Windows 11’s File Explorer will no longer show AI actions when there’s no actionable AI — finally decluttering the right-click menu

Microsoft is updating the right-click menu in File Explorer. If there aren’t any relevant AI-powered options for what you’ve selected, or if you’ve turned off AI features altogether, those options will no longer appear in the menu.

The latest Windows 11 preview build includes a change where the AI Actions section will disappear from the right-click menu if no AI Actions are available or turned on. Microsoft expects this update to become available to all users in early 2024.

As an analyst, I’ve been tracking user feedback, and a common request has been more control over the AI features in Windows 11. Many users simply aren’t interested in using them, and the current implementation is particularly frustrating. Specifically, the AI options keep popping up in the right-click menu for *every* file, even when those AI actions don’t actually apply – it’s a real annoyance.

Now, this won’t happen anymore. Also, the AI options will disappear from the right-click menu if a user turns off AI features in Windows settings, making the menu cleaner and less cluttered.

Microsoft is working to simplify the right-click menu in File Explorer. Since the release of Windows 11, the menu has become crowded with options that most people don’t use. Recently, Microsoft started hiding the AI-powered suggestions when they aren’t relevant, which is a move towards a cleaner, more streamlined experience.

Microsoft has recently been focusing more on refining and improving Windows 11. One example is an enhanced dark mode for File Explorer that will create a more uniform look, even in older parts of the system like file deletion windows and copy prompts.

The latest updates include a cleaner, simpler context menu and several other useful improvements, which is great news. It’s also a positive step that Microsoft is giving users the option to disable AI features they don’t need, and even hide them from the menu altogether.

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2025-12-08 16:15