Microsoft has just announced the release of Windows 10 20H1 build 18894 for Windows Insiders in the Fast Ring. After lots of 20H1 builds with no significant new features, the new bits finally bring something new to test with a new File Explorer search experience.
Select Insiders will see after installing this new build that the File explorer search box can now show content from OneDrive, and the search results will also be actionable. This new search experience is powered by Windows Search, and Microsoft says that only a small percentage of Insiders will see it at first.
If the File Explorer improvements are the main highlight in this build, Microsoft is also bringing some Narrator and Windows Mangnifier improvements. You can learn more details in the full release notes below:
File Explorer improvements
We’ve heard your feedback asking for increased consistency, and to make it easier to find your files. Over the next few days we’ll be starting to roll out a new File Explorer search experience – now powered by Windows Search. This change will help integrate your OneDrive content online with the traditional indexed results. This rollout will start with a small percent, and then we’ll increase the rollout to more Insiders as we validate the quality of the experience.
What does that mean for you? Once you have the new experience, as you type in File Explorer’s search box, you’ll now see a dropdown populated with suggested files at your fingertips that you can pick from.
These improved results can be launched directly by clicking the entry in the new suggestions box, or if you want to open the file location, just right-click the entry and there’ll be an option to do so. If you need to use commands or dig deeper into non-indexed locations, you can still press enter and populate the view with the traditional search results.
We’ve also updated the design, so now as soon as you click the search box in File Explorer (or press CTRL+E to set focus to it), you’ll see the dropdown list with your search history.
If you encounter any issues, or have any feedback, file them under “Files, Folders, and Online Storage” > “File Explorer” in the Feedback Hub.
NOTES: You may notice in the screenshot, we’ve made the File Explorer search box wider so the suggestions dropdown has a bit more room to show results – that’s not a new option, but we figured you might want to know how to do it: just move your mouse to the starting border of the search box, and your mouse should turn into a resizing double arrow cursor. Just click down and drag the search box to be a bit wider.
Accessibility improvements
- Narrator table reading improvements: Narrator is now more efficient when reading tables. Only the deltas are read when navigating. Entering and exiting tables is also less verbose.
- Narrator web page summary: There’s a new command in Narrator to give a webpage summary! (Narrator + S). Currently this command will give information about hyperlinks, landmarks and headings.
- Magnifier text cursor setting: Windows Magnifier has a new ability to keep the text cursor in the center of the screen making it easier and smoother to type. Centered on the screen is on by default and can be changed in the Magnifier settings.
As usual, this new 20H1 build also brings several bug fixes and general improvements, and you can learn more in our separate post. Don’t forget to tune it to the Windows Insider webcast at 11:30AM PST as the Windows Insider team may well have more interesting news for us today.
Further reading: build 18894, Fast Ring, File Explorer, Windows 10, Windows Insider
