Google has planted its flag in Windows territory. The Google app for desktop is now available in English for Windows users worldwide and has completed its experimental phase in Search Labs.
The browser tab we reflexively open every five minutes to use Google now appears on the desktop with a faster, more efficient replacement.
What does the app actually do?
The heart of it, mind you, is a key combination: Alt + Spacebar. It brings up a floating search bar above whatever is on the screen, similar to how Cmd + Space brings up Spotlight Search on Macs.
Once you enter the search bar, you can search local computer files, installed apps, Google Drive documents, and the Internet in general all from one place.
If I were a Windows user (which I was until about three years ago), I would have installed the Google app just for the Spotlight-like search experience, but Spotlight on my Mac has been working fine for the same time.
What else can it do?
Actually quite a lot. Google Lens, the company’s native image-based search tool, is built directly into the new Google app for Windows. It allows users to click and search for anything visible on their screen.
From translating text on the screen to solving a math problem, you can do things like this without copying anything. The app also supports screen sharing within a search session, allowing users to keep a document or webpage open while asking follow-up questions.
Of course, the new Google apps have an integrated AI mode. So the answers go beyond blue links. The answers are conversational, contextual and linked to accurate information and relevant quotes on the internet.
Google’s global rollout of the Windows app signals something bigger than just convenience; This is a direct challenge to Microsoft’s dominance over your desktop search experience. Copilot is already integrated into Windows, so Google’s presence is also noticeable. In the future we may see a dedicated Gemini app for Windows.
