Source : The Verge
REDMOND, Washington, October 30, 2026 – Microsoft has released new Windows 11 test builds that turn the system’s search box into a place to change settings and control a connected phone, and that let gamers adjust key settings without leaving the console-style Xbox mode.
The changes arrive in Windows Insider Experimental Preview Build 26340.9843, released on October 30 alongside Beta Preview Build 26220.9836, as reported by The Verge. Both builds are available now to members of the Windows Insider programme, Microsoft’s early-testing scheme.
According to Microsoft’s release notes for the experimental build, the company is expanding the redesigned Windows Search that began rolling out earlier this month. Users can now adjust volume, screen brightness and cursor size using sliders that appear directly in the search results, and suggested actions are meant to help them discover more things they can do from the search box.
With a supported phone linked through Microsoft’s Phone Link app, users can also make calls, send text messages and switch on Do Not Disturb from Windows Search. Microsoft said Android support is available now, with iPhone support coming early next year.
Search results are also becoming more detailed. Users can preview files and see information such as when a file was last modified, where it is stored and who created it. Search can also return web answers for weather, stocks and general facts, and suggest apps and games from the Microsoft Store. Store app results can be switched off in the privacy section of Windows Settings, Microsoft said.
New filters let users scroll through more results and narrow them down to categories such as files and folders, settings and actions. Users can also right-click a result and give it a thumbs up or thumbs down to tell Microsoft whether it was useful, and remove items from the search panel that appears before they start typing. Microsoft said the new search panel currently opens at the bottom centre of the screen, and that work is under way to make it adapt to different taskbar positions.
For gamers, the experimental build adds the full set of Windows quick settings to the navigation bar in Gaming Task View while in Xbox mode. The Verge said this lets players control functions such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and power settings without having to exit the gaming interface.
The Beta build, meanwhile, lets users manage camera, microphone and location access for each desktop app individually, according to Microsoft’s release notes. Until now, access for traditional desktop programs was controlled by a single device-wide setting. Apps that have not yet used one of those resources will ask for permission the first time they need it.
Microsoft stressed that features in Insider builds are experimental. The company said they may change over time, be removed or replaced, and might never be released beyond Windows Insiders, although some could appear in future Windows releases when they are ready. Many of the new features are being rolled out gradually, starting with a subset of testers.
Source: The Verge on X
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