Microsoft tests a completely redesigned search in Windows 11
Microsoft is testing a new, faster Windows 11 search tool that can run actions directly from the search box. It is part of the company's effort to modernize core Windows features.
Microsoft, the US software company behind Windows, has begun testing a redesigned search tool for its Windows 11 operating system, which it says is faster and more capable than the current one. Windows Search has been among the most criticized parts of the system, so the overhaul is a notable step in improving it. The new version is being tried by members of the Windows Insider program, who receive new features before wider release.
Anshul Rawat, corporate vice president of the Windows product team at Microsoft, says the search is built for speed and uses WinUI 3, Microsoft's user interface framework. According to the company, early testing showed substantial improvements in performance and memory usage, meaning the system is not weighed down with extra bloat. The interface also gets fast animations and a large preview pane.
New capabilities
Search has also been improved behind the scenes: it better handles typos and synonyms. In the current version, searching for something like an actor's height takes a few seconds and shows what is essentially a miniature Bing result. The new version shows the answer inline in the search window. Previews of PowerPoint presentations, photos and other files appear the same way.
Search can also work like a launcher, similar to third-party tools, and carry out actions such as turning Bluetooth or dark mode on and off, minimizing windows or opening apps side by side. For users of Phone Link, the actions extend to the phone, so typing a command to text mom will send a message from the phone.
When it will arrive
Because the tool is already in testing with Windows Insiders, it could reach Windows 11 in the coming months. Rawat says that next year the company plans to bring the new search to the Start menu and make it adapt to different taskbar positions and Windows configurations. Microsoft's stated goal is to make search more capable, with more natural ways to express needs, richer information in context and more tasks completed directly from search.
