How to use Suggested Actions in Windows 11

In this post, we will show you how to use Suggested Actions in Windows 11. This is a new feature of Windows 11 that provides you suggestions when you copy a phone number, time, or date to the clipboard using Notepad, Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, MS Word, Microsoft To Do app, a webpage (on Chrome, Edge browser, etc.), Sticky Notes, and other supported apps. For example, when you will copy a phone number on a webpage, it will provide you suggestions to call that number using the Phone Link app or open your web browser.

Similarly, if you will copy a date or time, then it will provide suggestions for that action to create an event for that date or time using Outlook or the Calendar app. You need to select a suggested app and take further action.

Before proceeding further, do note this feature has come with the first feature drop for Windows 11 2022 Update Version 22H2 that also brings other features including tabs in File Explorer, Taskbar Overflow menu, etc. So, in order to get and use this feature, check for Windows updates to download and install the non-security Cumulative Update KB KB5019509 and update your Windows 11 system to build 22621.675. After that, you can turn on or enable the Suggested Actions and use this feature. Also, the feature is available for customers in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

How to enable Suggested Actions in Windows 11

If you want to enable Suggested Actions in Windows 11, then you can do that using the Settings app. You will also have to set your region and regional format to English (United States) to make this feature appear in the Settings app. Otherwise, the Suggested Actions feature will be missing. Let’s check the steps:

1. Press the Win+I keyboard shortcut to open Windows 11 Settings app
2. Select the Time & language category from the left section
3. Access the Language & region page
4. In the Region section, set Country or region to the United States using the drop-down menu
5. Change the Regional format to English (United States) using the drop-down menu
6. Sign out and sign in to your Windows 11 PC or restart your PC
7. Again, open the Settings app
8. In the System category, access the Clipboard page
9. Turn on the Suggested actions button to enable this feature.

Now, let’s see how to use this feature.

How to use Suggested Actions in Windows 11

Once you have enabled or activated this feature, you can use Suggested Actions on your Windows 11 computer with all the supported applications. Let’s check the steps:

1. Open a webpage, Notepad, Sticky Notes, or some other app
2. Write a phone number, date, or time
3. Copy the content and an inline light dismissible UI or an inline flyout menu will pop up
4. In that Options menu of Suggested Actions, it will provide you suggested apps (icons of apps will visible) to complete the action based on the content copied to the clipboard. If a date is copied, then suggestions would be the Calendar app or Outlook desktop client to create an event. And, if a phone number is copied, then a browser and Phone Link app will be suggested in that menu
5. Click on a suggested option and that app will be launched on your system where you can complete the action.

This is how it works. This feature works pretty well and it is surely going to help a lot of users. But there are a few things to consider.

First, the feature doesn’t come with an option to set which apps to choose for suggested actions. It automatically provides useful options. Second, it seems like the feature doesn’t work with phone number formats of other regions except for the United States. And, a browser suggestion for a phone number doesn’t help in any way. It simply launches the browser and nothing else. It won’t search for that number. Other than that, it works as expected. Hope we will see some improvements in the upcoming updates.

Read: Enable Tab Groups Name Suggestion in Microsoft Edge

How to disable Suggested Actions in Windows 11

If you don’t want to use Suggested Actions, then simply turn off or disable this feature for as long as you want. There are two built-in options to disable Suggested Actions in Windows 11. These are:

1. Using the Settings app
2. Using the Registry Editor.

The Suggested Actions feature works with Microsoft Store apps as well as other applications like Google Chrome, a third-party program, etc. So, each time you copy a phone number or date on an application, its options menu will appear. If you find it annoying, then these two options will come in handy to disable Suggested Actions. Let’s check these options.

1] Using the Settings app

The steps to turn off or disable Suggested Actions using Windows 11 Settings app are as follows:

1. Open the Settings app using the Win+I keyboard shortcut
2. Select the System category
3. Select the Clipboard page from the right section
4. Use the Suggested Actions toggle to turn off or disable this feature.

2] Using the Registry Editor

Before you use this option, we advise you to take a backup of Registry Editor (or Windows Registry) as there are so many crucial system settings. Once you have done that, follow these steps to disable Suggested Actions using Registry Editor:

1. Open the Registry Editor
2. Jump to the SmartClipboard key
3. Access the Disabled value
4. Set 1 in its Value data
5. Close the Registry Editor.

Let’s check the detailed instructions to use these steps.

First of all, type regedit in the Search box. After that, press the Enter key. This will open the Registry Editor.

Now jump to the SmartClipboard Registry key. Here is the path to this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SmartActionPlatform\SmartClipboard

On the right-hand section, you will see a Disabled DWORD value. If it is not available, then first create a new DWORD value, and rename it to Disabled

Double-click the Disabled value and an edit box will pop up. Use that box and add 1 in the Value data. Press the OK button and now the Disabled DWORD value is configured successfully.

You can close the Registry Editor and this will turn off or disable the Suggested Actions feature.

Whenever you need to enable the Suggested Actions feature in Windows 11 using the Registry Editor, you can follow the steps covered above, and open the Disabled DWORD value edit box. Put 0 in the Value data, and press the OK button.

Hope this is helpful.

Also read: How to disable Search Highlights in Windows 11/10

Note: If you want to disable address bar search suggestions in Edge browser on Windows 11/10, then you need to turn off the Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters option on the Settings page. On the other hand, if you want to get rid of the search suggestions for Bing Search, then open the Search Settings page, and uncheck the See search suggestions as you type option.

How do I turn off Microsoft Suggestions?

If you want to hide Recommended list in the Start menu on Windows 11, then you can do this using the Settings app, Local Group Policy Editor, and Registry Editor. You will be able to turn off showing the most used apps in the Start menu, recently added apps, recently opened items in Jump Lists, File Explorer, etc.

How do I turn off word suggestions in Windows 11?

To turn off word suggestions or disable text suggestions in Windows 11 while typing, first open the Typing section in the Settings app. This section is present under the Time & language category. After that, turn off the Show text suggestions when typing on the physical keyboard button.

Read next: How to turn Typing Insights On or Off in Windows 11.