The Experimental Windows 11 Insider build also offers the option to prevent web searches and the Microsoft Store from appearing in search results.
After cleaning up the widgets board, Microsoft is also removing clutter from the Windows 11 search function in a new OS beta build.
The change is part of Microsoft’s pledge to improve Windows 11 and make the interface more “calm” after users accused Redmond of overloading the OS with AI and ads.
“Today, we’re rolling out several improvements to Windows Search Box available to Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel,” the company said in a blog post. One of the updates includes a “calmer” home screen when a user accesses Windows search from the taskbar. Doing so normally triggers a search bar that displays recent searches on one side and a bunch of other unrelated windows, including top apps, image of the day, and quote of the day. The new Insider build swaps the non-search clutter for recent searches.
Search on Windows 11 is known for pushing web searches when users try to look up files or programs on their PCs. Microsoft now says that local results will be “prioritized when they’re the better match,” which should mean apps, files, and settings will appear more reliably.
In addition, the company is reining in ads. “Promotional content has been removed from web results,” the company said. “Web results show the most relevant answer, instead of first showing related products and promotions, helping search feel more focused and less distracting.”
The other major change is the ability to disable web searches and the Microsoft Store from the search results, which the company previewed last month. “A new setting in Settings > Privacy & Security > Search lets you choose whether web and Microsoft Store suggestions appear alongside local results,” the blog post notes. You can easily toggle them on or off.
Microsoft is releasing a beta build to gather feedback before potentially rolling out the changes in a mainstream Windows build. It’s facing more competition than ever as Apple’s affordable MacBook Neo attracts sales, and Linux-based operating systems, including Steam OS, gain momentum. In April, Microsoft’s CEO mentioned the company was working to “win back fans.”
Credit: Michael Kan, PC Magazine
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