Windows 11’s Search experience isn’t horrible, but it’s far from perfect, and it’s largely because it tries to be the “everything” feature. Windows Search not only surfaces your files and apps, but also results from Bing or other Microsoft services. As a result, it often prioritizes web results over apps and files, but that might soon change.
I noticed a better search experience while testing Windows 11 preview builds, where apps and files are given higher priority over the web, which means Windows Search is failing a lot less.
Windows Search now also appears to prioritize local results even when you make typos, which makes the experience much better. In fact, in my tests, when I searched for a particular file related to a movie, Windows Search returned that file instead of searching for the movie on Bing.
I initially thought it was a random experience I ran into, but it turns out it’s an intentional change, and Microsoft quietly confirmed that it will roll out more improvements soon.
“We’ve started making changes to make Windows Search Box more relevant, starting with making it easier to find your files and apps,” Microsoft noted in the release notes of Build 26300.8493 for Windows Insiders in the Experimental Channel.
“Files and apps more reliably appear ahead of web suggestions when your content is a stronger match,” the company explained.
That doesn’t mean Windows Search will stop showing results from the web. The web integration in Windows Search is here to stay, and that shouldn’t surprise anybody.
Microsoft plans to give you greater control over Windows Search
Right now, you can disable web search in Windows Search by modifying the Registry, but you can’t do so in Settings. Could that change in a future release of Windows 11? Only time will tell, but Microsoft recently confirmed it plans to release additional improvements for Windows Search, and it lines up with previous promises the company made.
On March 20, when Microsoft announced Windows 11 2026 quality improvements, it noted that Search is one of the areas it would focus on.
Windows Latest understands that achieving more “accurate results” is one of Microsoft’s internal benchmarks for Search. It has plans to enable a more consistent search experience and turn on a new “faster” UI that also helps you trust the results.
I’m also told that Microsoft is internally testing a new feature that would make it clear when results are local and when they’re generated from the web in Windows Search.
Moreover, search across the taskbar and File Explorer will get better in the coming months, as previously suggested by Microsoft.
“A more consistent search experience across the Taskbar, Start, File Explorer, and Settings,” Microsoft noted in a blog post published on March 20.
“As part of this effort, we are evolving how Windows is built behind the scenes to raise the quality bar and deliver innovation where it matters most, shaped by the feedback we are hearing from you,” the company added.
We’re already seeing improvements in other areas, such as the taskbar, which now lets you change its position and make it smaller, giving you more screen space.
Other improvements planned for Windows 11 include a native Start menu and Low Latency Profile, which makes app launches faster.
What do you want Microsoft to fix next in Windows 11? Let me know in the comments below.
