Microsoft is turning Windows Search into a more capable control center, allowing users to type commands like "turn on Bluetooth" or "dim my screen" and execute them directly from search results. The redesigned experience began rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders on Oct. 7, with the goal of completing everyday tasks without opening another app or navigating through Settings.
For now, the new Windows Search experience is limited to eligible Windows Insiders in the Experimental channels, with English as the supported language. Microsoft hasn't announced a general-release date, so ordinary Windows 11 Home and Pro users won't necessarily see the changes yet.
The inline actions are also one part of Microsoft's broader AI push inside Windows. Semantic file search, a separate capability introduced for Copilot+ PCs in 2025, uses AI to understand descriptive queries. Copilot Actions, meanwhile, is an experimental agent that can interact with applications and files in an authorized workspace.
Microsoft wants Search to become a starting point for more tasks across Windows, including future integrations with Copilot. However, those broader capabilities shouldn't be confused with the limited set of inline actions available in the initial preview.
Which Windows 11 search box controls work now?
The redesigned Search began rolling out Oct. 7 to Windows Insiders on the Experimental and Experimental (26H1) channels.
According to Microsoft's Windows Insider announcement, the initial release supports English and includes commands for changing common settings and managing open windows.
Microsoft lists several examples users can try:
"Switch to dark mode" to change the system appearance.
"Turn on night light" to enable the display's warmer color setting.
"Turn on Bluetooth" to enable Bluetooth connectivity.
"Dim my screen" to adjust display brightness.
"Mute" to turn off system audio.
"Minimize all my windows" to clear the desktop.
"Arrange windows on screen" to organize open applications.
The feature isn't limited to Copilot+ PCs in Microsoft's announcement. The stated requirements concern the Insider channel, supported Windows build, and language rather than a specific AI processor.
To try the preview, users need one of these builds:
Experimental channel: Windows 11 build 26340.9616
Experimental (26H1) channel: Windows 11 build 28120.3181
After updating to a supported build, open Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags.
Microsoft says users must select Check for updates and restart before the New Windows Search Experience feature flag becomes visible. The flag can then be used to enable the preview rather than waiting for the gradual rollout.
Users outside the supported Insider channels don't currently have an equivalent public-release option.
What actually changed in Search beyond the headline commands
The new experience is rebuilt using WinUI 3, Microsoft's modern Windows interface framework.
Microsoft says early testing showed substantial improvements in performance and memory usage. Those are company-reported findings rather than independently verified performance measurements.
The redesign also removes the large preview pane previously displayed on the right side of Search results.
According to Microsoft's internal usage data, nearly all clicks occurred within the results list rather than the separate preview area. The company has therefore consolidated results into a single, easier-to-scan layout.
Search matching now handles typos and synonyms more effectively, reducing the need to enter an exact file name, application name, or setting.
Additional improvements are planned for later in 2026.
Microsoft says inline previews and richer file details will return in a lighter format, allowing users to distinguish similar documents and images without opening each result.
Rich web previews are also planned. These would display answers to questions such as "weather in San Diego" or "How tall is the Eiffel Tower?" directly inside Search.
Filters for narrowing file results are another planned addition.
Phone Link integration is coming later, allowing Search to initiate certain actions on a connected phone.
Those capabilities aren't all available in the initial preview. Microsoft's first release focuses on familiar settings and window-management commands.
The company is also planning to bring the redesigned experience to Start menu search in 2027. For now, the new interface applies to taskbar Search, while searching from Start continues to use the existing experience.
Windows Search Actions, semantic search, and Copilot Actions aren't the same feature
Microsoft has introduced several AI-related capabilities with overlapping names, but they perform different tasks and have different availability requirements.
Windows Search inline actions
This is the feature introduced Oct. 7. It allows users to execute familiar commands directly from the taskbar Search interface.
Examples include enabling Bluetooth, switching display modes, muting audio, and arranging windows.
The initial rollout is limited to eligible Experimental-channel Insiders, and Microsoft hasn't listed a Copilot+ PC hardware requirement.
These actions don't give Search unrestricted access to files or the ability to carry out complex workflows independently.
