Find Windows 11’s search to be terribly slow and clunky? I know I do, and sadly, I’m going to miss out on Microsoft’s big revamp for the functionality.
Hate Windows 11’s search? Microsoft is fixing it with AI, and that almost makes me want to buy a Copilot+ PC
Darren Allan
26 March 2025
I’m a bit gutted I won’t get Microsoft’s incoming fix for search as it’s for Copilot+ laptops only
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Windows 11 looks like it’ll get an AI-supercharged search for Copilot+ PCs This will allow natural language queries and leverage the on-board NPU to process them The feature is progressing through testing nicely, and so might be released soon enough
Windows 11 looks like it’ll get its basic search functionality seriously bolstered, with a natural language searching feature progressing nicely through testing – but it’s only for those with Copilot+ PCs.
These ‘local semantic search’ powers have arrived in the latest preview release in the Beta channel (build 26120.3585, as noticed by Neowin), for Copilot+ laptops with AMD or Intel processors. Furthermore, they’ve also turned up in Release Preview for Snapdragon (Arm-powered) Copilot+ PCs.
The move means you can use natural language for a search query in Windows, such as “find photos of me with my dog” or “find that document which is my holiday packing checklist,” rather than having to remember any exact file names.
You may like
Microsoft wants AI to make searching for files a more casual experience
Microsoft is supercharging Windows 11’s voice commands on Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon CPUs, and fine-tuning a few Recall features
This doesn’t just work in terms of searching your files and folders (meaning File Explorer), but also with searches in the Settings app – so you can perform queries such as “show me the Bluetooth devices connected to my PC” to pick out another example.
All of this leverages the power of the NPU of the Copilot+ PC. All the processing is done locally, with no data sent to the cloud, which obviously means that you don’t have to be connected to the internet. Also worked into this particular piece of functionality is the ability to use this AI-enhanced search to find photos in the cloud, should you wish. Microsoft explains: “In addition to photos stored locally on your Copilot+ PC, photos from the cloud will now show up in the search results together. In addition to searching for photos, exact matches for your keywords within the text of your cloud files will show in the search results.”
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. This is for OneDrive only for now, but Microsoft says it’s working to bring support to third-party cloud storage services. As for caveats, right now, searching for Windows settings will only work within the Settings app itself, but the eventual aim is to have these results flagged from the search box on the desktop taskbar (as is the case with the normal search function). It’s worth noting that if you are a Windows tester in the Beta channel, this feature is only gradually rolling out, so you may not see it for a while yet (and you may need a couple of reboots of your Copilot+ PC to fully trigger the AI-bolstered search when it does turn up).
(Image credit: Future) Analysis: A golden gift for Copilot+ PCs A natural language search is a nifty ability for Windows 11 search, and a good use of that NPU. Windows 11’s search powers have always been rather sluggish and lacking, often proving not just slow, but failing to find anything useful, and flagging up weird results (or pointless web content). It’s been a long-complained-about area of Windows (the same is true of Windows 10), so hopefully this will go some way towards pepping up the overall experience, as well as making the functionality a lot more convenient. Of course, with semantic indexing, Microsoft’s AI is effectively cataloguing (read: rifling through) all your files in order to have the search work in a more timely and responsive manner. Hence the reason why the company clarifies that all processing and data is stored locally, and doesn’t leave your PC – due to the potential privacy implications otherwise. This is especially important because as Microsoft notes elsewhere: “Semantic indexing is enabled by default on Copilot+ PCs.” You can turn it off, mind, or you can selectively exclude certain files or folders (or drives). All these options are housed in the Settings app, in Privacy & Security > Searching Windows > Advanced indexing options. This AI-driven search feature was seen in the Dev channel a while ago, so the fact that it has progressed to Beta (and Release Preview for Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs) suggests it’s close to arriving in the finished version of Windows 11 for these devices. Still, we can never be sure any feature in testing will see the light of day, but it seems very likely in this case. As it’s a complex piece of functionality, though, Microsoft could still have some tweaking and debugging on its plate. This is something Microsoft really needs to nail for release, as it’ll show off a considerable advantage of a Copilot+ PC if it turns out well – which will be a much-needed addition to the list of selling points for these computers. You may also like...
