At Construct 2026, Microsoft confirmed off a long term the place brokers may just customise Home windows 11 in some way that in reality makes it really feel “non-public.” Notice that Microsoft isn’t announcing it’ll upload extra AI brokers to Home windows, but it surely’s promising that the working device already has all API endpoints for an agent to personalize it.
Microsoft is encouraging builders to deliver their AI concepts to the desktop OS, and a method to try this is thru personalization.
Samantha Tune, who’s a Product Supervisor at the Home windows Platform group, argues that part of our time is spent taking a look at our Home windows gadgets, and it “will have to feel and look non-public,” which is an even level. Whilst Home windows does assist you to customise its look and could also be trying out the power to transport the taskbar, it can not do the entirety for you routinely.
If you wish to personalize Home windows, you want to open Settings, in finding the fitting toggle, take a look at other choices, and in finding your choice. And given how briskly the OS is evolving, it’s very most likely that you could now not even understand when a brand new personalization surroundings involves Home windows 11.
One instance is the “Finish process” button for the taskbar, which has existed for greater than a yr, however now not everyone seems to be acquainted with it.
“Wish to coordinate your accessory colour, wallpaper, and keyboard lights? That’s 3 other settings pages at a minimal,” says Samantha Tune, who has been concerned with development Home windows for the agentic technology.
“If you wish to cross deeper, you’re taking a look at probably a couple of third-party apps and navigating registry keys.”
How Home windows talents paintings with brokers
At Construct 2026, Microsoft introduced a mission known as “WinUI talents,” the place you’ll use AI brokers like Copilot and Claude Code to construct local Home windows apps the usage of WinUI 3, together with AI-powered apps.
This implies the AI-generated apps can use the MCP server, talents, connect with current Home windows API endpoints, and do all duties you’ve been doing via herbal language.
As an example, if an app exists to customise Home windows 11 and is hooked up to the API, you’ll steered it to switch your theme, and it’ll do it for you.
It used to be already conceivable to modify between subject matters and a couple of different Home windows settings the usage of the unique Copilot integration in Home windows 11, however that used to be powered via Energy Automate, and the theory used to be in the end dropped. A an identical concept is being explored, however this time, the implementation is extra powerful.
“No SDK to combine, no API provider to design,” Microsoft mentioned at Construct. “Talents are nice as a result of they outline transparent pointers for brokers. So as an alternative of spinning their wheels, losing tokens, seeking to interpret your intent, they know to make use of those predefined equipment to perform a kind of process.”
What’s a conceivable use case for agentic Home windows?
A few of you could marvel why you’d want AI to switch Home windows 11, which is an even level, however there are certain use circumstances the place AI generally is a bit helpful.
As an example, you’ll ask an agentic Home windows to make the entirety cherry blossom themed for spring, and the agent will routinely select an acceptable wallpaper, transfer to a purple accessory colour, make certain the colours follow around the working device, or even mess around with RGB personalization.
Home windows now integrates with Dynamic Lights and RGB personalization, which means that there are API endpoints that may be uncovered to those AI brokers.
“What if I sought after it to mirror my love of song? Or what if I simply awoke in the future and made up our minds I sought after my keyboard to really feel like a Zen lawn with blooming flora? Brokers can use public LampArray APIs to design and put in force cool per-lamp results and animations. And that’s what I’ve programmed my ability to do. The talents modules execute it reliably in opposition to actual OS APIs,” says Samantha Tune in a consultation on the Construct convention.
Microsoft says AI talents too can follow accessory colours to the Report Explorer accessory registry trail
Microsoft made a captivating declare that AI talents, when attached to the best API in Home windows 11, can transcend simply lighting fixtures and colours.
It will probably additionally regulate the Home windows registry so as to add accessory colours to Report Explorer. It will probably additionally obtain themed wallpapers from the Retailer and follow them to the OS.
“The theme module is going past RGB. You are saying ocean theme, and the ability orchestrates the entirety in one go. It will probably obtain themed wallpapers, write accessory colours to the Explorer accessory registry trail, and extra. This ability ships with a library of actual Microsoft MSIX bundle subject matters,” Microsoft mentioned.
It’s additionally price noting that Home windows AI treats subject matters, lights, or settings as one coherent motion, so your unmarried request may just duvet all the platform, which could be very attention-grabbing.
“With Home windows primitives, I will have to have the ability to trade my entire Home windows theme. I’m speaking wallpaper, accessory colour, mild mode, darkish mode. One sentence to my agent, and I will trade the entirety,” Tune mentioned.
Microsoft additionally mentioned that Home windows may have a subject matters agent that generates an absolutely new theme, or it pulls a gorgeous Microsoft-designed theme, which is what you’re seeing right here.
However why is Microsoft doing it? What’s the purpose of automating concepts that may be simply accomplished already? Microsoft gained’t let us know that, however Home windows Newest understands Microsoft believes Home windows and different platforms will fully shift to AI, and someday, you will not be the usage of a mouse or keyboard for the entirety.
Home windows agentic enjoy is the long run, however Microsoft gained’t pressure you
Home windows AI-based personalization is simplest an open-source GitHub mission, and it is going to or won’t ever send. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be shocked if Microsoft starts taking into account agentic customization and different an identical native AI options for Home windows 11.
If an agent can securely and safely be in contact with Home windows APIs and execute duties autonomously, it’s now not fully dangerous, particularly for those who’re an influence consumer who prefers to personalize Home windows according to their paintings.
“Theming and personalization is so essential to Home windows,” Microsoft says. “We would like builders to have a laugh coding on Home windows and to really feel like their system is theirs. We’re making an investment in exposing Home windows primitives in order that brokers can do extra with the platform and make it non-public.”
Whilst AI doesn’t have a excellent popularity amongst Home windows customers, this agentic integration is attention-grabbing, and I wouldn’t in reality thoughts an agent that may personalize Home windows according to my feelings and activates, so long as it runs in the community.
What about you? Are you aware a greater use case for Home windows agentic shell? Let me know within the feedback underneath.
