Google is making a bold new play for the heart of your PC. The company announced on Tuesday the launch of a new experimental Google desktop app for Windows that introduces a powerful, universal search bar, strikingly similar to Apple’s acclaimed Spotlight feature on macOS.
This new tool, accessible with a simple Alt + Space shortcut, is designed to be a one-stop shop for finding anything you need, whether it’s a file on your computer, an installed app, a document in your Google Drive, or anything on the open web.
This is a direct challenge to Microsoft’s own built-in Windows search and a significant step in integrating Google’s services more deeply into the desktop experience. For users who have long craved a faster and more intelligent way to search on their PC, this could be the solution they’ve been waiting for.
The new app is currently available through Google Search Labs, the company’s experimental program where users can test early-stage features. This initial release is limited to English-language users in the U.S. with a PC running Windows 10 or higher.
The core functionality is speed and convenience. Instead of opening a browser or navigating the Start menu, the Alt + Space shortcut instantly brings up a clean search bar that scours all your connected information sources at once.
This seamless integration of local and cloud search is a hallmark of modern PC & Software design, aiming to reduce the friction between thinking of a query and getting an answer. The app is a clear sign of Google’s ambition to become the central search and discovery layer on every major platform, not just in the browser.
Beyond simple file and web search, the new Google desktop app for Windows is supercharged with the company’s advanced AI technologies. It has Google Lens built-in, allowing users to select and search anything on their screen.
This means you can instantly translate text within an image, get help with a math problem from a screenshot, or identify a product in a photo. Furthermore, the app provides access to Google’s AI Mode, the powerful interface that lets users ask complex, multi-part questions and receive detailed, generative AI-powered responses. This deep integration of what is artificial intelligence makes the tool far more capable than a traditional search bar.
As detailed on the official Google Blog, users can easily switch between different search modes, including all results, AI mode, images, and shopping, and can toggle a dark mode for better viewing comfort. This new Google desktop app for Windows is a compelling glimpse into a future where the line between your local computer and the vast resources of the web becomes increasingly blurred.