- Windows 11 Search Gets Two Useful Additions
- Microsoft is fixing search so it works better for locating files with long compound names
- The search function will also begin displaying possible results after just two characters have been typed.
Windows 11 Search is getting more improvements designed to make it easier to find the files you need, and one of those updates is coming this month.
Windows Latest reports that there are two changes Microsoft is working on for the search feature in Windows 11, and one is already available in the current (optional) preview update for the operating system. This means it will start rolling out in the June update and arrive in a week, but you may have to wait a while for the release to hit your PC after that.
The first change is Windows 11’s ability to start showing you possible search results when you’ve typed just two characters.
A bigger change, called “substring search,” is coming later and is now being tested in preview builds of Windows 11. It’s pretty easy to understand: When there are files with long unique names consisting of several words together, such as “CookingRecipesJune2026,” if you simply type “Recipes” in the search box, Windows 11 will flag the correct file.
Currently, and rather annoyingly, typing “Recipes” or “June” alone is unlikely to locate the correct file. You’ll probably need to include the beginning of the file name (“CookingRecipes”) as well, so Windows 11 will locate it correctly.
Analysis: the search gets stronger
That compound naming issue is one of my biggest problems with Windows 11 Search, so it’s great to see Microsoft solving it, even if it’s just in testing for now. That said, it’s one of those fixes that should have been implemented a long time ago, but this is true for many of the updates that Microsoft is applying to Windows 11 in the campaign to improve the desktop operating system by 2026. Better late than never, as they say…
My other big issue with Windows 11 (and Windows 10) Search is that it pulls up web results along with local files or settings, and Microsoft has taken action on that front as well. A couple of weeks ago, again during testing, we heard the news that these web results would be given lower priority in searches, which is a positive and laudable step forward, although frankly I’d like to have the option to remove them entirely, which probably won’t happen.
Modifying to start presenting search results with just two characters typed could also be a useful time saver. Of course, with just a couple of characters left for Windows 11 to activate, the chances of getting the right result the first time are lower.
However, I’m glad that Microsoft is working to improve search in Windows 11 and the change with compound file names is especially welcome.
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