Microsoft tests Windows Search without all the ads and fluff

Cleaner Search Experience

Microsoft is testing a cleaner version of the Windows 11 search menu that strips it of recommended content and ads. In a blog post on Monday, Microsoft announced that it's rolling out the decluttered Search Box to Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel as the company looks to regain trust with users and fix Windows.

The decluttered search menu gets rid of those distracting tiles with game recommendations and the "image of the day."

Revamped Search Homescreen

One of the biggest changes is a revamped search homescreen that displays only your recent searches. Currently, when you open the search menu, it shows your recent searches alongside several distracting tiles on the right pane, containing things like:

• The image of the day
• Daily quizzes
• Trending searches
• Game recommendations

Cleaner Web Results

Microsoft is cleaning up web results, too, as the search menu will surface the "most relevant answer" first, rather than showing "related products and promotions."

Improved Metadata and Previews

Aside from doing some decluttering, Microsoft is testing other notable improvements to its search menu. It will more clearly show metadata, along with a preview of the file in the pane on the right side of the search menu, making it easier to figure out where the result came from.

Prioritized Local Results

The Windows 11 search system will also prioritize results from your local files, apps, and settings, which will "more reliably appear" ahead of web and Microsoft Store recommendations. Testers can now turn off web and Store recommendations entirely from the Settings menu.

Quality-of-Life Updates

There are a few quality-of-life updates, too, as Microsoft says the search system it's piloting can better handle typos, extra letters, and partial words, while offering some performance improvements.