AI-Powered Windows Search is Now Available as an Optional Update on Copilot+ PCs

The new AI-powered Windows Search experience for Copilot+ PCs is now available to the public today. It’s part of this month’s optional update for Windows 11 version 24H2, but the improved search experience is currently limited to Qualcomm-powered Copilot+ PCs.

This new search experience uses semantic indexing models along with traditional lexical indexing to find files, photos, and Windows settings using natural language prompts. Semantic search leverages the powerful NPUs on Qualcomm-powered Copilot+ PCs, and the feature works without an Internet connection. Support for AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs is coming soon, but it already went live on the Windows Insider Beta Channel earlier this week.

This month’s optional update also improves Live Captions and Voice Access on Copilot+ PCs, and it also enables the new Gamepad keyboard layout for the Windows 11 touch keyboard. You can find a list of the main new features in this month’s optional update for Windows 11 version 24H2 below:

AI-powered search: On Qualcomm-powered Copilot+ PCs, users can find documents and photos (including OneDrive pictures) using natural language prompts within File Explorer and Windows Search on the taskbar. The search bar in the Settings app can also surface settings by just typing what’s on your mind.

Windows Search changes for EU users: Microsoft is improving support for alternative web search providers in Windows Search for users in the EEA. When Bing is set as the default web search provider, Windows Search will now open search results in the default browser instead of Microsoft Edge.

Live captions improvements: Qualcomm-powered Copilot+ PCs can now translate 26 languages in Chinese (simplified) in real-time. AMD and Intel-powered models can also now translate more than 44 languages into English.

Voice Access improvements: The accessibility feature now supports voice commands in Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. Users with Qualcomm-powered Copilot+ PCs can also speak commands in natural language instead of using predefined commands.

Gamepad keyboard layout for the touch keyboard: This new Gamepad keyboard layout makes it easy to type text with an Xbox controller. The keyboard keys have also been vertically aligned to improve controller navigation patterns.

Emoji button in taskbar: A new emoji button providing quick access to the emoji panel will appear in the system tray of the taskbar for a small group of devices.

Windows Studio Effects button in taskbar: On PCs with an NPU, an icon will now appear in the system tray when using an app that supports Windows Studio Effects. Clicking the button opens the Studio Effects page in Quick Settings.

Widgets improvements (EU only): EU users can now add, remove, and rearrange lock screen widgets such as Weather, Watchlist, Sports, Traffic, and more. Any widget that supports the small sizing option can also be added.

Task Manager: The app will now calculate CPU usage differently for Processes, Performance, and Users pages and use standard metrics to display CPU workload consistently across all pages.

This month’s optional update also removes the Suggested actions feature from the OS. Suggested actions used to appear when copying a phone number or future date in Windows 11, and Microsoft deprecated the feature in December.

Lastly, today’s update also removes the Location History feature from Windows 11. This was an API that the now-deprecated Cortana assistant used to access 24 hours of device history when location was enabled.

All these changes in today’s optional update will roll out to the public next month with the April Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11 version 24H2. If you’re still running Windows 11 version 23H2, an optional patch was also released two days ago with fewer new features.