Microsoft is (maybe) bringing back the Windows key + C (Win+C) shortcut

Microsoft is bringing back the Windows key + C (Win+C) keyboard shortcut in Windows 11 to launch the Copilot feature or remap to other programs.

This shortcut has been remapped several times in the past, starting with Windows 8 when it was used to open the Charms bar. Then, in 2015, it was used to activate the Cortana voice assistant until 2023, when it was disabled after Cortana was removed. Then, the Windows key + C (Win+C) shortcut was remapped to launch Copilot right until June 2024, when it was retired again.

In recent preview builds of Windows, Microsoft is testing bringing back the Win+C shortcut to enable users to choose its function—whether to open Copilot or another favorite program. This option recalls how the special Copilot key on Copilot+ PCs is customizable.

This change to drop the Win+C shortcut in June 2024 ran in parallel with Microsoft’s repositioning of Copilot from an extremely integrated OS feature to a web app. Now, let’s see if the Windows key + C (Win+C) shortcut is here to stay or if it’s poised just to be a failed attempt at recreating the past.