 365 subscription and Copilot license, with Microsoft account and Microsoft Entra ID support. Sign in with the account that owns the eligible subscription, and confirm that your organization has assigned the Copilot license if the PC is managed by an employer or school.
The action is switched off
Open Settings > Apps > Actions and inspect every toggle. Windows can leave the submenu heading visible while all of its commands are disabled, which can make an empty menu look like a malfunction.
Can I remove the AI Actions heading completely?
Not through the documented Actions control. You can turn off every individual command, but the heading may remain as an empty submenu. This is a cosmetic limitation of the current interface rather than evidence that an AI action is still active.
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The reviewed Microsoft ADMX_WindowsExplorer policy documentation describes general Explorer context-menu policies, such as removing default context menus, but does not document an AI Actions-specific Group Policy, Intune setting, or registry value. Do not apply a generic context-menu policy expecting it to target only this feature; it may remove unrelated Explorer commands.
What is the difference between enabling and disabling AI Actions?
Choose based on whether the convenience of app-linked commands outweighs the extra menu entry and the requirements of each action.
| Decision factor | Enable selected actions | Disable selected actions |
|---|---|---|
| Image and document tasks | Right-click supported files to open visual search, image editing, descriptions, summaries, insights, or table conversions. | Those commands are removed from the submenu; use the companion app directly instead. |
| Companion apps | Requires the relevant installation of Edge, Photos, Paint, or Microsoft 365 applications. | No AI Actions command is offered even if a companion app remains installed. |
| Microsoft 365 licensing | Copilot summarization requires an active Microsoft 365 subscription and Copilot license; account type and organization assignment matter. | Licensing is irrelevant because the File Explorer command is disabled. |
| Windows availability | Still depends on Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 coverage, staged rollout, account, and region. | Works as a local preference once the Actions page is available, although the heading can remain. |
| Context-menu appearance | Enabled commands appear under AI actions when a compatible file is selected. | The submenu can remain visible but contains no enabled commands. |
How does an AI Action run after I select it?
The operation follows a hand-off model rather than a single File Explorer processing engine.
- File Explorer checks the selected item’s type and exposes the AI Actions entry if a matching command is available.
- You choose an action, such as Blur Background or Summarize.
- Windows invokes the associated application or service: Photos, Paint, Edge, a system description feature, or Microsoft 365.
- The companion application performs the edit or analysis under its own account, licensing, and version rules.
This explains why two PCs with the same Windows release can show different menus. Their installed apps, sign-in state, Microsoft 365 entitlements, or rollout assignments may differ.
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What should I check before changing advanced Windows settings?
Use this short diagnostic sequence to avoid changing unrelated Explorer policies.
- Confirm the Windows 11 release in Settings > System > About.
- Return to Settings > Apps > Actions and verify the desired toggle is on.
- Right-click a JPG, JPEG, PNG, or one of the documented document formats instead of an unsupported file.
- Open the companion app directly to confirm that Photos, Paint, Edge, or Microsoft 365 is installed and starts normally.
- Check the Microsoft account or Microsoft Entra ID account used by Microsoft 365, and verify the Copilot license when summarization is expected.
- Consider regional rollout status, especially if the device is in the EEA or another market where the feature has not reached all customers.
- Restart File Explorer by closing its windows and opening a new one after changing toggles.
If the Actions page itself is missing, the device may not have received the feature or may be running a Windows configuration outside the documented rollout. A generic Explorer policy or registry edit is not a supported substitute for the per-action controls described here.
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What changed between the initial announcement and the release notes?
The September 8, 2025 Windows Insider announcement introduced the concept and listed four image actions for JPG, JPEG, and PNG files. The September 29, 2025 release notes added the documented Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 scope, Microsoft 365 document actions, Copilot licensing conditions, and the warning that deployment was gradual and not yet available in the EEA at that time.
That timeline matters because screenshots and instructions from an early Insider build may not match a retail installation. Use the Settings path as the stable control, but expect the names and available toggles to evolve as Microsoft completes the rollout.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do AI Actions upload my files automatically?
The feature hands the selected file to the application or service assigned to the command, such as Photos, Paint, Edge, or Microsoft 365. The supplied documentation does not define a single privacy or network policy for every action, so review the privacy and account settings of the companion app you choose.
Can I use AI Actions without signing in to Microsoft 365?
Image commands supplied by Photos, Paint, or Edge are separate from Microsoft 365 Copilot summarization. Summarization has the documented subscription and Copilot-license requirement, so an eligible Microsoft 365 sign-in is needed for that command even if image actions work.
Will Windows 10 receive the same File Explorer menu?
The cited release notes document AI Actions for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. They do not establish equivalent support for Windows 10, so a Windows 10 installation should not be assumed to have this control.
Why do two files with similar names show different actions?
File Explorer matches commands by extension and capability, not by the visible filename. For example, a JPG can qualify for the initial image tools while a different image format may not, and a document command can also depend on the locally installed Microsoft 365 application and account entitlement.
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