New Windows Search With Opt-In Copilot

Windows Search is getting a real rebuild, not another skin on the same box. Microsoft says the new experience can change settings, open apps, preview files and run quick PC actions from the taskbar Search box. Copilot can plug in later this year, but only if you choose it.

That opt-in promise comes from Microsoft’s own Windows Experience Blog. Windows Central reports the wider Search rollout is due before the end of 2026. Insiders in the Experimental channel have been able to try the new UI since October 7.

Table of Contents

What the new Windows Search actually does

Microsoft rebuilt Search on WinUI 3, the same modern UI stack used in newer Windows apps. The company says early tests show better performance and lower memory use. The layout is a single list instead of the old two-pane design with a big preview column on the right.

Windows Search showing recent files, apps, settings, and an inline action to turn on Do Not Disturb — Windows Search showing recent files, apps, settings and an inline action to turn on Do Not Disturb. Image: Microsoft.

Beyond finding things, Search can now finish common jobs without opening Settings or another window. Microsoft’s examples include:

Toggle settings: switch to dark mode, turn on night light, enable Airplane mode or Bluetooth.
Quick adjustments: dim the screen or mute the PC.
Workspace: minimize all windows or arrange them on screen.
Phone Link (coming soon): send a quick text from Search when your phone is connected.

Windows Search demonstrating an inline action to change the system theme to dark mode — An inline Search action changing the system theme to dark mode. Image: Microsoft (still from Microsoft’s demo).

Later this year Microsoft also plans richer file previews and inline web answers (weather, stock prices, quick facts) inside Search, plus better matching for typos and synonyms. The company says the redesign reduces promotional web clutter and leans on native Windows UI for a faster feel.

Windows Search showing inline previews for a PowerPoint presentation, a Word document, and a photo — Inline previews for a PowerPoint file, a Word document and a photo inside Search results. Image: Microsoft.

Graphic summarizing what the new Windows Search can do: settings, actions, previews, apps, less web clutter, optional Copilot — A quick map of what Microsoft says the new Search can do. Graphic: Windows Mode, based on Microsoft’s blog posts.

Copilot in Search is opt-in this time

Ask Copilot, the earlier preview that put Copilot inside a Search-like pane, never shipped outside preview and had no off switch for the AI part. Microsoft paused that testing over the summer. The new Search UI looks similar, but Copilot is no longer baked in by default.

In their words

“We will also begin adding the option to integrate the new Copilot with Search on the taskbar, so you can get quick answers inline from Search, and if you want to have a richer conversation, you can jump from Search directly to the full Copilot app. This experience will be opt-in, and will first start rolling out to select markets later this year.”

Microsoft, Windows Experience Blog

If you leave Copilot off, you still get the faster Search UI, file and app results, settings changes and inline actions. You just will not see AI answers inside the Search box.

Timing, as Microsoft and Windows Central describe it

Insiders now: Experimental channel, English only at first. Feature flag: New Windows Search Experience (after build 26340.9616 or 28120.3181).
Copilot in Search: opt-in, select markets, later this year (Microsoft).
Broader rollout: Windows Central reports Microsoft plans to begin shipping the new Search before the end of 2026. Microsoft’s public blogs focus on the Insider preview and the Copilot opt-in window, not a full general-availability date.
Start menu Search: the old experience stays there for now. Microsoft says Start menu support is planned for next year (2027).

What you can do now

On a regular Windows 11 PC: keep Windows Update on. There is no consumer toggle for the new Search until Microsoft ships it beyond Insiders.
If you are already an Insider on the Experimental channel: open Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags, look for New Windows Search Experience, turn it on, then restart after checking for updates.
Share feedback with Win + F, under Desktop Environment > Search.
If you dislike Copilot in Search: wait for the opt-in. Unlike Ask Copilot, Microsoft says you will not have to live with it if you never enable it.

No Copilot+ PC required for the basic Search actions

Windows Central asked Microsoft whether the new Search needs an NPU. Microsoft said the inline actions use a small local machine-learning model on the main processor, not a generative model, so they are not limited to Copilot+ PCs. Copilot answers inside Search are a separate, optional layer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Copilot show up in Search by default?

Microsoft says the Copilot integration in the new Search will be opt-in and will first roll out to select markets later this year. That is different from Ask Copilot, which had no off switch in preview.

Can I try the new Windows Search today?

Yes, if you are in the Windows Insider Experimental channel on a supported build and enable the New Windows Search Experience feature flag. Everyone else waits for Microsoft’s wider rollout.

Does this change Search in the Start menu?

Not yet. Microsoft says Start menu Search keeps the current experience for now, with the new design planned to reach Start in 2027.

Source: Microsoft, Windows Insider Blog.