Microsoft updates Windows 11 Search in testing: cleaner design, local-first results

Microsoft is testing a refreshed version of Windows 11 Search for Insiders in the Experimental channel. The update cleans up the design and shifts the experience back toward local-first results.

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The old Recommended feed is gone. So are trending searches, image cards, and a lot of the promotional clutter. Open Search now and the view is much simpler, with recent searches taking up most of the space.

Start typing and your own apps, files, folders, and Settings show up before web results. Microsoft also says Search is better at handling typos, partial words, and even very short queries, including searches with just two characters.

Results now come with more context too: file type, modification date, previews, metadata, and clearer Open actions. Microsoft says the same overhaul should also help with reliability, cutting down on crashes, glitches, and slow load times.

If you mostly use Windows Search to launch apps or find a file quickly, this update looks useful. Web answers have been pushed lower, and you can now turn off Web Searches and Microsoft Store suggestions separately under Settings > Privacy & Security > Show Suggested Search Results.

You can try it now on Windows 11 through the Insider Experimental channel. There’s still no public release date, though, and the wider impact for enterprises, developers, and international users is still hard to pin down.