Microsoft is revamping Windows 11 Search in a big way, here's the first look

Microsoft is giving Windows 11 Search another major overhaul, with the latest experience moving beyond simply finding apps, files, and settings. Microsoft announced the update at Surface and Windows event in San Francisco and later confirmed that the new Windows Search experience is now rolling out to Windows Insiders. The latest overhaul introduces a faster design, better results, richer previews, and inline actions that let users get things done without leaving Search.

Windows 11 Search is becoming more than a search box

Microsoft says the new experience is built on WinUI 3, a modern Windows framework that is also being used to update other parts of the operating system. The interface has also been simplified into a single results list. Microsoft says data showed that almost all clicks in the existing Search experience happen in the results list rather than the large preview pane, so the company is removing some of that visual clutter and putting more information in one place.

Search is also getting better at understanding what users mean. Microsoft is improving matching for typos and synonyms, while richer file previews are planned for later this year. Users will be able to preview documents and photos directly in Search, making it easier to identify the right file before opening it.

Microsoft is also bringing richer web previews into Search. Queries such as “weather in San Diego” or “How tall is the Eiffel Tower?” can show useful information directly within the Search experience.

Image credit: Microsoft

Windows Search can now help you get things done

The biggest change, however, is the addition of inline actions. Users can type requests such as “switch to dark mode,” “turn on Bluetooth,” “dim my screen,” “mute,” or “minimize all my windows,” and perform those actions directly from Search.

Microsoft is also working on Phone Link actions, which will eventually allow users to perform quick tasks on a connected phone from Windows Search.

The company says the new Search experience is rolling out to Windows Insiders today, with more features planned over the coming months. Next year, Microsoft plans to bring the redesigned Search experience to the Start menu as well.

That could mark a bigger shift in how Microsoft expects people to use Windows. Instead of searching for something and then navigating through Windows to complete a task, Search may increasingly become the place where users simply describe what they want done.