Semantic search
Semantic search helps users find files, photos, and settings using descriptive language rather than exact names.
Microsoft began introducing improved Windows Search to Copilot+ PCs in early 2025.
In its April 2025 Windows announcement, Microsoft confirmed that the feature uses the neural processing unit, or NPU, in qualifying Copilot+ PCs to understand the contextual meaning of search queries.
For example, users can describe a photo or document without remembering its exact file name.
Unlike the new inline actions, semantic search focuses primarily on finding content. It doesn't independently execute arbitrary tasks through applications.
The feature requires supported Copilot+ PC hardware, including an NPU capable of at least 40 trillion operations per second.
Microsoft expanded improved Windows Search across Snapdragon-, AMD-, and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs during 2025.
Copilot Actions
Copilot Actions is a separate experimental capability that can interact with files and applications to carry out more complex tasks.
Rather than simply returning a file or changing a setting, an agent can attempt workflows such as organizing documents, sorting photos, or extracting information from files.
Microsoft introduced the feature to Windows Insiders in November 2025 through the Copilot app.
Unlike the new Search inline actions, Copilot Actions operates within a dedicated Agent Workspace designed to separate agent activity from the user's normal desktop session.
That broader scope also introduces additional security and reliability considerations, particularly when an agent interacts with files or untrusted content.
The three capabilities serve different purposes: Search inline actions complete simple commands, semantic search finds content through natural-language queries, and Copilot Actions attempts more involved workflows.
What Microsoft's documentation says about Copilot Actions
Most of the original Copilot Actions rollout documentation dates to November 2025, when Microsoft introduced the feature as an experimental preview.
According to the Windows Insider announcement, Copilot Actions can interact with desktop and web applications inside a contained Agent Workspace.
The environment is designed to isolate agent activity from the user's regular desktop session while applying policy controls and maintaining records of the agent's actions.
Users can describe a task in the Copilot app, select Take Action, and optionally attach files or folders for the agent to work with.
Microsoft initially required Copilot app version 1.25112.74 or newer. The preview began rolling out across Insider channels outside the European Economic Area, although not every eligible user received it immediately.
Windows also introduced an Experimental agentic features setting under Settings > System > AI components, allowing users to enable supported agent capabilities.
Microsoft's November 2025 Insider build notes confirm that the setting was added as part of its initial agentic-feature rollout.
Those instructions describe the original preview configuration. Users should check current Windows and Copilot settings before assuming every requirement or regional restriction remains unchanged.
Microsoft also warned that Copilot Actions could make mistakes, misinterpret instructions, or struggle with complex application interfaces.
The company specifically identified prompt injection as a security concern. Malicious instructions embedded in files, websites, or other content could attempt to redirect an agent away from the user's intended task.
Microsoft recommends monitoring experimental agent activity, reviewing completed actions, and taking control when necessary.
Those warnings are relevant because Copilot Actions has a much broader scope than the new Windows Search commands.
Switching to dark mode through Search is a narrowly defined action. Asking an agent to reorganize files or interact with applications can involve many separate operations, increasing the potential consequences of errors.
What to do now
Standard Windows 11 users outside the Insider program don't need to install anything. Microsoft hasn't announced when the redesigned Search experience will reach the general public.
Eligible Experimental-channel Insiders can update to build 26340.9616 or 28120.3181, restart, and check the Windows Insider Program's Feature flags section for the New Windows Search Experience option.
Start with Microsoft's documented commands, such as switching to dark mode, enabling Bluetooth, or arranging windows. More complex interactions and Phone Link actions remain part of the company's longer-term plans.
Copilot+ PC owners can continue using semantic search separately to find documents and images through descriptive queries.
Anyone considering Copilot Actions should verify current availability, permissions, and security settings before enabling experimental agent capabilities. Microsoft still recommends supervising these workflows because agents can make mistakes or respond incorrectly to untrusted content.
The new Windows Search experience is a practical step toward completing routine tasks without navigating multiple menus. Its initial capabilities remain limited, but Microsoft's plans for richer previews, additional actions, and Copilot integration show how the search box could become a more useful control center over time.
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