Windows 11 has quietly adjusted the height of the system search interface (Windows Search) in the latest optional update to make it consistent with the new Start menu. This change will be rolled out with the November 2025 optional update KB5070311 and is scheduled to be pushed to all users on Patch Tuesday in December 2025.
In the past, the search panel has always been shorter than the start menu. After installing the update, the height of the two was finally unified. However, the search interface may cover up to about 70% of the screen area under some resolutions and scaling settings. If users feel uncomfortable, they can only avoid it by modifying the display settings.
Previously, Microsoft introduced a new Start menu design for Windows 11. The new version is larger and taller. When switching from the search box of the Start menu to the search interface, the originally highly inconsistent sense of fragmentation is particularly obvious. After the update is installed, the search UI becomes significantly taller, and the overall look and feel is more coordinated with the new start menu. However, there are still problems with animation and position transition - the search panel appears slightly to the right on the screen and is not completely aligned with the start menu. The relevant details still need to be further polished by Microsoft.
This update also adjusted a function in the system settings: Microsoft renamed the "FAQ" column to "Device Insights", and the entrance is located in "Settings > System > About". This function is intended for ordinary users and uses preset rules instead of AI to provide a popular capability assessment of device hardware specifications, such as whether it is suitable for high-end games or professional applications. Actual tests have shown that different hardware ranges will correspond to different description sentences.
In terms of memory, Device Insights classifies devices with 4GB–8GB of RAM as machines suitable for basic tasks such as browsing the web, editing documents, and sending and receiving emails, and explicitly states that running heavy-duty applications such as photo/video editing or gaming will be more difficult with 8GB or less of memory. The report also mentioned that although the official minimum memory requirement for Windows 11 is still 4GB, and almost all new machines on the market are equipped with at least 8GB, the description given by Microsoft's settings page can be read as a signal that "16GB should become the new normal."
In terms of graphics cards, "Device Insights" will give a reminder for GPUs with less than 4GB of video memory, believing that such configurations are prone to insufficient performance and image quality when running high-end games or video-related tasks. At the same time, a "Device Card" has been added to the homepage of the Settings application, which displays the computer's key hardware information in a brief form. Users can click on the card to jump to the "About" page to view more detailed configuration instructions.