Windows 11 Insiders Gets Search Bar on Desktop, But Only with Edge

Microsoft is experimenting with adding a search bar to the desktop in Windows 11. Such a feature is now available to a small group of Insider users on the Dev channel. The bar allows users to search the web or enter a URL without opening their browser first, but it only works with native Bing and Edge.

With its shape and strongly rounded edges, the white search box resembles the Google bar that can be found on the home screen of many Android smartphones. Within Microsoft’s operating system, it is simply referred to as the ‘Desktop Search Box’.

After users type in the search bar, Microsoft Edge opens to navigate to the entered url or perform the search. This doesn’t take into account your default browser or search engine settings: it always goes through Edge and searches are done with Bing.

The search bar can be disabled by right-clicking on the desktop.

Image: BleepingComputer.

Currently, the search bar is only available to a subset of Insider Dev users with build number 25120 or higher. However, if you are not in the group selected by Microsoft, it is possible to call the function with a special tool.

Source: BleepingComputer

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