Chrome Soon Lets You “Ask Google From Anywhere” on Windows

Google wants you to “Ask Google from anywhere” on Windows, and it’s now saying so in the floating search bar that lives outside the Chrome window. The new prompt positions the feature as a way to question what’s on your screen, not just another place to type a search.

What is Search in Chrome?

Search in Chrome, originally called Omnibox Everywhere and also referred to as Loomnibox, is Google’s experiment with a floating search bar that lives on the Windows desktop. Instead of opening a Chrome window and typing in the address bar, users can summon the floating bar from other apps and enter queries directly using the default Alt + Space keyboard shortcut.

Ask Google from Anywhere

Google is now evolving Search in Chrome with a new dailog that appears under the floating search bar. It reads:

Ask Google from anywhere.

The dialog also calls out Google Lens, explaining that you can share what’s on your screen and ask questions about it. According to the prompt, you can select a specific area or your entire screen, giving Google visual context alongside your question.

At the moment, however, we’re not seeing a Lens button in the Search in Chrome bar, nor an AI Mode button. This could change in a future update as Google continues developing the feature.

That positioning is more ambitious than simply adding “a second Omnibox.” Google appears to be presenting Search in Chrome as a way to ask Google about whatever you’re looking at on your Windows desktop, rather than just another way to run a web search.

Changing the shortcut

The prompt also reminds users that Alt + Space launches Search in Chrome. It gives you the option to accept the default shortcut or change it to a key combination of your choice.

You can also configure the shortcut later by going to Settings > Search engine > Search in Chrome in Chrome.

Still in development

Search in Chrome remains a work in progress. Google could add more UI, change how the feature works, or remove parts of the experience before a wider rollout. There’s also no guarantee that everything currently visible in testing will make it into the final public version.

For now, the important takeaway is the messaging: Google is explicitly connecting Lens and screen sharing with its “Ask Google from anywhere” messaging for Search in Chrome.