Microsoft Tests Overhauled Windows Search for Windows 11
Microsoft is testing a redesigned Windows Search for Windows 11 that it says is faster and more capable, with inline results and launcher-style actions, according to The Verge.
The report describes Windows Search as one of the most frustrating parts of Windows 11 and says Microsoft is addressing it with a significant redesign. The new experience is built on WinUI 3 and is part of Microsoft's broader effort to modernize core Windows experiences, Anshul Rawat, corporate vice president of the Windows product team, said in the report. 'This new Windows Search experience is built for speed,' Rawat said.
Microsoft says early testing has shown 'substantial improvements in performance and memory usage,' meaning the company is not adding extra bloat to improve search, according to The Verge. The interface has also been updated with faster animations and a large preview pane.
Behind the changes, Microsoft is also trying to improve how Windows Search understands queries, including better matching for typos and synonyms, Rawat said.
The Verge's reviewer tried the new interface at Microsoft's Windows and Surface event and described it as quick and decluttered. In the current version, a search such as an actor's height can take a few seconds and return what is essentially a miniature Bing result. The new Windows Search surfaces the answer inline, similar to modern search interfaces on iOS and Android, according to the report. Inline results also extend to previews of PowerPoint presentations, photos and other files.
The feature can also work like a launcher. The Verge reported that users can type commands to turn Bluetooth or dark mode on and off, minimize windows, or open apps side by side. If Phone Link is in use, those actions extend to a phone, so typing 'text mom, I'm running late' can send a text message from the phone, the report said.
Microsoft is testing the new Windows Search with Windows Insiders, which suggests it will appear in Windows 11 in the coming months. Rawat said work is already underway to bring the new experience to the Start menu next year and to have it adapt naturally to different taskbar positions and Windows configurations. He said the goal is to make Windows Search more capable, with more natural ways to express what users need, richer information in context, and more ways to get things done directly from search.