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3h ago

Google Tests Spotlight-Style Windows Overlay With Lens and AI Mode

Hands-on coverage highlights quick performance with on‑device indexing during a limited U.S. rollout.

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Overview

  • Invoked with Alt + Space, the overlay searches the web, Google Drive, installed apps, and local files from one bar.
  • Built‑in Google Lens lets users lasso on‑screen regions to translate text, copy from images, and surface matches inside the overlay, with an optional AI conversational mode for follow‑ups.
  • Reviewers position the tool as a challenger to PowerToys Run and Command Palette rather than a full Windows shell replacement.
  • Early testing praises instant launch and Lens utility but notes slower appearance of newly downloaded local files compared with Windows Search.
  • The experiment is available through Search Labs in English for U.S. personal Google Accounts on Windows 10/11, with on‑device file indexing, selective Lens uploads, and revocable Drive or local access.