Shock, horror – I’m not going to argue with Microsoft’s latest bit of nagging in Windows 11, as this pop-up is justified Windows 11 is still my favorite OS, ads and all Windows 11 could eventually help you understand how fast your PC is - as well as offer tips for making your laptop faster for free
See more Computing News
Darren Allan
Social Links Navigation
Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Microsoft wants AI to make searching for files a more casual experience
Microsoft is supercharging Windows 11’s voice commands on Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon CPUs, and fine-tuning a few Recall features
Best Windows 11 AI features that work on any computer
It looks like Microsoft might have thought better about banishing Copilot AI shortcut from Windows 11
If you're waiting for Windows 12 I have bad news: Microsoft is seemingly focused on cramming even more AI into Windows 11 instead
Windows 11 could eventually help you understand how fast your PC is - as well as offer tips for making your PC or laptop faster for free
Latest in Windows
Hate Windows 11’s search? Microsoft is fixing it with AI, and that almost makes me want to buy a Copilot+ PC
Windows 11 24H2 seems to be a massive fail – so Microsoft apparently working on 25H2 fills me with hope... and fear
It looks like Microsoft might have thought better about banishing Copilot AI shortcut from Windows 11
Windows 11 should soon be faster at extracting files from compressed ZIPs – and it’s about time, frankly
Microsoft is adding a powerful new feature for using Xbox controllers with Windows 11
Embarrassing Windows 11 bug that deleted Copilot app is now fixed – but will anyone outside of Microsoft care?
Latest in News
Hate Windows 11’s search? Microsoft is fixing it with AI, and that almost makes me want to buy a Copilot+ PC
Activity tracking on Oura Ring is about to get a whole lot better, but I've got bad news about your step count
Google Maps is getting two key upgrades, for easier route planning and quicker access to Gemini AI
HaveIBeenPwned owner suffers phishing attack that stole his Mailchimp mailing list
Gemini 2.5 is now available for Advanced users and it seriously improves Google’s AI reasoning
Cl0p resurgence drives ransomware attacks to new highs in 2025
More about windows
Windows 11 24H2 seems to be a massive fail – so Microsoft apparently working on 25H2 fills me with hope... and fear
It looks like Microsoft might have thought better about banishing Copilot AI shortcut from Windows 11
Gemini 2.5 is now available for Advanced users and it seriously improves Google’s AI reasoning
See more latest
Most Popular
Gemini 2.5 is now available for Advanced users and it seriously improves Google’s AI reasoning
Google Maps is getting two key upgrades, for easier route planning and quicker access to Gemini AI
Android Auto 14.0 is rolling out now – and it'll soon swap Google Assistant for the smarter Gemini
Activity tracking on Oura Ring is about to get a whole lot better, but I've got bad news about your step count
HaveIBeenPwned owner suffers phishing attack that stole his Mailchimp mailing list
Cl0p resurgence drives ransomware attacks to new highs in 2025
The UK's first football club mobile network is here - but you probably won't guess which team has launched it
TechRadar Podcast: Is the Pixel 9a ugly? Has Apple ruined the smartwatch market? And is Samsung's One UI in trouble?
The iPhone 17 Air looks impressively slim in this new comparison image, but that just makes me more worried about the specs
Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 just revealed what Kamala Khan has been up to since The Marvels, and now I'm more excited for the next superhero team to appear in the MCU
LATEST ARTICLES
Google Maps is getting two key upgrades, for easier route planning and quicker access to Gemini AI
Android Auto 14.0 is rolling out now – and it'll soon swap Google Assistant for the smarter Gemini
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are our top running headphones, and they just got their first-ever discount at Amazon
Activity tracking on Oura Ring is about to get a whole lot better, but I've got bad news about your step count
HaveIBeenPwned owner suffers phishing attack that stole his Mailchimp mailing list
TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Contact Future's experts
Terms and conditions
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Advertise with us
Web notifications
Accessibility Statement
Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,