Windows 11 Insider Canary Channel build 27695 refers to a novel “intelligent media search” feature that could be coming to Windows soon. The feature will let you search for words in local audio and video files using a local AI model. In some ways, this feature is similar to Recall, a controversial feature that is set to return to Windows Insider builds in October.
Smart Media Search is described as a tool that transcribes all audio and video files on your Windows PC and makes those spoken words searchable in Windows. Think of a recorded meeting you need to get information from, or an audiobook you need to find your lost place in. The tool isn’t currently available in any builds, but references to it have been added, likely in preparation for its arrival.
Build 27695, released to Insiders on August 30, includes developer notes related to the Smart Media Search feature. @XenoPanther on X (formerly Twitter) first found references to the novel tool. The full description of the feature is as follows.
“Search by spoken words in indexed video or audio files. By clicking “I agree”, you consent to the scanning of media files on your device. If necessary, the required model will be downloaded and installed in the background.
Once the AI model is set up, it needs to transcribe and index media files before enabling content-based search. We’ll let you know when it’s done.
Microsoft hasn’t publicly commented on the novel feature yet. Its alleged functionality seems to be closely related to Recall, a currently postponed feature that would record images of user activity every few seconds and make everything evident on the computer easily searchable. Recall was postponed due to widespread privacy concerns, but it will return to Insider builds in October, and no news about privacy updates is expected until its release.
Recall requires a Windows Copilot+-compatible PC with an NPU of at least 45 TOPS and storage between 25 GB and 150 GB. It is not yet known whether the bright media search — also based on AI models — will have the same requirements for potential users.
