Microsoft tweaks Bing Smart Search in Win 8.1 to help it understand natural language better

By Konrad Krawczyk May 1, 2014

Windows 8.1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In an effort to make Windows 8.1 easier for people to use, Microsoft is rolling out some changes to Bing Smart Search, which it first released along with Windows 8.1 October. Microsoft made the announcement via this official blog post.

For example, if you type “how-to” centric statements into the Search function in the Modern UI, like “how to install a printer,” or “how to delete a program,” Bing Smart Search will be able to interpret this text and point you in the direction you want to go in. If you ask it what you need to do to delete a program, one of the search results should be the utility in Windows that allows you to un-install programs and apps.

If Microsoft’s claims are accurate, the refreshed version of Bing Smart Search will handle complaints as well. For instance, if you tell Bing Smart Search something like “my screen is too bright,” which is one of the examples that Microsoft uses to paint a clearer picture of this update, one of the search results that pop up should be the tool in Windows that permits you to adjust your display’s brightness. With these changes, Microsoft also hopes to fill your search queries with any apps that might be related to what you’re looking for.

If these changes to Bing Smart Search work as intended, they could go a long way towards making Windows 8.1 much more user friendly, especially considering how polarizing the operating system’s tiled UI is.

We’re looking forward to giving the updated version of Bing Smart Search a try ourselves once the roll-out is complete.

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Konrad Krawczyk

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…

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