For the most part, Windows’ search feature has remained unchanged over the past two decades. That’s finally changing, though not everyone will get to try out the improved functionality.
Microsoft is significantly upgrading the search experience on Windows 11 with the introduction of semantic indexing for Copilot+ PCs. This will allow you to find files, photos, and settings using natural language, eliminating the need to remember specific file names or keywords. The feature is heavily reliant on the NPU that’s present on Copilot+ PCs, so we sadly won’t see this feature on our regular PCs for now. Using the NPU, semantic indexing works in conjunction with traditional indexing to understand the meaning behind your search queries. For one, you can now type phrases like “bridge at sunset” to locate images or “Europe trip budget” to find relevant documents.
Currently, the improved search capabilities support locally saved files in indexed locations. You can customize these locations in Settings, with an option to index the entire PC. Future updates will extend support to cloud storage providers like OneDrive. Additionally, searching for settings using natural language is currently limited to the Settings app, but will soon be available through the taskbar search box.
The rollout of this enhanced search experience will begin gradually for Windows Insiders on Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs. Support for languages including Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish is included initially. The feature supports common document formats like .pdf, .docx, and .pptx, as well as image formats such as .jpg, .png, and .gif.
This feature will first be available on Snapdragon-powered PCs before rolling out to x86-based systems later. It’s currently only available for insiders, so it might take a while to appear for those on stable versions. It’s a bummer that this feature is only for Copilot+ PCs, but since it relies on AI running locally, it makes sense. It also shows that we should be getting more and more features like these as Microsoft thinks of more ways to take advantage of the NPUs shipping on PCs these days.
Source: Microsoft
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