The Start menu or taskbar search is relatively good in Windows 10. While there is no dedicated search box on the Start menu itself, there is a search box by default on the taskbar. One can also access the Start menu search without clicking the search box or search icon. One needs to open the Start menu and start typing to see search results.

PC users who have been on Windows 10 for years probably have used the Start menu search umpteen number of times. But many users are not aware of the search filters available in the Start menu search.

With default settings, when you search for something using Start menu search, you get results matching your search. That is, the Start menu search displays all items matching the search query. You might find apps, settings, web results, and files in your search results.

Start menu search filters

While there is nothing wrong with this default behavior of search, you can search specifically for apps, settings, files, videos, documents, folders, music, people, photos, settings, email, or web results with the help of search filters. Using search filters, you can avoid seeing items from categories that you are not looking for. For instance, using the Apps filter, you can see only apps in search results.

As of now, the Start menu search offers a total of ten filters: apps, documents, email, web, folders, music, people, photos, settings, and videos. The search filters come in handy when you want to see only apps, files, settings, or results from the web in search results.

Using Start menu search filters

To use Start menu search filters, please follow the directions in one of the two methods given below.

Method 1 of 3

Step 1: Open up the Start menu or click on the search box or search icon on the taskbar.

Step 2: Start typing your search query to see the search result.

Step 3: When you see items matching your search, click on one of the filters or click More and then select a filter to filter your search result

For instance, if you click on the email filter, apps, files, and web results will be removed from the search result, meaning only emails will be shown in the search result.

Method 2 of 3

Step 1: In the Start menu or taskbar search box, type in one of the following filters before typing the search query.

Apps:

Settings:

Files:

Web:

Email: 

Documents:

Music:

Videos:

Photos:

People:

For instance, if you want to search for a document named Windows and don’t want to see other types of entries (like apps, settings, and web results) in the search result, you need to type Documents: Windows to view the file that you’re looking for.

Method 3 of 3

Step 1: Click on the search icon on the taskbar to open the search menu.

Step 2: Click on one of the filters, and then key in your search query. That’s it!

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