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What Google’s desktop app can do
Google introduced its Windows app as a Search Labs experiment on September 16, 2025. On April 14, 2026, it announced an upgraded version available globally to Windows users in English. Google’s current Help page describes the app for Windows 10 and later and lists supported languages. These announcements and instructions do not establish a macOS or Linux release. Google’s April 2026 announcement and its current desktop-app Help page describe its availability and features.
The app is a quick-access search tool for Windows. Google documents searching the web, installed apps, local files, and Google Drive, as well as using AI Mode, Lens, and screen sharing. Searching Drive requires signing in to a Google Account.
How to search in the Windows app
- Open the app: Press Alt + Space. Google also documents opening it from the desktop or notification tray; you can customize the shortcut in the app’s settings.
- Enter a query: Type a question or search term in the search box. Google documents typed follow-up questions beneath AI Mode responses.
- Choose a relevant tool: Use Lens to select part of the screen for a search, translation, or text or image copying. You can also share a window or your full screen and type a question about what is displayed.
Google describes AI Mode as providing AI-powered responses, follow-up questions, and helpful web links. Availability of the desktop app does not guarantee access to AI Mode: Google says the feature is not supported for all accounts, countries, and languages. Check Google’s Help page for current requirements and eligibility. Google notes that Search service settings are being updated, so interface details may not match every user’s experience.
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Why mobile voice search is not proof of desktop support
Google’s Voice Search instructions describe opening the Google app on an Android phone or tablet and tapping the microphone. The page says the “Hey Google” trigger works only for Google Assistant; it does not document hands-free voice input in the Windows desktop app.
Google also announced Search Live with voice input for its Android and iOS apps on June 18, 2025. That announcement described availability in the United States for people enrolled in the AI Mode experiment in Labs at that time. It is a separate mobile experience, not evidence of desktop voice support. Google’s Search Live announcement covers that rollout.
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This is a documentation-based conclusion: the official desktop materials cited here do not establish hands-free voice search. They cannot rule out limited, undocumented, or account-specific functionality.
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Google’s current Help page says users must be at least 13 and use a Windows 10-or-later desktop device. It lists multiple supported languages, including English (US and UK), French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese variants. Google recommends enabling history and personalized recommendations for the best experience.
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Google says the app creates an on-device index of local files and apps and does not send that index to its servers. For Lens queries, Google says only the selected portion of the screen is sent for processing. These statements apply to those specific functions; they should not be read as a general description of how all app data or AI Mode interactions are handled. See Google’s desktop-app Help page for the details.
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