Windows 11 is getting a new search button in the Taskbar, and you can enable it on the latest preview available in the Dev Channel of the Windows Insider Program.
It’s a new search button that resembles the option available on Windows 10 with five different states, including a button with a “Search” label, a magnifier button without a label, a magnifier and globe button without a label, and a button with a “Search the web” label.
The feature is still under development, so if you want to get hands-on with the new search button, you can use a third-party tool known as “ViVeTool” created by Rafael Rivera and Lucas on GitHub to enable the new experience on your computer.
This guide will teach you the steps to turn on the search button hidden in the latest insider preview of Windows 11 from the Dev channel.
Enable Taskbar Search button on Windows 11
To enable the new search button on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to enable the new Open With dialog.
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Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.
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Click the Extract all button.
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Click the Extract button.
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Copy the path to the folder.
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Open Start.
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Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
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Type the following command to navigate to the Vivetool folder and press Enter:
Cd C:\FOLDER\PATH\ViveTool-v0.3.1
In the command, change the path to the folder with your path.
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Type the following command to enable the new Taskbar Search button with the “Search” label and press Enter:
vivetool /enable /id:39072097 /variant:1
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Type the following command to enable the new Taskbar Search box with the “Search” label and press Enter:
vivetool /enable /id:39072097 /variant:2
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Type the following command to enable the new Taskbar Search (magnifier only) icon without label and press Enter:
vivetool /enable /id:39072097 /variant:3
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Type the following command to enable the new Taskbar web search icon (globe and magnifier) without label and press Enter:
vivetool /enable /id:39072097 /variant:4
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Type the following command to enable the new Taskbar Search icon with the “Search the web” label and press Enter:
vivetool /enable /id:39072097 /variant:5
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Restart the computer.
Once you complete the steps, the Taskbar should now show the new search button on the left side next to the Widgets icon.
If you don’t have Windows 11 build 25163, you need to enroll in the Dev Channel using the “Windows Insider Program” settings from the “Windows Update” section. Once you enroll the device in the program, you can download build 25163 from the “Windows Update” settings by clicking the Check for Updates button, and then you can follow the steps outlined above.
If you change your mind, you can revert the changes with the same instructions, but on step No. 10, make sure to use these commands: vivetool /disable /id:39072097 /variant:1 then restart the device.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].