Use Windows 10 Start Menu Search Without Clicking Search Icon Or Box

The Start menu or taskbar search in Windows 10 is not just capable of searching your PC, but it can also get results from the web with the help of Bing. By now, you probably have used Windows 10’s taskbar search box, or Start menu search numerous times and are familiar with it.

I have seen many Windows 10 users complaining that the default search box on the taskbar takes a considerable amount of space on the taskbar. As many of you have discovered by now, the search box can be removed from the taskbar and use the search icon instead to free up some space on the taskbar.

Search as you type in Windows 10

And if you’re on a small screen and find that the little search icon also takes some amount of valuable space on the taskbar, you will be glad to know that Windows 10’s taskbar or Start menu search can be accessed and used without the search box or its replacement search icon.

Yes, you can perform a search by just opening the Start menu and start typing the keyword. In other words, as soon as you start typing something when the Start menu is open, Windows 10 instantly starts performing the search for the entered keyword. Alternatively, you can simultaneously press the Windows logo and S keys to reveal the search dialog.

The search as you type feature is not new to Windows operating system. The function was available in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 as well, but most users are not aware of this excellent feature. Since Windows 10’s Start menu doesn’t show a search box all the time unless you have the default search box on the taskbar, most users are under the impression that one must click the search icon or search box to use the search.

In plain English, Windows 10 automatically highlights the search box when you open the Start menu with default settings (with search box). However, while using the search icon instead of the search box, the search box doesn’t appear unless you click on the search icon on the taskbar.

Search as you type in action

Before we tell anything more, have a look at the following image to understand it better.

For instance, if you want to search for the TeamViewer program installed on the PC, all you need to do is open the Start menu by pressing the Windows logo key on the keyboard or click on the Start button to open the Start menu and begin typing TeamViewer. As soon as the first letter is typed, the search starts its job.

If you didn’t know this handy feature, try it right away and let us know how useful this tip was by leaving a comment.

By the way, did you know that the Start menu search can be used as a calculator as well?