Microsoft plans chatbot style redesign for Windows 11 Search
The planned interface will handle Windows commands and connect users to Copilot, while Microsoft’s Hybrid Intelligence tools will support some on-device AI processing.
Microsoft plans to turn Windows 11’s Search Menu into a chatbot style interface this fall, allowing users to type commands to change settings, find files and apps, and interact with Copilot. The company announced the changes at its fall Surface event in San Francisco.
In demonstrations, Microsoft executive Pavan Davuluri showed Search commands for switching dark mode and Do Not Disturb on or off. A request to increase microphone volume brought up a slider. Users will also be able to continue a Search conversation in the Copilot app, or send text messages from the taskbar when a phone is paired with Windows.
Microsoft says the redesigned interface will make searches faster and more efficient, but the announcement provides no independent performance evidence or details on supported devices and rollout timing beyond “this fall”.
The company also announced Hybrid Intelligence, a set of tools that will let some AI models run locally on a PC. Microsoft says the updated Copilot app can access computer files and take actions across apps and settings. It will still use cloud inference for the hardest tasks.
For coding assistance, Microsoft says its new Execution Containers will keep local AI agents in a secure sandbox. The company has not specified which models, tasks or hardware will support local processing.
