Microsoft is working on a major overhaul of Windows 11 Search, with the company promising faster performance, lower memory usage, a cleaner interface, and several new features that could make Search significantly more useful.

The new experience is starting to roll out to Windows Insiders through the Experimental channel. Microsoft says it is releasing the redesigned Search early so it can collect feedback, improve the relevance of results, and identify stability problems before making it available more widely.

What’s new for Windows Search?

One of the biggest changes is happening behind the scenes. The new Windows Search is built using WinUI 3, which Microsoft says has already resulted in substantial improvements to performance and memory usage during its early testing. The goal is to make Search feel faster as soon as users open it while also reducing the amount of system resources it needs.

Microsoft is also simplifying the interface. Instead of separating results from a large preview section, the redesigned Search brings everything together into a single list. According to Microsoft, its data showed that almost all interactions with the current Search interface happen through the results displayed on the left rather than the large preview panel on the right. Removing that unnecessary space should make results easier to scan while reducing clutter.

Windows Search is also being updated to better understand what users are actually trying to find, including improved support for typos and synonyms. Microsoft says it will continue tuning this functionality over the coming weeks. 

More features are planned for later this year. Inline previews and additional file information will let users see more details before opening something, which should be particularly useful when several files have similar names. Microsoft also plans to display answers to certain questions directly inside Search. For example, searching for the weather in a particular city or asking how tall the Eiffel Tower is could display the relevant information without requiring users to open their browser.

What’s interesting is that instead of using Search only to find something, Microsoft wants users to perform common Windows tasks directly through it. For instance, users can type commands such as “switch to dark mode,” “turn on Bluetooth,” “dim my screen,” or “mute,” and Windows can perform the requested action. Search can also handle workspace commands, including minimizing windows or arranging them on the screen.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.