Lance Whitney / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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The new Windows 11 Search is cleaner, clearer, and smarter.
The new Search is available in the latest Windows Insider build.
It could reach all Windows 11 users within the next few months.
The built-in Windows 11 Search tool is key to helping you track down files, apps, settings, and other items when you're not sure where to look. But the current design of the Search window throws too much stuff at you, making it feel crowded and cluttered. Now Microsoft has finally redesigned the Search window to be cleaner, clearer, and more helpful.
Currently rolling out to the Experimental channel in the latest Windows 11 Insider build, the new Search window has been pared down dramatically. Instead of displaying trending searches and other useless information, it now shows you just a list of suggested searches. Each item is identified by name and category, so you can easily tell whether it's an app or a setting. Selecting one of the items opens the app directly or takes you to the specific setting.
Also: Your Windows 11 PC might be hiding a 500GB storage bug - how to check
Run a few searches, and the next time you open the Search window, you'll see a list of your most recent searches so you can quickly return to any of them. But the layout itself stays sparse, keeping you focused just on the search or results you need.
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