# Microsoft's Upcoming Windows 11 Update Redesigns Search and Cuts RAM Usage > The latest Windows 11 update redesigns the Search and Photos apps while significantly reducing memory usage for lower-end PCs with 8GB of RAM. - Canonical URL: https://coreiten.com/en/article/windows-11-update-microsoft-redesigns-search-and-cuts-ram - Language: en - Section: Windows - Author: Sami - Published: 2026-10-18T04:03:44+03:00 - Modified: 2026-10-18T04:03:44+03:00 - Publisher: CoreITen (https://coreiten.com) - Keywords: Windows 11, Microsoft, Navjot Virk, WinUI3, WebView2, Phone Link, OneDrive, Copilot ## Summary Microsoft's major Windows 11 update redesigns core applications, improves performance on 8GB RAM PCs, and brings back requested taskbar customization features. - Navjot Virk, Microsoft's VP of Windows experiences, announced the updates in a blog post detailing changes currently in Insider beta. - The new native WinUI3 integration for Search and Photos eliminates heavy WebView2 reliance and keeps 2GB of active data free instead of using SSD storage. - The redesigned Search lets users directly adjust mic volume or toggle do not disturb and integrates with Phone Link for Android text messaging. - The remodeled Photos app features semantic search for objects or people across PCs, OneDrive, or phones, plus advanced lighting tools like 'golden hour' effects. - Microsoft is bundling games like Gears of War: Reloaded and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition with new Windows 11 PC purchases starting in November. **Why it matters:** This update acts as a much-needed performance overhaul and user experience apology tour after years of resource-heavy operating system bloat. --- Microsoft is rolling out a major Windows 11 update that redesigns core apps and reduces resource consumption on lower-end PCs with 8GB of RAM. According to a blog post by Navjot Virk, Microsoft's VP of Windows experiences, the changes are currently available in the Insider beta and will see a full release later this year. ### Taskbar and Performance Improvements The update introduces dozens of improvements, including the ability to move the taskbar and Start menu to the sides of the screen, a feature present in previous operating system versions. Microsoft is also changing how the OS handles memory, addressing performance issues on lower-end devices like some Surface laptops with limited RAM. The new Search and Photos apps are now built natively into Windows using WinUI3. Previously, these and most other desktop functions relied on WebView2, a developer control tool that functions essentially as a browser app and takes up more memory. With this native integration, Windows 11 widgets will no longer automatically load on the desktop for users on lower-end PCs. Additionally, PCs will keep 2GB of active data free instead of moving it to slower SSD storage. ### Redesigned Search and Phone Link The Search function has been completely redesigned to run faster and offer more capabilities. Instead of opening a menu that takes up a third of the screen and defaulting to Edge browser results for simple queries, the new Search surfaces system controls directly in the box. Users can adjust mic volume or toggle do not disturb without opening a settings menu. Depending on the query, Search may also expand to show an image preview of a Word or PowerPoint document before it is opened. In testing, Gizmodo's Kyle Barr noted that the new Search successfully found the **Power, sleep, and battery settings** menu on the first try, without requiring the exact full term. The feature also integrates with Phone Link, allowing users to send files from their desktop or text messages to a connected Android device, though Barr notes that replying via the new pop-ups on the bottom-right of the screen is likely more efficient. ### New Photos App Features Microsoft has completely remodeled the Photos app, adding a semantic search function that lets users look for specific objects or people across pictures stored on their PC, OneDrive, or a connected phone. The app includes tools to quick-crop images and tune the lighting in individual scenes. Users can also change a photo's lighting entirely, such as adding a “golden hour” sunset and physically setting the directions of the light sources. ### A Shift in the Windows Experience These changes arrive six years after Microsoft first released the operating system to the public, and a year after Windows 10 was put out to pasture. Microsoft has also redesigned Copilot to make it less intrusive, following criticism over pop-ups and advertisements for its services. Writing for Gizmodo, Barr describes the update as an “apology tour” from Microsoft aimed at making the OS more enjoyable. To incentivize adoption, Microsoft is promising a collection of older and newer games, including *Gears of War: Reloaded* and *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition*, with new Windows 11 PC purchases starting in November. > I’ve seen the promised land firsthand, and it’s a Windows 11 experience that may finally not suck. > > Kyle Barr, Gizmodo Barr adds that users may now have a chance to enjoy the OS for a few more years before Microsoft inevitably moves on to Windows 12. ## Sources - [gizmodo.com](https://gizmodo.com/windows-11-performance-updates-2000826922) ## Related topics - [Windows 11](https://coreiten.com/en/topic/windows-11) - [Copilot](https://coreiten.com/en/topic/copilot)