Microsoft is killing Windows 11 Search’s biggest annoyance, lets you find files with just 2 characters

Microsoft has started rolling out two surprisingly important improvements for Windows Search in Windows 11, and after testing them, it finally feels like the company is beginning to understand what users actually want from Search.

The first change is already rolling out to regular PCs through the May 2026 optional update KB5089573. Microsoft says Windows Search can now “find and prioritize files with as few as two characters.”

The second improvement is currently rolling out in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553 and Build 26220.8544. Microsoft calls it “Search by Substring,” and it fixes one of the longest-standing frustrations with Windows Search.

“Files with compound names or content (e.g., MeetingNotesApril, ProjectStatusReport) are now easily discoverable by typing ‘april’ or ‘status’.”

This is by no means a small improvement as it dramatically changes how natural Search feels during daily use. For years, Windows Search struggled with compound file names unless users typed the beginning of the filename or something extremely close to it.

As you can see in the screenshot above, I have cultivated the habit of describing file names so that Windows Search’s incompetence doesn’t stand in my way of finding files.

Fortunately, things have changed now, and I do not have to spend too much time editing file names.

Windows Search is now faster and more reliable

On March 20, in the now celebrated “Our commitment to Windows quality” blog that started it all, Microsoft said they’ll enhance Search to “find what matters faster, with search that surfaces apps, files and settings clearly so you can get to the right result quickly”. Now, these commitments are finally taking shape.

You just need to type two characters to find a file:

After the May 2026 optional update, all you need to do is type two characters to find a file using Windows Search, making it much faster to get to your files.

Here, I just typed XP, and my Windows XP Wallpaper files showed up in search:

But, in the screenshot below, the new Search improvement update is not active, so typing XP just shows the XPS Viewer:

It didn’t even show up in the search results. So, I had to type the rest of the file name to get the required file. Here, I typed “xp bliss” to get Windows XP Bliss wallpaper. But what if I need to see all XP wallpapers? Well, then I have to get the new Search improvement update.

Note: Due to Microsoft’s Controlled Feature Rollout scheme, you might not get the Search improvement even after installing the May 2026 optional update. It will only eventually reach your PC. The same goes for the other search improvement for Insiders. 

Now you can search for files with compound names:

The substring search improvement is important because most people do not organize files using perfectly structured naming systems. Real-world filenames are messy. Users combine words, attach months, projects, abbreviations, version numbers, and random naming schemes that are easy to forget later.

Like in the above screenshot, you will have to remember the beginning of the file name to make it show in the search results.

With the new Search improvement update, I can simply type “May,” “Menu,” or “Comparison,” and Windows will immediately show the correct file “StartMenuComparisonMay”. This is how search should work in 2026, and it is surprising that Windows took this long to reach this point.

The Search by Substring update is currently live for Windows Insiders in the Experimental and Beta channels, and may soon arrive on all PCs in the coming months.

Recently, we reported that Microsoft said Windows 11’s Search will stop forcing web results over apps and local files. So, this officially marks the beginning of the end of the joke about Windows showing the Terminal movie in Search while searching for “Terminal.”

All of these changes were badly needed because Search had gradually become less useful for desktop workflows.

Windows Search is too cluttered by default

Search quality was never the only issue affecting Windows 11 Search. Despite the useful improvements in the actual searching part, the biggest issue with Search is its unnecessary clutter. Over the last few years, the experience became increasingly bloated with web results, AI integrations, trending topics, Microsoft Rewards prompts, and Bing content that none of us ever needed.

We open Search because we want to launch an app, find a file, open a setting, or quickly calculate something. But Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, treated Windows 11 Search as a platform for Bing integrations and promotional content.

I have absolutely zero need to know the image of the day on my Search UI. The same goes for the Daily Quiz. I am not in high school anymore!

Top apps is good as it is usually based on my usage patterns, but I do not need AI Tools in Search. And the tools in question (Create with AI, Search with AI, Image Creator, Video Creators) all have better alternatives from Microsoft’s competitors, so the confidence to show inferior products here is perplexing.

What makes it even worse is that these recommendations in Search are web-based elements and not native, meaning they are RAM hoggers. Clicking any of these would take you to Bing.com.

Ironically, one of the cleanest official Search experiences that I ever tested in Windows 11 was with Ask Copilot. Yes, the dreaded AI on the taskbar, that Microsoft first showed in late 2025, with buttons for Copilot Voice and Copilot Vision, actually had a refreshingly minimal Search UI, with nothing but a floating bar.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for most people), Microsoft removed Ask Copilot from Insider builds, and we didn’t hear anything about it for months until recently, when Windows Latest found a Microsoft document targeted at frontier firms.

As we reported, Ask Copilot is returning to the Windows 11 taskbar later in mid-2026.

Either way, Ask Copilot just proves that Microsoft is perfectly capable of making a minimal, fast, and intuitive Search experience in Windows 11.

Search improvements are finally starting to make sense

Back in December 2025, Microsoft updated the Search interface so it properly matched the height and proportions of the redesigned Start menu.

It still feels strange that Search and Start originally launched with completely mismatched dimensions in Windows 11, as the inconsistency has always made the OS feel unfinished. Fortunately, Microsoft has sharpened those rough edges.

As you might have seen already, the taskbar and Start itself are becoming more customizable, too. The taskbar can now be moved to any side of the screen, and is also resizable.

The Start menu also recently received major customization controls, including smaller layouts, removable sections, and better organization.

While its neighbours get UI improvements, it’s only fair for Search to get the same level of refinement, and it is in desperate need of it.

Windows Search should prioritize local apps, files, settings, and workflows first. AI integrations should feel optional rather than forced into every corner of the interface.

The encouraging part is that Microsoft finally seems aware of this problem. The substring search feature and the two-character indexing improvements have nothing to do with AI and are pure practical improvements.

Hopefully, as part of Microsoft’s commitment to native WinUI 3, the company continues removing unnecessary web wrappers, rebuilding shell components natively, and focusing on responsiveness instead of forcing Bing integrations everywhere. Only then can Windows Search finally become something users trust. I feel it would be one of the biggest quality-of-life improvements in Windows 11