ZDNET: Change Windows settings directly from Search with this new Windows 11 feature

Settings from Search

The latest Windows 11 Insider preview adds inline actions to Search. Searching for a feature such as Bluetooth, Dark mode, Remote Desktop or Windows Update can show an Open button that takes users to the relevant setting.

The feature is meant to make settings easier to find without knowing where they are in Windows. Microsoft says the refreshed Search experience is built with WinUI 3 and has a streamlined design.

Improved results and sign-in

Search is also designed to recognize misspellings and return the intended result. For example, entering “drak” can still bring up Dark mode. Windows Hello facial recognition gets an option to temporarily brighten the screen when users sign in in a dark area. To enable it, open Settings, go to Account, choose Sign-in options, then Facial recognition, and turn on “Automatically adjust screen brightness during face recognition.”

Who can try the update

Users need to join the Windows Insiders Program and sign up for the Beta or Experimental channel to access the new Search features. The article says the required version is Beta Preview Build 26320.9876 or higher.

To check the build, open Settings, select System, then About, and look in Windows Info. The preview also includes changes to Live captions, Gaming, File Explorer and Microsoft 365 cloud storage.

Expected wider release

Microsoft plans to fine-tune the Search improvements over the next few weeks. The article expects the changes to reach regular Windows users with the December Patch Tuesday update, which it says arrives on December 8.

The timing is presented as an expectation rather than a confirmed release date. The new features are currently described as available in Insider preview channels.