What the New Windows 11 Search Customization Update Does
Microsoft’s new Windows 11 search customization update is a preview feature for Windows Insiders that lets users disable Bing-powered web results, improves how the system interprets typos and partial words, and shifts emphasis back to local apps and files instead of defaulting to online queries. For years, one of the biggest complaints about Windows 11 search has been its habit of sending misspelled or partial queries straight to Bing, even when users were clearly trying to open something on their own PC. The latest Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8687 aims to fix that, turning Windows Search into a more predictable launcher for apps, documents, and media. It also introduces better context-aware suggestions in the Start menu, so local results appear first and web results move into a supporting role instead of being the main response.
How to Disable Bing Results in Windows 11 Search
The headline feature in this Windows Insiders update is the ability to fully disable Bing results from the main search interface. Microsoft’s head of Windows Experience, March Rogers, explained on X that users can now switch off web results by heading to Settings, then Privacy and Security, and finally Search. In that menu, a new search settings control lets you stop Windows Search from reaching out to the web at all, keeping results limited to local apps, files, and settings. This gives users who want a cleaner, offline-focused experience more control over how Windows behaves. It also responds to long-standing complaints that web content was forced into the search experience, even when people were only trying to find something on their own machines.
Smarter Handling of Typos, Partial Words, and File Names
Beyond the option to disable Bing results, the update makes Windows Search much smarter about what you meant to type. Until now, Windows only applied autocorrect to queries when they were sent to Bing, which meant a simple typo in an app or file name could push you to online search instead of a local result. In tests reported by Windows Latest, entering “pwerp” now correctly turns up PowerPoint, along with quick actions such as Run as administrator, Open file location, and Uninstall in the Start menu. The update also pays more attention to file names. For example, a query like “Severance S2E5” can surface a locally saved JPG with that title before showing related web suggestions, highlighting a stronger focus on local content discovery.
Why This Matters and When You Might Get It
The new Windows Insiders update tackles one of the most persistent frustrations with Windows 11 search: its tendency to favor Bing over local results. By improving typo handling and giving users a direct way to disable Bing results, Microsoft moves closer to the behavior many people expect from a desktop search tool in 2026. According to PCMag, all these changes are bundled into the Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8687, which means you need to be part of the Windows Insiders program to try them today. Microsoft has signaled that the same improvements, including the new search settings control, are expected to roll out to the wider Windows user base later this year, though the exact timing may vary across devices and configurations.
