In 2025, Copilot+ PCs offer advanced AI features that enhance productivity and accessibility. Two notable tools—semantic search in File Explorer and Live Captions with real-time translation—stand out for their practical applications. If you own a Copilot+ PC or are thinking about getting one, this guide explains how to use these features effectively.
I’ve tested these tools for several months and will provide straightforward instructions and tips based on that experience. Here’s what you need to know.
Semantic Search in File Explorer: A Smarter Way to Find Files
Searching for files can be time-consuming when you don’t remember exact names or keywords. Semantic search improves this by understanding the context of your queries, not just matching words.
What Is Semantic Search?
Unlike traditional searches that rely on exact terms, semantic search interprets the meaning behind your request. It examines file content and related concepts, allowing you to use natural language to locate files. Here is a link to a more technical write up.
Setting Up Semantic Search on Your Copilot+ PC
- Check for Updates
Go to Settings > Update & Security > Check for updates to ensure you have the January 2025 update or later. - Enable Semantic Search
- Open File Explorer and click the three-dot menu in the top right.
- Select Options, then the Search tab.
- Check Use AI-powered semantic search.
- Click Apply and OK.
- Index Your Files
- In the Options dialog, click Indexing Options.
- Choose the drives and folders to index.
- Click Advanced, select Index file contents, and click OK.
- Wait for indexing to finish (this may take a few hours based on your storage size).
After setup, a new search bar with an AI icon will appear in File Explorer, showing semantic search is active.
Effective Semantic Search Techniques
To get the best results:
- Use phrases like “budget predictions for next year” instead of file names.
- Search by topic, such as “presentation materials for the Johnson account.”
- Find content with queries like “statistics on renewable energy in Europe.”
- Add time context, e.g., “documents from last Tuesday about the marketing campaign.”
- Ask questions like “Which spreadsheet has the highest Q3 marketing ROI?”
In my tests, semantic search quickly found files that would have been hard to locate otherwise. It works well for images too—queries like “beach sunset photos” retrieved relevant pictures without specific tags. Complex searches may occasionally miss files, but rephrasing usually resolves this.
Live Captions: Real-Time Translation at Your Fingertips
Live Captions provide instant transcription and translation for audio and video, making them useful for communication and media.
What Are Live Captions with Translation?
This feature transcribes spoken audio into text in real time. The 2025 update adds translation across over 40 languages, supporting tasks like international calls or watching foreign content.
Setting Up Live Captions
- Access Quick Settings
- Press Win+A to open Quick Settings.
- Click Accessibility, then Live Captions.
- Configure Language Settings
- Click the gear icon in the Live Captions panel.
- Set Input Language to the spoken language.
- Select Caption Language for the translation output.
- Enable Auto-detect input language for flexibility.
- Customize Your Experience
- Adjust text size, position, and theme in Caption Style.
- Turn on Filter Profanity if desired.
- Enable Include Microphone Audio for in-person conversations.
Practical Uses for Live Captions
Here are some ways to use this feature:
- Add captions to international conference calls for better understanding.
- Watch content in a new language with translated captions.
- Save transcripts of meetings for reference.
- Use microphone captioning in noisy environments.
- Create transcripts for videos or podcasts.
Testing showed 92-95% accuracy for clear English audio, with slightly lower results for accents or poor quality. Translation works well for languages like Spanish, French, and Japanese. It runs on-device, so it doesn’t need internet and keeps data private.
Are These Features Worth the Investment?
After three months of use, these AI tools prove valuable for many users. Semantic search saves time with large file collections, and Live Captions excel for cross-language tasks or international media.
The on-device processing ensures privacy and works offline. The Neural Processing Unit keeps battery use low. Updates in 2025 should further refine these features.
If you’re thinking about a Copilot+ PC, try these tools in-store to assess their value for you.
Have questions or experiences to share? Leave a comment below.