Microsoft is experimenting with a more streamlined Windows 11 search experience, removing recommended content and advertisements from the interface. In a blog post published Monday, the company said the redesigned Search Box is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel, part of a broader effort to improve Windows and rebuild user confidence.
Among the most noticeable updates is a simplified search home screen that focuses solely on recent searches. At present, opening the search menu brings up recent activity alongside a right-hand panel filled with extra tiles, including the image of the day, daily quizzes, trending searches and game suggestions.
The company is also refining how web results appear. Microsoft says the search menu will now place the “most relevant answer” at the top instead of prioritizing “related products and promotions.”
Beyond reducing clutter, Microsoft is testing several functional upgrades to the search menu. Results will display clearer metadata and include a file preview in the right-side pane, helping users better understand where each result comes from. Windows 11 search will also give higher priority to local files, apps and system settings, which Microsoft says should appear “more reliably” ahead of web results and Microsoft Store suggestions. Testers also now have the option to disable web and Store recommendations entirely through Settings.
Microsoft is adding a handful of quality-of-life improvements as well. The version currently being tested is designed to better understand typos, extra characters and partial words, while also delivering some performance gains.
