Does anyone else think the search button is useless?

[Joshua Jackson]

Sometimes I wish there was a possibility to activate some kind of a "app-related-search". Something like: you are using App XY, which contains some kind of a media collection (just an example). If you tap the search-button, you can search your collection, or tap it again to activate the normal "wp-search".

Agreed...
After all, that's who Windows 8 works (settings, too).
It adds to the unification of the environment.
JJ

 

[teo155]

Is there a way to disable this button? It is really annoying to play a game with one hand and hits it accidentally.

 

[kevin2577]

Is there a way to disable this button? It is really annoying to play a game with one hand and hits it accidentally.

No, but if you load your games in kids corner the button is disabled. Good way to play those games where you always seem to hit it.

 

[kevin2577]

Agreed...
After all, that's who Windows 8 works (settings, too).
It adds to the unification of the environment.
JJ

Yeah I would expect that feature to be added now that Windows & Windows Phone have a common core. They both have a lot of features that the other one needs and I expect that they will start to converge over time, especially now without Steven Sinofsky and all the teams are working more closely together now.

 

[JammyGitz]

Yep useless, Bing is totally CRAP.

 

[envio]

+1 to all those comments regarding the need for contextual search. Microsoft had it right the first time in WP7.0 and then got it so wrong in Mango. When I go into e-mail, there's an additional search button, I think it's needless and could be used for something else - space is a premium on the command bar in portrait mode. But what would be even more useful is universal search. Why should I have to go into email to search at all? Why not use the dedicated button to search all local content, apps etc.

 

[gapost]

Has anyone tried swiping the search screen? Wow, I have used WP for about a year and didn't realize you could swipe left and right on the search screen and get events, videos, news, movies and deals. I used the Search button a lot before, but even more now.

 

[santillanavila1993]

everyone who agrees that the search button should be contextual should submit the idea here Feature Suggestions: Hot (19792 ideas)

 

[markdotinc]

I'm sure somebody posted this earlier, but I just learned that it's also a scanner and soundhound/shazam (yay; I hate having redundant apps). Although it would make sense to have it be contextual in apps, but remain the same when you are at the homepage

 

[Tom Snyder]

Is there a way to disable this button? It is really annoying to play a game with one hand and hits it accidentally.

That's all I'd like to be able to do is just "disable this button" option some how. I see some really like it, that's great, but I never use it and I'm constantly accidentally touching it while making a phone call and especially while using the camera. Who wants to be trying to take pic's or trying to place a call and have BING jump into your display.I wish I could disable this function that I find annoying.

 

[Slai]

It should be contextual.
IE like in w8.
Sobif youre in contacts, it searches contacts. If yours in browser, it searches the web. If email; emails. Etcetera.

 

[kloon_be]

yep useless !!

 

[WasteSomeTime]

Would be nice if you could assign ie, search, a home page or a custom browser to it.
Sent from my SGH-i677 using Foroplex

 

[Richard Brennan]

I think people are misunderstanding the OP's complaint. The issue isn't whether Bing search on WP8 is useful. It's why is there a dedicated button? I mean you could still do the same great stuff with a tile. If you are you are going to the trouble of having a dedicated button then it should have meaning in every app. As it is now, the only thing the button does when you are in an app is to throw you out of it by mistake. That's what makes it worthless. Bing search is great. It's the button that is questionable.

 

[jamsjordn]

I use the search button almost daily to find what song is playing on the radio or simply to search the internet for something. I would use it more if it was contextual.

 

[Dratwister]

Not useless at all I use it to test the status of internet connection =)) Just like Google.

At first I thought it's useless and even turn the default search engine to Google in IE just to use Google search like usual. But after some days, I don't think I see any different between Bing results and Google result at all, not in my daily search, and I'm not living in US So now, everything is Bing I'm turning from searching on Google to Bing right now on my lap/desk/tab cause I like its UI more than Google, much more.

And that's just searching feature, not to mention QR/music scan. Local scout and other features are unavailable in my country.

 

[rdubmu]

I use Bing and the search button quite a bit. One reason why I won't switch back to iOS
Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 using Board Express

 

[d_abbatelli]

I'm on the side of those who think it's quite useless and very annoying.
To me, it's useless twice: once because it doesn't search in my phone and is not contextual, and is useless once again because most of the "extra features" don't work / suck / are not useful to me.
It's very annoying because is very easy to push accidentally.

I would like it to work much more with stuff on my telephone.
I want to listen to a certain song? Search button, swipe to music, I start typing and first it brings me to the song I have on my telephone, then eventually it can advertise I can buy it online...
It should do the same for places, for mails, for apps and for people. FIRST search in the apps, and THEN on internet.

As it is actually, none of the functions are actually working if the telephone has no internet connection.
In most countries, most of the extra features are useless even WITH internet. Just typed the name of the closest supermarket, nothing showed up under "places". Typed "U2", all I get is a web search, since Xbox Music is not available. Typed "shazam": no link whatsoever to download the app, just a web search.
Conclusion: is of the same use of a live tile linking to bing webpage, but occupies a lot of space that could be used in a better way and is darn easy to press accidentally.

 

[link68759]

That's all I'd like to be able to do is just "disable this button" option some how. I see some really like it, that's great, but I never use it and I'm constantly accidentally touching it while making a phone call and especially while using the camera. Who wants to be trying to take pic's or trying to place a call and have BING jump into your display.I wish I could disable this function that I find annoying.

The real problem is the fact that capacitive buttons are terrible terrible useless gimmicky things.
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[WasteSomeTime]

I would rather have capacitive buttons than physical buttons. I like that the home key is actually a button. The capacitive buttons add style.
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