Windows 11: How to remove AI Actions from File Explorer

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When Microsoft introduced the dual context menu in Windows 11, it explained that the new modern version would also address a problem that many Windows users faced after years of usage: context menu bloat.

However, while Microsoft might have that in mind when it added the new context menu as a layer on top of the old, which still exists, it probably did not foresee the rise of AI in the organization and the desire to add "AI to everything".

When you right-click on files in Windows 11, version 24H2 or later, you may see yet another entry in the modern context menu. AI actions lists all the AI-related actions that Windows users may undertake when they select files. From running a visual search on Bing over removing backgrounds with Paint to erasing objects in Photos.



The AI actions menu in File Explorer. I(mage source: Microsoft)While that may be indeed useful to some users, others may have no need for them or no desire to use them. Up until now, Windows 11 did not include a built-in option to remove AI actions from the context menu. However, that changed in the most recent builds for the operating system.

Microsoft notes in the release notes of build 26220.7344: "If there are no available or enabled AI Actions, this section will no longer show in the context menu."

Here is what that means: Microsoft won't show the entry for file types that do not have any associated AI actions. Windows users may also disable actions in

Settings to hide the entire menu.

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