Microsoft bids adieu to Suggested actions: A tearful farewell to yet another “revolutionary” Windows 11 feature that is now dead

In a shocking turn of events that absolutely no one saw coming, Microsoft has decided to pull the plug on its groundbreaking, life-changing, and utterly indispensable “Suggested actions” feature in Windows 11. This revolutionary tool, which has been gracing our screens for a whopping three years, is now headed to the great software graveyard in the sky.

The rise and fall of Suggested actions

Introduced in 2022, Suggested actions was heralded as the solution to all our copy-paste woes. Because, let’s face it, who hasn’t spent sleepless nights wondering what to do after copying a phone number or a date? Thank goodness Microsoft was there to hold our hands through such complex tasks.

The feature worked tirelessly (when it felt like it) to offer helpful suggestions when users copied certain types of text. Copy a phone number? Bam! Suggested actions would swoop in like a caped crusader, offering to call it or search for it online. Copy a date? Boom! It would generously offer to create a calendar event. It’s almost as if users couldn’t figure out these intricate processes on their own.

But alas, not all heroes wear capes, and not all features work as intended. Users reported that Suggested actions was about as reliable as a chocolate teapot. It would often fail to appear when needed, or worse, pop up at the most inopportune moments, like an overeager puppy begging for attention.

When it did work, it was a mixed bag of surprises. Some users found themselves staring blankly at their screens, wondering why Windows thought they needed to create a calendar event for “2 cups of flour” in a recipe. Others marveled at the feature’s ability to interpret “Call mom” as a phone number worthy of an online search.

Microsoft’s shattered “Suggested actions” dreams

Microsoft, in its infinite wisdom, had grand plans for Suggested actions. They dreamed of enhancing it with machine learning and local models, probably envisioning a future where your computer would know what you wanted before you did. Imagine the possibilities! Your PC suggesting you take a nap when you’ve been working for too long, or recommending a career change when you’ve spent too much time playing Solitaire.

Alas, these dreams were not to be. In a move that surprised absolutely no one who’s been paying attention to Microsoft’s track record, the company decided to cut its losses and send Suggested actions to the great recycle bin in the sky.

The future: More AI, less usefulness

But fear not, dear Windows users! Microsoft isn’t leaving you high and dry. They’re replacing this barely functional feature with something even more exciting: Click to Do. This new AI-powered tool promises to do… well, something. We’re not quite sure what, but it’s AI, so it must be good, right?

The catch? Click to Do will only be available on newer Copilot+ PCs, specifically a Copilot+ PC that has Recall enabled. So, if you’re running Windows 11 on anything older than last week’s model, you’re out of luck. But hey, that’s progress for you!

In memoriam: Suggested actions (2022-2024)

As we bid farewell to Suggested actions, let us remember it fondly as yet another feature that sounded good on paper but failed spectacularly in execution. It joins the hallowed ranks of other retired Windows features, like the beloved Clippy and the much-missed Windows Movie Maker.

In the end, perhaps the real suggested action was the friends we made along the way. Or maybe it was just Microsoft suggesting we upgrade our hardware. Either way, rest in peace, Suggested actions. We hardly knew ye, and we’ll hardly miss ye.