Software & Apps Windows What Is Microsoft Search? The company's unified search could be a game changer by Fionna Agomuoh Writer Fionna Agomuoh is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire. Her writing has appeared in Newsweek, International Business Times, and others. our editorial process Twitter LinkedIn Fionna Agomuoh Updated on April 06, 2020 Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide Tweet Share Email From the Office suite and the Sharepoint mobile app to Outlook and Bing.com, Microsoft Search anticipates your needs with minimal input. The function works best with Microsoft's business services, allowing companies, schools, and organizations to take advantage of the AI-based technology to keep colleagues and partners connected. Here's what you need to know about the AI-driven feature. Nipitphon Na Chiangmai / EyeEm / Getty Images Microsoft Search Works Best on Windows Accounts Use Microsoft Search with a Microsoft product like Outlook, SharePoint, or Microsoft 365—or with a Windows 10 computer, laptop, or tablet—for the best productivity experience. You must be signed in to a Microsoft account to use the search function in Bing. Microsoft's computer programs and mobile apps include the search function. You can also access Microsoft Search from the Windows 10 taskbar, giving your entire business or personal ecosystem an intuitive and contextualized touch. Microsoft Search Syncs Across Platforms Much like Apple's continuity function, Microsoft Search provides you with the same data collecting experience across all of its platforms, including desktop, mobile, and the web. The search bar looks the same on all platforms, and search results can be saved and pulled up on other platforms. You can also set search results to populate for several users within a business or organization. Microsoft Search Requires Administration Configuration While Microsoft Search is intended to ease office productivity, it does require some administrative customization to fit the business or organization that uses it. While the basic set up of Microsoft Search is simple, there are many Power Apps like Slack, SQL Servers, and DropBox that admins can add for further customization of a company's ecosystem. Admins can also put up custom colors and logos for their company's Microsoft Search experience. Microsoft Search Works With the Trusted Cloud The Microsoft Trust Cloud works with Azure Active Directory authentication to populate results for search users. This means the search method is different from the mechanisms powering the public Bing search, thereby adding an extra layer of security to Microsoft Search. John Lamb / Getty Images Best Uses for Microsoft Search If you're set on using Microsoft Search, here are some of the best uses for it: Contacts and Meetings: Find contact information, details on upcoming meetings with colleagues, shared internal documents, group memberships, and more.Group information: Find details about groups within an organization, the people within certain groups, and the content shared between specific groups.Documents: Find internal documents, resources, and tools, as well as track documents and files created by you, colleagues, or group members.SharePoint sites: Locate the SharePoint websites you created or those created by colleagues or group members.Save conversations: Find your one-on-one conversation with colleagues, as well as chats in Microsoft Teams or Microsoft Yammer.Get Directions: Search for locations and directions for buildings, offices, campuses.