Windows 11’s search box upgrade might actually help you find things — imagine that | Windows Central

Windows Help · 2025-11-06T00:00:38Z

Microsoft has unveiled a handy change coming to Windows 11's Taskbar search box soon that will make searching the internet with copied text easier. The change is dubbed "Copy & Search," and adds a button to the search box that provides the ability to search for what you've copied with one click.

"We are introducing Copy & Search, a feature that allows you to search the text in your clipboard with a single click. When you copy text anywhere in Windows, a paste gleam will appear in your search box. Click on this gleam and your copied text will appear in the search field, allowing you to search instantly" explains Microsoft.

The new feature is part of the latest Windows 11 preview builds, which means it'll likely begin rolling out to all Windows 11 users in the coming months. It works with any copied text, whether that be from a Word document, webpage, or app.

FAQ

What is Windows 11's new Copy & Search feature?

Copy & Search is a feature that streamlines the process between copying text and searching the internet with that text. It's tied to the Windows Search box, and will present a button that automatically pastes in your copied text and searches the web with it.

When will Copy & Search be available?

Copy & Search is currently only available via the Windows Insider Program, as it's still in testing and development. Microsoft will likely begin rolling out the feature to all Windows 11 users in the coming months.

Is this a Copilot thing?

Not directly. Copilot lives in the taskbar too, but this upgrade is for the classic search box — the one that’s been quietly underperforming since Windows 10.

Will it help me find my files faster?

That’s the idea. Microsoft says it’ll better surface apps, settings, and documents. Whether it actually finds the file you need instead of suggesting Edge… remains to be seen.

Is this part of a bigger Windows 11 overhaul?

Kind of. Microsoft’s been quietly tweaking search, Copilot, and taskbar behavior to make Windows 11 feel more “AI‑powered” — even if most of it still feels like glorified indexing

Can I turn it off?

You can disable search highlights and tweak what shows up, but the search box itself is baked into the taskbar. If you want it gone, you’ll need to disable it in taskbar settings.