Microsoft is experimenting with making Windows 10 search more Apple-like

Microsoft appears to be testing a new Windows 10 search user interface that floats across the screen. Italian blog Aggiornamenti Lumia discovered the new search interface in the latest test build of Windows 10 (17040) released last week. The new look replaces the Cortana interface for now, and could be a sign Microsoft is looking to improve its keyboard-based searching.

A floating search bar includes the same results you’d find in the Start Menu or from the Cortana search bar in the current taskbar on Windows 10. The search bar can also be activated using the Windows+S shortcut, and it looks very similar to the macOS Spotlight search interface. While the immersive Cortana search interface is currently in testing, I’m hoping Microsoft opts to make this even more powerful than Spotlight search.

Alfred for Mac and Wox for Windows offer a much more powerful way to search, integrating in custom web queries and automated workflows. Microsoft has shunned this type of advanced search for years, but opening up the search interface to be more powerful would be a step in the right direction for an operating system that’s marketed as “more productive” and for creators.