Microsoft has begun rolling out a long-awaited feature in Copilot for Windows 11 and Windows 10, allowing the AI assistant to search for files stored locally or synced through OneDrive. Previously, this feature was only available to Windows Insider participants, but it is now accessible to all Copilot users, as reported by Windows Latest.

The "File Search" function in Copilot utilizes Windows Search indexing, enabling users to find documents by name, type, or date. Supported formats include Microsoft Office (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX), PDF, text files, and more. However, specific developer extensions, such as .dart, are not currently searchable.

By default, Copilot only has access to the "Documents" and "Downloads" folders, but the search scope can be adjusted in Windows permissions settings. To activate the feature, users need to enable it in the Copilot settings. Microsoft intentionally did not activate this by default for privacy reasons.

The company states that the feature will be rolled out gradually over the coming weeks and does not require a Copilot Pro subscription. Microsoft views local file search as a natural extension of Copilot's integration into the desktop environment, helping users quickly find and interact with documents without leaving the chat interface.