Microsoft is making a change to Windows 11 that's sure to please PC owners.
The Redmond-based company will let users stop the built-in search bar from triggering online searches when all you're trying to do is find a file. If you use a laptop running Windows 11, you've probably already noticed that a simple search like “final work presentation” can summon a wave of search results via Bing amongst your personal files, applications on the PC, and system suggestions.
Instead of quickly pulling up what’s saved locally on your PC, you often end up sifting through web links and recommendations that get in the way of what you were actually searching.
To fix this, Microsoft is working on a new toggle inside the Settings app that'll let you disable web search and Microsoft Store suggestions when searching for files on your PC.
Microsoft is working on Settings toggles that will let you disable web search and Microsoft Store suggestions when searching on your PC
|These changes were revealed at a private gathering of Windows 11 testers, according to Windows Latest — with the company saying the update is meant to make your search results appear more quickly.
The new options are expected to reach preview testers within weeks before a wider rollout to everyone. This will allow the company to iron out any kinks. Users have been rejoicing over the new announcement on Reddit. One wrote: "Windows is finally usable again. Nearly."
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Some users have noted that the feature has already been available to them for a while. One user wrote: "Pretty sure I disabled this ages ago with a simple on/off toggle."
However, this feature has only been available in the EU and the broader European Economic Area (EEA) since early 2024 to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act.
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This isn't the only improvement you can expect from Microsoft, either.
In a Windows 11 update, you'll be able to trigger local search results by typing just two characters, rather than watching Windows send you off to the web when it can't find an immediate match.
For example, if you have a file called "PresenterListPlan" you can search for "Presenter" or "List" and it's meant to pop right up. The feature is rolling out to everyone with a Windows 11-powered PC this month.
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These updates from Microsoft are arriving as Google is tinkering with a new feature called Everywhere Omnibox – a floating search bar that appears on your desktop whenever you need it, triggering searches across the web, answering questions with Artificial Intelligence (AI), and more.
First spotted by the keen-sighted team at Windows Report and built under the internal codename "Project Loom," it seems Google wants to remove as much friction as possible between its clever search box and whatever you're doing. Instead of opening Chrome and typing into the address bar, a neat little search box appears smack in the middle of your screen – no browser tabs, no toolbars, nothing else cluttering your view.
It's early days, but the functionality appears similar to the system-wide search, dubbed Spotlight, built into Apple platforms, including macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. However, this can be found on Windows 11 and is powered entirely by Google's smarts.