Microsoft PowerToys 0.101.2211 Preview Adds Local Phi Silica AI Support
Microsoft has released PowerToys version 0.101.2211.0 preview, integrating the Phi Silica on-device small language model into its Advanced Paste tool. This update allows users to run AI-powered clipboard formatting locally for free, without needing external APIs or local setups like Ollama. This update marks a significant step in bringing local, privacy-focused AI capabilities directly into mainstream Windows desktop utilities. By eliminating the need for cloud API subscriptions or complex local LLM configurations, it makes AI-assisted productivity tools more accessible to everyday users. Alongside the Phi Silica integration, the update introduces an AI model selector and custom settings for Advanced Paste, migrates the Mouse Jump tool from WinForms to WinUI, and fixes several bugs in the Command Palette.
## BACKGROUND
PowerToys is a suite of system utilities for Windows power users to tune and streamline their Windows experience. Phi Silica is Microsoft's on-device Small Language Model (SLM) designed to run efficiently on local hardware, such as NPUs in Copilot+ PCs or GPUs via the Windows App SDK. Advanced Paste is a PowerToys feature that allows users to convert clipboard contents into different formats, which previously relied on cloud-based AI APIs for advanced formatting.