Editor’s opinion: Microsoft is once again tinkering with Windows Search because people seem to be desperately hoping for a redesign every few months (or rather, it never quite worked as it was supposed to). The feature is now set to get a new design, along with natural language interactions that look and feel like AI-powered technology.
Just in time for its latest Surface-focused event, Microsoft has introduced another redesign of Windows Search. The Windows 11 feature is set to become sleeker and more focused, according to Microsoft, while also receiving a new influx of AI options aimed at turning the “humble” search field into a versatile Swiss Army knife.
The latest redesign builds on the improved Windows search box introduced earlier this year, Redmond developers said. The search tool is now based on the WinUI 3 API, which should offer significant performance and efficiency improvements compared to the previous version. Microsoft is now betting heavily on WinUI and native code to win back the trust of skeptical Windows users.
The Windows Search UI also gets a unified list that combines search results and previews, as data showed that most clicks occurred in the results list rather than the preview area. Search can also better understand users’ search queries and provide relevant hits for typos and synonyms. Think of it as a powerful, Google-like search engine that runs locally on your computer.
Other changes include “rich” inline previews pulled directly from the web, allowing users to quickly check the weather, search facts and more without leaving the Windows taskbar. More importantly, Windows Search becomes more powerful with the addition of a new Inline Actions feature.
Inline actions allow users to perform tasks in Windows without having to open external apps or navigate to additional system settings pages. Microsoft starts with some familiar tasks, including turning options on and off and quickly adjusting system settings. There are also some options for managing currently open windows and displays.
Microsoft has not recognized inline actions as a feature based on a large language model. However, the Redmond company said its ultimate goal is to transform Windows Search into a more Copilot-like experience in the future. In my opinion, this is a pretty strong indication of the AI-driven origins of Inline Actions and other “smart” features of search.
The latest redesign of Windows Search is already available to beta testers enrolled in the Windows Insider program. Interested users will need to enable this special experience via the feature flags in Windows Insider Settings. You also need to install the latest available Windows updates to use the feature.
