On Windows 11, switching off Bluetooth during a gaming session has typically forced you out of any full-screen mode you were using. Microsoft is now testing a fix for this in its newest Insider builds, which also include a far larger rework of the Windows search box.
Windows Insiders can download both Beta Build 26220.9836 and Experimental Build 26340.9843 today.
Quick settings without leaving Xbox mode
With the new Xbox shortcuts, you can adjust Bluetooth, WiFi and power settings while staying in gaming mode. The change is minor. Anyone who has backed out of a controller-friendly interface just to pair a headset or check a connection will still notice it.
So far, Microsoft has named only those three settings. The full list is in the company’s changelog.
Search gets filters and starts doing things
Most of the effort in these builds went into search. Results can now be filtered by files, actions or web results, which means a quick lookup doesn’t have to wade through every type of result together.
You can also use the search box to take actions. It can adjust screen brightness or volume, and it can work with a connected phone, which includes placing calls.
Results carry more information too. A file can display its last modified date and its author, and certain queries bring up charts for weather forecasts or stock prices.
You’re now helping train it
Every result comes with thumbs-up and thumbs-down icons inline. Clicking one trains Windows 11 search so it can get better over time. You’ll only learn whether that feedback makes search clearly better after using it for a while.
The stable release doesn’t include any of these changes yet. To try them today, you need to join the Beta or Experimental channel of the Windows Insider program.