In the latest Insider build of Windows 10, Microsoft has included a small but notable tweak: it has decoupled Cortana from the OS’ search field in the task bar. The reason? Microsoft wants search by typing and search by voice to be two separate experiences on Windows 10.
“Going forward, we’ll be decoupling Search and Cortana in the taskbar,” said Dona Sarkar, head of the Windows Insider program. “This will enable each experience to innovate independently to best serve their target audiences and use cases. Some Insiders have had this update for a few weeks now, and we appreciate all the feedback we’ve received about it so far! For those new to this update, when it rolls out to you, you’ll find clicking the search box in the taskbar now launches our experience focused on giving you the best in house search experience and clicking the Cortana icon will launch you straight into our voice-first digital assistant experience.”
Search and Cortana settings on Windows 10 have also been separated and can be found in different sections of the Settings app, according to Sarkar
This is all in a move to make searching on Windows 10 more pleasurable. Right now, when you try to search for a file or app on your PC, Cortana is able to fill the results with useless suggestions from the web, causing more frustration from users than pleasure. Now, though, search should just present you with results that are actually meaningful, not search results for “PHOTOSHOP_1_FINAL_COMPLETE.psd.”
This change will roll out as a part of the next major Windows 10 version upgrade which is slated for an April rollout timeframe.
