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Windows 11 Search gets a cleaner, faster redesign

Microsoft is testing a stripped-down Windows 11 Search in Insider builds, with fewer promos, better relevance, and typo tolerance.

Image: ZDNET

Microsoft is rolling out a redesigned Windows 11 Search to the Experimental channel in the latest Windows Insider build, aiming to make the tool cleaner, faster, and easier to use. According to ZDNET, the new interface removes much of the clutter in the current Search window, including trending searches and promotional tiles for apps, AI tools, and other Microsoft products.

Instead, the updated Search opens with a short list of suggested searches, each labeled by name and category so users can quickly tell whether a result is an app, setting, file, or something else. Recent searches also appear after you’ve used the feature, but the overall layout stays sparse.

Microsoft is also changing how results are prioritized. Local files, folders, apps, and settings can be surfaced ahead of web links and Microsoft Store suggestions when they’re more relevant. Users can adjust that behavior under Settings > Privacy and Security > Search, where they can choose whether to include web results and Store suggestions at all. Search may still show cloud-based and connected files when those are a stronger match.

The update also improves tolerance for typos and short queries. ZDNET says a search like “utlook” should still return Outlook, while even a two-letter search such as “zo” can pull up the zoom settings for the built-in Magnifier tool.

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How to try the new Search

To access it now, you need a Windows 11 Insider build with the channel set to Experimental. Even then, the feature may not appear automatically. ZDNET reports that on its test system, it had to manually enable the feature flag:

  • Open Settings
  • Go to Windows Update
  • Select Windows Insider Program
  • Open Feature flags
  • Enable “Refined Windows Search”

Microsoft said in a Monday blog post:

“You’ve been asking for search that is faster, more relevant, and easier to use — whether you’re opening an app, finding a file, or changing a setting. Because the Windows Search Box is where many people start, we focused first on making results more dependable, easier to scan, and clearer before you click.”

— Microsoft

There’s no firm public release date yet, but ZDNET says the feature could reach all Windows 11 users within the next few months if Insider testing goes well.

Tomas Berg

Computing Editor

Tomas lives in the terminal. He covers chips, laptops, and operating systems with a focus on performance and efficiency. He reads kernel changelogs the way other people read fiction, and he's always on the hunt for the perfect mechanical keyboard switch. If it processes data, Tomas has an opinion on it.

via ZDNET

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