A new ‘File Search’ feature is coming to the Windows 11 taskbar

Last month at Ignite 2024, Microsoft unveiled a new feature called Microsoft 365 Companions, which are basically integrations in the Windows 11 taskbar and Start menu that will make it easier for you to spot and find all kinds of details and information with just a few clicks.

According to Windows Latest, Microsoft is now testing one such integration called File Search Companion. This web-based feature will allow you to search for files across Microsoft 365 apps and OneDrive directly from the Windows 11 taskbar.

First details came from @EpicbP on Twitter, who shared photos of the File Search Companion in action. Among other things, it will be possible to limit the search by file type, which would make it easier to find exactly what you need (e.g., a Word document or Excel spreadsheet).

The File Search Companion will be pinned to the taskbar with a fly-out pop-up when activated. The search itself will look for both files that are locally on your device and files that are synced to the cloud. In total, you’ll be able to seek out recent files, shared files, files relevant to your teams, and files through people and keywords.

It’s not yet clear when this new File Search feature will be made available to Windows 11 users at large, but likely within a few months. But if this is any indication of the usefulness of Companions to come, things appear to be looking up for the operating system.