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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Google’s Windows search app began as a Search Labs experiment on September 16, 2025. Google says the upgraded desktop app became globally available to Windows users in English on April 14, 2026. It provides a floating search box for web results, local files, installed apps and Google Drive, plus Lens, screen sharing and Search AI Mode.
What is Google’s new Windows search app?
The Google app for desktop is a Windows application that puts Google Search in a floating, keyboard-accessible interface. It can search the web, files stored on your PC, installed applications and files in Google Drive. Google introduced it as an experimental Labs app in its September 16, 2025 announcement, describing a way to find computer files, apps, Drive files and web results from one entry point.
Google later said the upgraded app was available globally for Windows users in English on April 14, 2026. The current product is therefore no longer described only as a Labs experiment, although the original launch title refers to that experimental phase.
How do I open Google Search on Windows with a keyboard shortcut?
- Install the Google app for desktop from Google’s official product page.
- Open the app and leave it running. It should remain available from the Windows notification tray.
- Press Alt + Space to open the floating search box.
- Type a web query, app name or file name, then select the result you need.
If Alt + Space does nothing, check the notification tray to confirm that the app is running. Google’s help documentation also says the shortcut can be changed in the app’s settings. See the Google Search Help setup guide for the current interface.
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Can it search files on my PC and Google Drive?
Local files and installed apps
Enter the name of a local file or installed application in the search box to find and open it. Google says the app builds an index on the device for local files and apps, allowing those results to appear alongside web results.
Google Drive files
Drive search requires you to sign in to a Google account in the app. Once signed in, Drive files can be included in results with local content, apps and web pages.
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Files you provide directly
Google’s documentation also supports importing or dragging and dropping files into the app for analysis or follow-up questions.
What makes the app more than a launcher?
Lens
Use the Lens control to select part of the screen. Google says Lens can translate text and copy the selected region as text or an image, in addition to returning a visual-search response.
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Screen sharing
The app can share a specific window, an application or the entire display. You can then ask questions about what is being shown.
Search AI Mode
AI Mode supports follow-up questions in the search experience. Access is not universal: Google cautions that AI Mode availability varies by account, country and language.
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Does Google’s Windows app use what is on my screen?
For Lens queries, Google’s help page states that only the screen region you select is sent to Google for processing a response. That statement applies to the selected Lens region; it should not be treated as a blanket description of every type of app traffic or screen-sharing session.
For local search, Google states that the index it builds for local files and apps stays on the device and is not sent to Google servers. This is a specific assurance about the local index, not a claim that no information is transmitted for other features.
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Is Google’s Windows desktop app available in my country?
Google’s current help page lists the app as globally available for Windows 10 and later for people aged 13 or older. The interface supports multiple languages, but AI Mode is not supported for all accounts, countries or languages. The app’s feature availability can therefore differ even where the Windows application itself can be installed.
| Requirement or feature | What Google documents |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 or later |
| Age | 13 or older |
| Availability | Globally available for Windows users; Google’s April 14, 2026 announcement specifies English availability |
| Drive search | Requires signing in to a Google account in the app |
| AI Mode | Not supported for all accounts, countries and languages |
| Keyboard shortcut | Alt + Space by default; customizable in settings |
Launch timeline
- September 16, 2025: Google announced a new experimental Google app for Windows in Labs, with web, local-file, installed-app and Drive search, plus Lens and AI Mode. Read the launch announcement.
- April 14, 2026: Google announced that the upgraded Google app for desktop was available globally for Windows users in English, highlighting desktop search, screen sharing, Lens and AI Mode. Read the availability announcement.
What the app is—and is not
The app is a unified search entry point rather than an independently benchmarked replacement for Windows Search or other launchers. Google has not published app-specific adoption, performance or impact statistics in the cited announcements and help pages. Its practical distinction is the combination of web, local, Drive and app results with Google Lens, screen sharing and AI Mode, subject to the availability and data-handling limits described above.
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