Google has released a new Windows desktop app via Search Labs that adds a floating search bar you can summon with Alt+Space. The bar can search local files and apps, Google Drive, and the web, with results grouped by source. The app also includes Google Lens for on-screen selection and visual queries, plus an optional AI Mode for longer, conversational answers. It supports dark mode and category filters like All, AI, Images, Shopping, and Videos.
Availability is limited to English, U.S. users on Windows 10 or newer, and access requires opting into the experiment in Search Labs. Google positions it as a way to “find what you need, faster,” effectively bringing a Spotlight-like launcher to PCs.
Context: Microsoft has been testing a quick-view Copilot experience on Windows that also uses Alt+Space, so users may need to reconcile shortcuts if both are installed.
My take on it
I just installed Google’s new Windows app from Search Labs, and it legit feels like Spotlight on a Mac—but with Google’s brain behind it. Tap Alt+Space and a slim search bar floats over whatever I’m doing. I can type a file name to launch apps or open docs on my PC, pull in stuff from my Google Drive, or just fire a normal web search without switching windows. It’s fast, lightweight, and exactly the kind of “don’t break my flow” utility Windows has needed.
There’s a Lens button right in the bar, so I can drag a box over anything on screen—text in a screenshot, a diagram in a PDF, a product in a YouTube frame—and it returns instant results. Translate, copy text, grab the cropped image… all built in, no tab juggling. When I want deeper help (summaries, multi-step explanations), flipping to AI Mode gives me long-form answers with follow-ups I can refine, all inside the same pop-up.
Results feel organized: I see local apps/files, Drive hits, and web answers grouped cleanly, and I can jump between All results or the AI tab—dark mode included for night sessions. It’s a tiny thing, but launching apps straight from the bar makes it double as a minimalist launcher, so I’m using it instead of Start most of the time.
Caveats: it’s an experiment with limited slots, and for now it’s English-only and US-only. You also need a personal Google account (no Workspace accounts yet), and you’ll be on Windows 10 or newer. To try it, opt into the “Google app for Windows” experiment in Search Labs, download the app, and use Alt+Space to summon it anywhere. If you don’t see it, you may have to join a waitlist.
Bottom line: if you live in Chrome/Google services but work on Windows, this little bar stitches your PC, Drive, and the web into one muscle-memory shortcut. I’m keeping it mapped to Alt+Space and letting it replace half my Start menu usage.
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