Microsoft is adding an optional web search feature to the Windows 11 desktop in the latest Insider Preview Build of the operating system. The company describes the feature as “lightweight interactive content” — the first of which it says it’s considering adding to Windows 11 — but let’s call what it really is: a widget.
Not everyone who signed up for the latest Windows 11 preview build will see the new search box, but anyone who likes and dislikes it can turn it off by right-clicking on the desktop, selecting “Show more options,” then toggle “Show search.”
If you’re running the latest preview build, you’ll also have to restart your computer for the search box to have a chance to show up.
Is it a useful feature? Maybe for some people, and maybe not for others. It’s web search, not system search (you can add it to the taskbar in Windows 10 and 11 for easy access) and can be useful if you need to quickly upload content after booting. engine from scratch. But most people, I suspect, keep at least one browser window open all the time and will probably find it easier to find the word than to access the desktop. (A skeptic might note that it’s also another way for Microsoft to direct users to Edge and Bing.)
To some extent, it’s interesting to see the company play with desktop widgets, instead of putting these tools in a separate panel (for more on that, see this review). our prices on Windows 11).
