Microsoft's Copilot test within Microsoft Photos probably won't be part of its redemption arc. While the company is testing a Copilot button within Photos, it arguably doesn't do really…anything? Anything that you can't find anywhere else, let's say. Microsoft said Monday that it's rolling out a beta of the Photos app with a Copilot button that will appear at the top of the screen. Here's what it does, according to Microsoft: If you'd like tips on how to take better photos, there are numerous tutorials around the web, both in video and in text form.

Microsoft has announced a generative-AI powered eraser for pictures, which gives you an easy way of removing unwanted elements from your photos. Windows Photos has long had a Spot Fix tool that can remove parts of an image for you, but the company says Generative erase is an enhanced version of the feature. Apparently, this newer tool can create "more seamless and realistic" results even when large objects, such as bystanders or clutter in the background, are removed from an image. If you'll recall, both Google and Samsung have their own versions of AI eraser tools on their mobile devices. Google's used to be exclusively available on newer Pixel phones until it was rolled out to older models.

The Windows 11 Photos app is testing a pair of key AI-powered features, continuing a surprising and welcome renaissance in Microsoft's multimedia apps. Microsoft said Thursday that the Photos app is adding background blur, the "portrait mode" that's become common smartphones. Even better, the OneDrive app now has smarter search capabilities for photos, so that you'll be able to search by the content of the picture, such as a beach scene or "snow." We criticized Microsoft earlier this year for the fact the old Photos app was better than the new one. And in some sense, it is: in Photos Legacy, you can search for content, such as the previously mentioned beach scenes.