How to get Spotlight search on Windows 11
Windows 11 has built-in search for apps, files, settings and web results, and Glassline adds its own centered Spotlight-style Search panel. Open Windows Search with Windows and S, or press the Windows key while Glassline runs to open Glassline Search.
Open Windows Search
- Press Windows and S. Windows Search opens. You can also select Search on the taskbar, or open Start and type.
- Type what you want to find. Search finds apps, files, settings and Bing web results. Choose a matching result to open it.
- Choose how Search appears on the taskbar. Open Settings, then Personalization, Taskbar, Taskbar items and Search. Choose Search box or Search icon only to show an entry there.
These steps open Windows' built-in search interface. Glassline adds a Search panel in the middle of the screen, with the calculations and controls below.
Open Glassline Search
- Install Glassline from the Microsoft Store. Open it to bring up the menu bar at the top and the dock at the bottom.
- Press the Windows key. Search opens in the middle of the screen, ready for you to type.
- Type the name of an app. Select its result and press Enter to open it. Search also finds files and settings.
Here, Spotlight means the Mac-style look people ask for. The design is Glassline's own, made for Windows 11, and Glassline has no connection to Apple.
Work things out
You can use the same search field for a quick calculation between opening apps or finding a document. Try these one at a time:
- Type
12 * 3.6. Search shows the answer to the sum. - Replace it with
10 km to miles. The result becomes a unit conversion. You can also convert weight, temperature, volume, speed and time. - Turn on Convert currencies. Right-click the menu bar, choose Glassline Settings, then open Search. With Convert currencies on, type
100 usd to eurin Search to see a currency conversion.
Exchange rates are kept on your PC so Search can use them offline. They are for information only.
Set up your search field
- Choose Search the web with. In Glassline Settings, under Search, pick your search engine. The last result sends what you typed to a web search in your browser.
- Turn on Learn from what I open. Results you open often move up. What Search learns stays on this PC.
- Choose Show the preview. Turn it on for details and buttons beside the results, or off for a narrower list.
For file-search setup, follow the file search guide. To change the key that opens Search, see the Windows key guide.
