Google brings search to Windows desktops

Google is attacking the unpopular Windows search with a new search app for Windows PCs: the new search bar can conjure up a Google search window in any Windows window (Windows 10 or Windows 11) using a key combination (Alt + Space by default), Google announces in a blog post. However, as the app is currently still considered experimental, it cannot yet be tried out in Germany.

A major advantage of the new Google search compared to the standard Windows search is its ubiquity: you can call it up in any window, promises Google—from an open document to a video game. The Google application can search for local files, installed apps, and web results, but it can also browse the current screen thanks to Lens integration.

This is useful if you want to run text recognition over the current screen, for example. With Google Search and integrated Lens, you can copy or translate text from graphics, for example. If you want to do this under Windows, you have to take the detour via the Snipping Tool, which also has text recognition. The Google search for Windows can be filtered by videos, images, or shopping sites, just like the web search. You can also activate a dark mode if you wish.

German launch uncertain

Google Search could therefore be useful for the text recognition function alone. The actual search function ultimately stands and falls with its ability to quickly find the desired files, documents, or apps. German users have not yet been able to try out how well this works in the upcoming Google app. This is because the app can only be obtained via Google Labs, which is not offered in Germany.

Initial reports from the US on Google Search on Windows are positive: Ars Technica, for example, writes that Google Search is better than Windows Search—it is faster and better at automatically completing search queries. It is not known when Google Search for Windows will also be available in Germany.

(dahe)