How to Enable New Taskbar Search in Windows 11 Build 25252

You may want to manually enable the new taskbar search in Windows 11 Build 25252, as it is available to a limited set of Insiders. There's a high chance that it is hidden for you out of the box, but you can change that with help of the ViveTool app.

For quite a long, Microsoft is working on a new style for search in the taskbar in Windows 11. The initial OS version comes with an interactive button that displays recent search on mouse hover, and opens a dedicated search pane on click.

But the Redmond firm is interested in reviving the style and functionality of Windows 10. So recent Windows 11 builds released to insiders contain several implementations of now-classic search box in the taskbar. But it wasn't until Windows 11 Build 25252 that Microsoft finally shaped search the right way.

The new search experience in Windows 11 Build 25252

Now, you can choose between the default search icon and the good old classic search box via a new option in Settings.

Even more, there can be an additional "search button" option. If you select, the Start menu's own search box will be hidden.

Finally, when you click the search box in the Windows 11 taskbar, it allows you to directly type a search term. While it still opens the search pane, it doesn't redirect your input to its own input area. Instead it shows what matches your terms as you type.

Also, the new UI includes search highlights, a small interactive reminders on  some global and local events around you, holidays, anniversaries, etc.

As mentioned above, all the above features are hidden in Windows 11 Build 25252. Here's how to enable them all.

Enable the New Taskbar Search Windows 11 Build 25252

1. Download ViveTool from its official GitHub page and extract its ZIP archive to the c:\vivetool folder.
2. Press Win + X and select Terminal(Admin) from the menu.
3. In the Terminal running as Administrator, run these commands.
   • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:38937525 - enables the new Search experience.
   • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:40887771 - adds search highlights to the search box.
   • c:\vivetool\vivetool /enable /id:41415839 - allows hiding the Start menu search line.
4. Restart Windows 11.
5. Open Settings (Win + I) and go to Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Items. Select "Search box" or "Search button" to test the new UI.

Now, click in the search box on the taskbar and try to find something.

Note that the commands #2 and #3 are optional. They only add extra features the to the search box. Only the first command is mandatory, and activates the core functionality.

Thanks to @PhantomOfEarth

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