This tutorial explains how to add the new search button in Windows 11 taskbar. You can choose from three different search buttons or variants to change the search appearance on the taskbar. These include a Search the web button (a bigger search box), a globe inside a magnifier button, and a search button with Search as a text label. These search variants were earlier spotted in the Dev and Beta builds of Windows 11, now you can enable these hidden options in the stable version also.
While there is no direct or built-in way to enable the new taskbar search button in Windows 11, we can do this with the help of a free command-line tool named ViveTool. This popular tool helps to enable/disable the hidden or experimental features (like full-screen widgets) of Windows 11 and the taskbar search button is one such feature.
How to add new Search button in Windows 11 Taskbar
If you want to add a new search button in the taskbar of Windows 11, you can use the steps covered below. Before you do that, do note that this feature can be enabled and used with build 22621.754 or newer of Windows 11. So, the first thing you should do is check for Windows updates and update your system. Now follow these steps:
- Download the ZIP file of ViveTool from github.com
- Extract the ZIP file in a folder and access that folder
- You will see a ViVeTool.exe file. You need to copy its path. For this, right-click on the ViveTool.exe file and use the option Copy as path
- Now open the Windows Terminal as administrator. After that, open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell in that window
- Paste the path of ViveTool that you copied in step 3
- Continue the command for the new search button by adding the enable argument and an id argument required for the search button. For example, if you want a search variant with Search the web label, the command would be:
ViVeTool.exe /enable /id:39263329 /variant:5
When the command is executed successfully, you will see a Successfully set feature configuration(s) message. Now you can close the Windows Terminal.
Sign out and sign in to your Windows 11 system and the new search button will be visible on the taskbar. If you don’t see any change, then you must restart your PC.
Related: How to add Task Manager option in Taskbar context menu in Windows 11
You can also change the search button with the other two variants. The command is almost the same. The only difference is the variant. The commands to add a search button with a magnifier and a globe inside and a search button with a Search label are as follows:
ViVeTool.exe /enable /id:39263329 /variant:3
ViVeTool.exe /enable /id:39263329 /variant:1
Don’t forget to restart your system for the changes.
Remove the new Taskbar Search button in Windows 11
In case you don’t like the new search button and want to switch back to the default search icon on the taskbar in your Windows 11 system, then you can execute the following command to disable or remove the new taskbar search button:
ViVeTool.exe /disable /id:39263329
You don’t need to worry about the variant number (used to enable the new search box) in the disable command. After successfully executing the command, restart your PC.
Hope you find it helpful.
Also read: Make Taskbar show List instead of Thumbnail in Windows 11/10
Is there a search bar in Windows 11?
Yes, there is a hidden Desktop Search Bar feature in Windows 11. You can type a query in that floating search bar and it will display results in the Edge browser. But this feature is present in the Dev build 25120 or newer of Windows 11. If you are using a Dev build, you can enable the desktop search bar in Windows 11 with a simple command and ViveTool. On other hand, if you are looking for a way to change the taskbar search button in Windows 11, then read this post that includes step-by-step instructions.
How do I enable the new Taskbar search button in Windows 11?
If you want to pin icons to the Taskbar or want to enable the new Taskbar search button in Windows 11, then it can be done in two different ways. One way is to right-click on a desktop shortcut, EXE file, or another supported item, access the Show more options section, and use the Pin to taskbar option. The second way is to access the All apps section in the Start menu, right-click on an app, use the More menu, and select the Pin to taskbar option. Only the supported items like Microsoft Store apps, desktop shortcuts, etc., can be added to the taskbar.
Read next: How to ALWAYS show all the icons in the Notification area of Windows.
