Search Bar adds a standalone search field to the Windows 11 desktop when enabled. It allows you to run searches from it. The main benefit is that you do not need to open a browser first to run searches.
Microsoft announced this week that the Search Bar is now available on Windows 11. You need Microsoft Edge for it and enable it before it becomes available on the desktop,
From here, it works exactly as you would imagine a desktop search tool to work. Type something, hit enter or click on the go button, and wait for the results to appear in the Edge browser.
Yes, since this is an Edge feature, it requires the browser.
Surprise: search is not locked down to Bing. If you have set a different default search provider in Edge, it is used.
Setting up Microsoft Edge’s Search Bar
Here are the steps to launch the Search Bar on Windows 11 systems:
- Start Microsoft Edge.
- Select Menu > More Tools > Launch search bar.
If you do not see the option under More Tools, check for updates under Menu > Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge.
Tip: you may hide the permanent sidebar button in Microsoft Edge, if you do not need it.
Using the new search option on Windows 11’s desktop
The search widget appears on the desktop once you enable it in Edge. You can move it around freely on the desktop.
Type a phrase and you get suggestions from Microsoft Edge’s default search engine. Select any of them or submit the search phrase to launch the results page in Edge.
A click on the menu icon displays a few options. You may switch to guest mode here, which does not associate searches with a Microsoft account.
The desktop widget starts with Windows 11 by default. You may stop this from the menu as well.
Select the close option of the menu to exit.
It may surprise you that Microsoft has not locked down the search provider. Any provider set in Edge powers the searches.
Closing Words
Whether Search Bar is something that is useful to you is up to you. Windows 11 already has a search feature enabled that may run web searches. These are limited to Bing and Edge.
Good news is that it is not locked down and that it is not enabled by default. It is still limited to returning search results in Microsoft Edge. Whether MSEdgeRedirect takes care of that remains to be seen.
It is doubtful that this feature will convince non-Edge users to switch browsers. Those who use Edge and do not have Edge open all the time anyway may find it useful.