Microsoft is giving Windows Search a major overhaul, turning the familiar Taskbar feature into more than just a way to find apps, files, and settings. Announced during Microsoft’s Windows and Surface event earlier today, the new Search experience takes on a chatbot-like function, with the ability to understand natural-language commands and perform thousands of quick actions across Windows 11.
The company says the new Search remains faster and more efficient for conventional searches. It is designed to help users find apps, files, and settings more quickly, while also being more forgiving of typos and other imperfect search queries. The updated experience is built using WinUI 3, which Microsoft says allows Search to be more efficient with system resources.
Search Can Control Your PC
With the redesigned Search, users can type commands such as “switch to dark mode”, “turn on night light”, or “turn on Bluetooth” to change system settings without having to navigate through Windows’ menus. It can also perform quick adjustments, such as dimming the screen or muting the PC.
The Search experience can also help manage your workspace, including commands such as “minimize all my windows” or “arrange windows on screen”. For supported settings, Windows can display the relevant control directly within the Search interface, such as showing a microphone volume slider when you type “increase mic volume”.
The operating system’s Phone Link feature also benefits from this upgrade. If your smartphone is connected to Windows via the feature, the new Search can be used to send text messages without requiring you to open the Phone Link app or reach for your phone.
Additionally, Microsoft is integrating Copilot directly into the redesigned Search experience. Users can summon the AI assistant from Search and receive responses within the interface, although a shortcut is available if they want to open the full Copilot app.
Hybrid Intelligence
Microsoft also announced Hybrid Intelligence at the event, a suite of software orchestration tools designed to let Windows PCs run AI models locally. With the feature enabled, the updated Copilot app can access local files and perform actions across apps and system settings, while still relying on cloud-based inference for more demanding tasks.
The company says this approach can be useful for scenarios where privacy or cloud processing costs are a concern. Instead of sending every prompt and piece of information to Microsoft’s servers, certain tasks can be handled by AI models running directly on the PC.
Hybrid Intelligence also adds improvements for Copilot’s coding capabilities, including support for Microsoft’s Execution Containers (MXC). These provide a secure sandbox for local AI agents, making it easier for Copilot to work on native Windows applications while limiting what those agents can access.
Coming This Fall
Microsoft plans to begin rolling it out to Windows 11 PCs this fall, with testing starting today, 7 October 2026, through the Windows Insider Experimental channel. Meanwhile, Copilot features powered by Hybrid Intelligence are expected to arrive over the coming months.
