Google Rolls Out Desktop App for Windows with Spotlight-Inspired Search

Listen to This Article

Google brings Spotlight-style search to Windows with a new app that combines AI, local file search, and web results into one fast, accessible tool.

Google is shaking up how Windows users search with a brand-new desktop app that feels eerily like Mac’s Spotlight. Launched under the experimental Google Labs banner, the app is all about speed, power, and bringing everything you need, files, apps, and web content, into one clean search bar. 

Alt + Space to Rule Them All

Hit Alt + Space, and up pops a slick, pill-shaped search field. Type, and you’ll get instant results from local files, installed apps, Google Drive, and of course, the web. Results are grouped as Apps & websites, Files, Drive, etc. This way, you can easily see what you want without wading through endless lists.

Lens, AI, and Context All in One

One of the cooler integrations? Google Lens is built in. That means you can select parts of your screen, images, text, and quickly translate, copy, or search them. If you want more than just links, there's an AI Mode for multiturn, context-aware queries. Need an image, shopping info, or video? You can jump straight into those. Plus, yes, there’s a dark mode.

But It’s Not Everywhere (Yet)

Google makes it clear: this is experimental. The new app is available in English, for U.S. users only, and works on Windows 10 or newer. Users need a personal Google Account; Workspace accounts aren’t supported yet. If all this sounds useful, you can grab it via Google Labs.

This launch marks a shift. For years, Google’s desktop presence has leaned heavily on browser-based tools. This app breaks that mold, offering a native tool for Windows that brings together system, cloud, and web search in one place. For folks who juggle documents, apps, web searches, and screenshots, it could dramatically cut down the hunt.