Windows 8.1 brings along with it many new features based on consumer feedback and one of the new features is a completely redesigned search experience. According to Microsoft, improving search experience in Windows 8.1 was an important goal.
“Improving the search experience was an important goal for Windows 8.1, both across the OS and inside of every app. The key to delivering a great search experience for your users is to make it as fast as possible. Once users have decided what to look at, it’s the job of search to get them that content quickly, without any roadblocks,” Microsoft stated in an official blog post.
Microsoft redesigned the Search Charm to search everywhere, including your PC, cloud, and the internet. In the future, Microsoft plans on adding support for searching within Metro/Modern apps as well.
Microsoft has also created a brand new search box control for app developers to harness the new search abilities in Windows 8.1. “In Windows 8.1, the Search box control replaces the Search charm as the primary way for interacting with search within a particular app,” Microsoft explains.
Of course, as an app developer, you will have to deal with some new API changes to allow your app to utilize the search box control rather than the Share charm. According to Microsoft, it is simple to migrate your code.
Check out the video below showcasing the new search experience in Windows 8.1:
Further reading: Microsoft, Windows 8.1
