Google Unveils Experimental Windows Desktop App with Spotlight-Style Search Tool


Google has announced a new desktop application for Windows that aims to streamline how users search files, apps, cloud documents, and the web – all from a Spotlight-style interface. The experimental app, currently in Google Search Labs testing, introduces powerful features like a unified search bar, built-in visual search via Google Lens, and AI-assisted results. 


The new “Google app for Windows” integrates several data sources. By pressing Alt + Space, users can bring up a pill-shaped search field that searches local files, installed applications, Google Drive content, and the wider web simultaneously. Results are grouped under headings like “Files”, “Apps & websites”, “Drive”, and “Web”, which helps users locate what they need without switching between multiple tools. 


One of the standout additions is Google Lens. The app allows users to highlight or capture text and images directly from their screen for instant translation, copying, or searching – a move that reflects Google’s push into visual computing. There’s also an AI Mode that delivers conversational or summarized content where appropriate. 


At present, the app is an experimental feature limited to English-language users in the United States, and it supports only personal Google accounts (Workspace accounts are excluded for now). It is compatible with Windows 10 and later versions. 


With this app, Google seems positioning itself to offer a compelling alternative to built-in Windows search tools by combining its strengths in web search, cloud storage, AI, and visual recognition. As the app evolves, its adoption could mark a shift in how desktop search is done on Windows machine.