Microsoft Promises To Fix Search With Major Windows 11 Overhaul
3 97Microsoft is overhauling Windows 11 search to prioritize local apps, files, and settings over web results while removing ads, promotions, MSN/Bing clutter, and other distractions. "You've have been asking for search that is faster, more relevant, and easier to use -- whether you're opening an app, finding a file, or changing a setting," Microsoft says in a new blog post. "Because the Windows Search Box is where many people start, we focused first on making results more dependable, easier to scan, and clearer before you click." Windows Central reports: The company is highlighting several key improvements, including clearer results that does a better job at showing why a search result is appearing when a query has been typed, alongside prioritizing local results before reaching out to the web.
Search is also getting better at handling things like typos, which should help surface the right results even when the user misspells an app or file. The search home pane will no longer show MSN or Bing content, and promotional content and ads will no longer appear in search results.
These upgrades are now rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Experimental Channel, and are expected to roll out to all Windows 11 users later this year. Insiders may not see the changes right away as they are rolling out in waves. The full list of changes can be found here.
3 comments
I can't Wait! (Score: 5, Funny)
by oldgraybeard ( 2939809 ) on Monday July 13, 2026 @07:01PM (#66237078)
For the "Just ask Clippy" advertising campaign.
Uh huh (Score: 5, Funny)
by liqu1d ( 4349325 ) on Monday July 13, 2026 @07:07PM (#66237092)
Have they tried AI?
Re:For Insiders on the Experimental channel (Score: 5, Informative)
by crunchy_one ( 1047426 ) on Monday July 13, 2026 @07:30PM (#66237118)
According to the Microsoft document, the sole thing they're doing to reduce ad clutter is, "Promotional content has been removed from web results. Web results show the most relevant answer, instead of first showing related products and promotions, helping search feel more focused and less distracting." And even that has this carve out, "NOTE: Experiences vary by region." So, all you get is some slight relief using search, and even that depends on where you happen to live.