Microsoft is giving Windows Search a substantial redesign, turning it from a tool primarily used to find apps, files, settings, and information into a more capable command center for getting things done.

The new Windows Search experience is rolling out to Windows Insiders starting October 7 in the Experimental channel. Built on WinUI 3, the redesigned interface promises better performance, lower memory usage, a cleaner single-pane layout, improved search matching, and a new set of inline actions that can perform common Windows tasks without opening another app.

It is a notable shift in Microsoft’s approach to one of the most frequently used parts of Windows. Rather than simply helping users find something, the company wants Search to understand what they are trying to accomplish and let them complete the task from the same interface.

Windows Search gets a much simpler design

The most immediately noticeable change is the removal of the traditional split layout.

Microsoft says data showed that nearly all clicks in the current Windows Search experience happen in the results list on the left, while the large preview pane on the right receives relatively little interaction. The new design responds by bringing everything into a single list that is easier to scan.

That should make Search feel considerably less busy. Instead of dividing attention between search results and a large preview area, Windows will present relevant results in one streamlined view.

The redesign is also built using WinUI 3, Microsoft’s modern Windows application framework. Microsoft says early testing has shown substantial improvements in performance and memory usage, although the company is rolling the experience out to Insiders specifically to gather feedback and identify stability or hardware-related issues before expanding the preview.

Microsoft has already been working to simplify Windows Search. In July, the company introduced a less cluttered Search home screen, removed promotional content from web results, and added more control over whether web and Microsoft Store suggestions appear. The new interface continues that effort rather than starting from scratch.

Search should be better at understanding what you mean

The redesign isn’t just visual.

Microsoft is also improving the way Windows Search interprets queries, including better matching for typos and synonyms. That could make searches more forgiving when users don’t remember an exact filename, setting name, or phrase.

The company says it will continue fine-tuning these improvements over the coming weeks as Insiders use the new Search experience in real-world situations.

Later this year, Microsoft plans to add inline previews and richer file details. Instead of opening a file simply to figure out which document or image it is, users will be able to get more context directly inside Search.

Microsoft’s examples show inline previews for PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, and photos. That could be particularly useful when multiple files have similar names or when users are trying to identify the right version of a document quickly.

Search will also gain richer web previews. Queries such as “weather in San Diego” or “How tall is the Eiffel Tower?” will be able to return information directly inside Windows Search rather than requiring users to leave the experience and open a browser.

The company also plans to bring filters into the redesigned interface when browsing categories such as files. These aren’t necessarily brand-new capabilities individually, but Microsoft is bringing them together within the new single-pane experience.

Windows Search can now perform actions

The bigger change, however, is what Microsoft calls “inline actions.”

Instead of using Search merely to locate a Windows setting, users can increasingly type what they want to do and have Windows perform the action directly.

For example, Microsoft says the new Search can handle requests such as:

• “Switch to dark mode”
• “Turn on night light”
• “Turn on Bluetooth”
• “Dim my screen”
• “Mute”
• “Minimize all my windows”
• “Arrange windows on screen”

The idea is simple: Search becomes the starting point for an action rather than an intermediate step.

If you want to enable Dark Mode, for instance, you shouldn’t have to search for the appropriate Settings page, open it, find the relevant option, and switch it on. You can instead tell Windows Search what you want to happen and complete the task from there.

Microsoft is starting with relatively familiar actions, but the company says it plans to expand the range of things Search can accomplish over time.

That could ultimately make Search feel less like a Windows version of a file finder and more like a lightweight command interface for the operating system.

Phone Link actions are coming too

Microsoft is also planning to extend inline actions beyond the PC itself.

The company says upcoming versions will include phone actions for devices connected through Phone Link. One example shown by Microsoft is sending a text message through a connected phone directly from Windows Search.

That points toward a broader vision for Search where users can describe an intent and Windows handles the underlying task, regardless of whether the action belongs to the PC or a connected device.

Microsoft isn’t promising that everything will happen through natural-language commands immediately, though. The initial rollout is focused on the actions people use most frequently, with additional capabilities expected over time.

The Start menu will eventually get the new Search experience

For now, the redesigned Search is primarily a taskbar experience for Windows Insiders.

Microsoft says it is already working on bringing the new Search experience to the Start menu next year. The company is also working to make the interface adapt naturally to different taskbar positions and Windows configurations.

That timing is important because the Start menu currently retains the existing Search experience even on preview builds where the new taskbar Search is available. Microsoft says it wants to use Insider feedback to refine the new experience before expanding it further.

The longer-term goal is considerably broader. Microsoft says it wants Windows Search to support more natural ways of expressing what users need, provide richer information in context, and offer more ways to complete tasks directly from Search.

The company also specifically mentions future integrations with experiences such as Copilot.

That suggests Microsoft sees Search as one of the places where its broader AI strategy could become part of everyday Windows interaction. But for now, the redesign is notable even without the more ambitious AI pieces: it is fundamentally trying to make Windows Search faster, cleaner, and more useful for ordinary Windows tasks.

How to try the new Windows Search

The new experience is gradually rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel, with English as the supported language for the initial release.

Microsoft says the feature can also be enabled sooner through Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags.

Insiders need build 26340.9616 in the Experimental channel or 28120.3181 in the Experimental (26H1) channel. After installing the appropriate build, Microsoft says users should click “Check for updates” in Windows Update and restart the PC before the New Windows Search Experience feature flag becomes visible.

For now, this is still an experiment rather than a finished Windows feature. Microsoft is explicitly asking Insiders to use Feedback Hub and report their experiences, particularly around result relevance, stability, and how well the new interface works across different hardware and workflows.

Still, the direction is clear. Microsoft is trying to close the gap between “find this” and “do this” in Windows. If the new Search experience delivers on its performance improvements and Microsoft can expand its inline actions without making the interface complicated again, one of Windows’ oldest utilities could become a much more useful part of the operating system.