Windows 11 Search is getting setting sliders, result filters and phone calls, starting with Insiders
New Experimental builds add inline sliders, result filters, file previews and Phone Link calls and texts. iPhone support is due early next year.
The skim
- Microsoft is testing a much more capable Windows 11 Search. In the newest Experimental Insider builds, you can change volume, brightness and cursor size with sliders right in the results, and filter results by files, settings or actions.
- With an Android phone linked through Phone Link, Search can now make calls, send texts and turn on Do Not Disturb. iPhone support is coming early next year.
- It's test software for now. Microsoft says features in these builds may change or never ship.
What happened
Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26340.9843 to the Experimental channel on Friday, Oct. 30, and the headline change is Search. The release notes say Microsoft is "expanding the new Windows Search experience that began rolling out earlier this month with more ways to find what you need and take action directly from Search."
Here's what's new:
- Inline actions. Search for a setting like volume, brightness or mouse pointer size and a slider appears right in the result, so you can adjust it without opening Settings. Suggested actions point you to other things Search can do.
- Phone actions. With a supported phone connected through Phone Link, you can call or text a contact and turn on Do Not Disturb. Android works now. iPhone support is "coming early next year."
- Richer results. File previews show the last-modified date, location and author. Search also pulls web answers for weather, stocks and facts, and suggests apps and games from the Microsoft Store. You can turn the Store results off in Settings > Privacy & security > Search.
- Filters. Scroll for more results and narrow them to Files & Folders, Settings, Actions and more.
- Feedback. Right-click a result to give it a thumbs up or down, or remove items from the list you see before you type.
The same build adds Quick Settings to the navigation bar in Xbox mode, so you can reach controls like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and power settings without leaving Xbox mode, as The Verge notes.
Why it matters
Windows Search has a reputation for being slow, cluttered with web results and bad at finding the file you actually meant. This update pushes it toward a command bar, closer to Spotlight on the Mac or launchers like PowerToys Run, where you type what you want done instead of hunting through Settings. Filters could help with a familiar annoyance: wading through web suggestions to find a local file.
The phone controls are the newest idea. Calling or texting from the PC's search box makes Phone Link more than a notification mirror, and bringing it to iPhone next year would matter for the many Windows users who carry one.
What's next
Don't expect this on your PC soon. The features roll out gradually even within the Experimental channel, and Microsoft warns that features in these builds "might never get released." It's also still unfinished in places: the new Search opens at the bottom center of the screen, and Microsoft says work is underway to have it adapt to different taskbar positions. If you want to try it, the Windows Insider Program is free, but use a spare PC.
Sources: Microsoft release notes, Windows Insider Blog and The Verge.
