Microsoft is killing another handy Windows 11 feature

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  • Microsoft has updated its list of deprecated features in Windows 11.
  • The latest addition is Windows 11’s “suggested actions” menu, which appears when you copy a phone number or date.
  • The menu provided a quick way to make a call or create an event.

As a long-time Windows user with countless hours spent navigating through various features and updates, I find myself both intrigued and slightly disheartened by Microsoft’s decision to deprecate the “suggested actions” menu in Windows 11.

Microsoft plans to phase out the “Suggested Actions” menu from Windows 11 in an upcoming OS update. This feature, debuted in the Windows 11 2022 Update, offers swift options for placing calls or scheduling events.

Whenever you duplicate a phone number or date, a prompt offering relevant actions immediately appears. This prompt tailors its suggestions based on what information has been duplicated. For instance, if a phone number is copied, the prompt shows applications capable of making calls. If a date is copied, it presents apps for creating reminders or events.

As a researcher, I’ve come across information from Microsoft’s deprecated features documentation stating that certain actions triggered when copying a phone number or future date in Windows 11 will soon be eliminated in an upcoming update for this operating system. In simpler terms, it means that the feature is no longer being actively supported or developed, and it will eventually be phased out.

The suggested actions menu is likely being removed as not enough people used it, or because the upcoming Click To Do feature offers similar functionality, with contextual actions powered by AI. Click To Do is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs however, so older PCs will be without such functionality once suggested actions are removed.

2023 saw a significant reduction of outdated and seldom-used features within Windows 11, as Microsoft chose to streamline the operating system by eliminating them. In total, 16 distinct features were terminated in 2023, marking the highest number Microsoft has ever removed from its OS. Contrastingly, only a few features have been eliminated from Windows 11 in 2024.

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2024-12-12 13:38