Google’s experiment quietly drops a compact, Spotlight‑style search bar onto the Windows desktop — summonable with Alt + Space — that unifies local files, installed apps, Google Drive and the web, and layers in Google Lens and an optional AI Mode for conversational, multimodal answers...
ai mode
alt-space
desktop search
enterprise readiness
google app for windows
google drive integration
google lens
local and web search
multimodal search
privacy
productivity
search labs
shortcuts
spotlight like searchunifiedsearch
visual search
windows 10
windows 11
windows spotlight
Google’s experiment brings its search engine and visual AI directly to the Windows desktop with a compact, Spotlight‑style overlay that promises to search your PC, Google Drive, installed applications and the web from a single keystroke. Background / Overview
Google has quietly expanded the...
admin controls
ai mode
alt space shortcut
desktop search
drive integration
enterprise
google app for windows
google gemini
google lens
keyboard
lens integration
local files
privacy
productivity
search labs
spotlight like search
spotlight style overlay
unifiedsearch
Google has quietly moved search closer to the Windows desktop with a new experimental app that surfaces web results, Google Drive documents, installed applications, and files on your PC from a single floating search bar — all summonable with a simple Alt + Space shortcut. Background
The new...
ai mode
alt-space
cloud integration
desktop search
drive integration
google
google app for windows
google lens
local search
privacy
productivity
spotlight
spotlight like searchunifiedsearch
visual search
Google has quietly moved search from the browser to the desktop with an experimental new app for Windows that brings a Spotlight‑style search bar, Google Lens integration, and an “AI Mode” for conversational answers — and it’s already available to a small group of U.S. users via Google’s Search...
ai mode
alt-space
desktop search
drive integration
enterprise
google
google lens
local search
privacy
productivity
searchsearch labs
spotlight
unifiedsearch
windows
Google has quietly dropped an experimental desktop app for Windows that behaves like a modern, Spotlight‑style launcher — summonable with Alt + Space — and bundles unified local + cloud + web search with Google Lens and the company’s AI Mode, promising to fix many of the long-standing pain...
admin controls
ai mode
alt space shortcut
desktop search
drive integration
enterprise privacy
google app for windows
google lens
local indexing vs cloud processing
multimodal ai
powertoys
privacy
privacy telemetry
search labs
search labs experiment
unifiedsearchunifiedsearch overlay
windows spotlight
Google has quietly pushed a compact, Spotlight‑style search overlay to Windows as an experiment — a one‑keystroke gateway that stitches together web results, Google Drive, installed apps and local files while folding in Google Lens and an AI Mode for conversational answers. Background
Google’s...
ai mode
alt-space
data governance
drive integration
enterprise
enterprise controls
enterprise privacy
file search
google
google labs
google lens
labs
on-device indexing
privacy
productivity
spotlight like searchunifiedsearch
windows overlay
Google is quietly rolling a new Windows-native search experience into its Labs program that brings the company’s web search, Google Lens, and its AI-powered AI Mode onto the desktop — reachable instantly with an Alt + Space hotkey and designed to search your local files, installed apps, Google...
ai mode
alt-space
desktop search
drive
enterprise
google
google drive
google lens
labs
lens
local files
local search
multimodal ai
multimodal search
privacy
productivity
searchsearch labs
security
shortcuts
spotlight
unifiedsearch
windows
Google’s experimental Windows app drops a summonable, Spotlight‑style search bar onto the desktop that promises to surface local files, installed apps, Google Drive content, and web results — and it folds Google Lens and the company’s AI Mode into a single, keyboard‑first interface invoked by...
ai mode
alt-space
desktop search
enterprise privacy
google
google drive
google drive integration
google lens
local and server processing
powertoys
search labs
spotlight
unifiedsearch
windows
windows apps
Google’s new Windows app drops a Spotlight‑style search bar onto the desktop — press Alt + Space and a floating search capsule can find files on your PC, Drive documents, and web results, and it even includes Google Lens and the company’s AI Mode for multimodal, follow‑up capable answers. What...
ai mode
alt key
alt-space
desktop search
drive integration
google
google app for windows
google drive
google gemini
lens
lens integration
local search
privacy
searchsearch labs
spotlight like search
telemetry
unifiedsearch
Google’s new experimental Windows desktop app lands as a compact, Spotlight‑style overlay you summon with Alt + Space, promising unified search across local files, installed apps, Google Drive and the web — and it brings Google Lens and the company’s AI Mode into the same lightweight workflow...
ai mode
alt-space
cloud processing
enterprise
enterprise readiness
google
google drive
google lens
lens-desktop
local indexing
multimodal search
privacy
screen capture
search labs
security
spotlight like searchunifiedsearch
windows 10
windows apps
Google’s experimental Windows app aims to remove the friction of switching windows to look something up — a floating, Spotlight‑like search bar you summon with Alt + Space that can search local files, installed apps, Google Drive, and the web, and that folds in Google Lens and the company’s AI...
accessibility
admin controls
ai assistant
ai mode
ai-powered launcher
alt key
alt space launcher
alt-space
app
app-experiment
beta
closed source
cloud ai
cloud search
command palette
cross surface search
cross-platform
dark mode
dataflow
desktop
desktop apps
desktop search
drive
drive integration
end users
enterprise
enterprise it
enterprise privacy
enterprise readiness
everything vs google
experiment
file search
generative ai
google
google app for windows
google apps
google drive
google drive integration
google gemini
google lens
governance
installed apps
integration
it admin
keyboard
keyboard launcher
lab-testing
labs
launcher
launcher overlay
lens
lens integration
lens ocr
lens-capture
local and cloud search
local and web search
local files
local indexing
local search
local-and-web
microsoft copilot
multimodal ai
multimodal search
ocr
open source
opt-in
os integration
os search ux
overlay
overlay launcher
performance
permissions
power users
powertoys
privacy
productivity
productivity tools
screen capture lens
searchsearch ecosystem
search labs
security
shell
shortcuts
spotlight
spotlight like search
spotlight-like launcher
start menu
telemetry
translation
unified results
unifiedsearch
user interface
ux design
visual search
web results
web search integration
windows
windows 10
windows 10+
windows 11
windows apps
windows search
windows ux
windows-labs
workflow
workspace
Once upon a time in the heady mid-2000s, when "syncing" most often involved losing your MP3 player’s USB cable, Dropbox emerged like a shining beacon for digital hoarders everywhere. It practically invented the art of making file sharing look easy, walked hand-in-hand with Box as the cool kids...
Start8 1.20 Changelog
-Updated for Windows 8.1 Preview build compatibility
-Start8 allows customizing the Start button image AND provides a desktop Start menu
-Added new prompt on first run to select a default button image. Upgrade installs will not see this prompt.
-When running on Windows 8.1...
boot to desktop
changelog
compatibility
customization
desktop
download
functionality
jump lists
metro ui
search
settings
software update
stardock
start menu
start8
unifiedsearch
user interface
windows 8
windows 8.1