PowerLauncher will be part of the PowerToys update
Microsoft will soon launch a convenient tool that can be seen as an accelerated alternative to the Start menu to search and launch applications.
Windows 10 Accelerated Start Menu Alternative Like Spotlight
The PowerLauncher launcher will be added to the PowerToys system utilities, package that debuted last year. According to Microsoft, it aims to replace the fast Windows Run command with the Win + R keyboard shortcut. Unlike Windows Run, the new launcher should have a modern design and allow you to quickly search for applications and files in Windows. Work is also underway on plugins for connecting search engines, dictionaries, and a calculator.
Microsoft promises that with PowerLauncher, users will be able to search faster than using the Start menu. PowerLauncher is positioned as a “fast launcher” with open-source, additional useful features, the ability to configure and connect plugins.
Searching through the Start menu does not support plugins, custom search engines, and the like. With it, users are tied to the Bing branded search engine and are forced to open the results in the Edge browser. PowerLauncher already resembles Spotlight on macOS, and overtime promises to surpass it in functionality.
