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Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26340.9616 was released on October 7, 2026. The update introduces changes that Microsoft says are gradually being rolled out, including a new Windows Search experience and inline actions. The search changes are built on WinUI 3 and are intended to make Search faster, more efficient, and easier to scan.
Search is also being improved to better understand what people are looking for, with better matching for typos and synonyms. Microsoft says it will continue fine-tuning these improvements over the coming weeks. The initial release supports English only.
After upgrading to Build 26340.9616, users need to restart their device before the New Windows Search Experience feature flag becomes visible. Microsoft points to the Windows Insider Blog for more information about the search changes.
Windows Search is getting a new experience built on WinUI 3, with a streamlined design intended to make results easier to scan. The update is designed to deliver faster, more efficient searching, so finding what you need takes less effort.
The refreshed interface also comes with improvements to how Search interprets queries. It is being updated to better match what you’re looking for when a search contains a typo or uses a synonym. These changes are still being fine-tuned over the coming weeks, so the experience may continue to improve as the rollout progresses.
This redesign is part of a broader update to Windows Search that also introduces inline actions, letting you complete certain tasks directly from Search. The new experience is being rolled out gradually. English is the only supported language in this initial release, and after upgrading to the build, you’ll need to restart your device before the New Windows Search Experience feature flag becomes visible.
The redesigned Windows Search experience includes inline actions, so you can handle several device tasks directly from Search rather than navigating elsewhere. Search can turn on dark mode or Bluetooth, adjust your screen brightness, mute your device, and arrange windows.
These actions are part of the new Search experience built on WinUI 3, which is designed to be faster and more efficient, with a streamlined layout that makes results easier to scan. Inline actions add a practical way to act on a result: the available controls let you change device settings or arrange windows directly from Search.
The rollout is gradual, so the new experience and its inline actions may not be visible to every Windows Insider immediately. After upgrading to this build, restart your device before the New Windows Search Experience feature flag is visible.
The improved matching in Windows Search is designed to better understand what you’re looking for, including when a search contains typos or uses synonyms. Microsoft says it will continue fine-tuning these improvements over the coming weeks, so the experience is still being refined.
At the initial release, English is the only supported language. The new experience is also being rolled out gradually, so it may not be available to everyone immediately.
After upgrading to Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26340.9616, restart your device before looking for the New Windows Search Experience feature flag. The flag becomes visible only after the restart.
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