Does anyone else think the search button is useless?

[muitosabao]

I use it all the time. Typical scenario, on the car and a cool music comes up on the radio. Two taps (search button, music icon) and bam now I know what songs playing (as a bonus I just found out that if you slide up from ... You see all the history of past music searches!).
Another scenario, reading WP blogs on the iPad, a wild cool app appears, with qr code, grab the phones, two taps (search, vision) and bam app's installed.
Etc.
So yeah. Pretty far from useless I'd say.

 

[TaliZorah]

I use it all the time. Typical scenario, on the car and a cool music comes up on the radio. Two taps (search button, music icon) and bam now I know what songs playing (as a bonus I just found out that if you slide up from ... You see all the history of past music searches!).
Another scenario, reading WP blogs on the iPad, a wild cool app appears, with qr code, grab the phones, two taps (search, vision) and bam app's installed.
Etc.
So yeah. Pretty far from useless I'd say.

Yup! My thoughts exactly.

 

[manicottiK]

It would be great for it to search based up the app you are in.

It was in 7.0, but that meant that the function of the button was not deterministic: sometimes it invoked Bing and sometimes it invoked the active app's search. The Mango update gave us consistency, but took away search (which most apps did not need or implement). I would have preferred allowing app search via a double-tap (or long press) of the search button, but we didn't get that.

 

[jusatin]

I use it multiple times a day. I thought it was useless as well when I first got my L800, but having used it for a while it's really useful. And better than the Google search imo.

 

[orelzion]

None of those cool functions you guys have mentioned here is available in my phone/region.
So I guess to me it is useless as I don't use Bing for searches.
It would be much of use the way it works on windows 8.

 

[sniffs]

I find myself constantly hitting it when I'm in the marketplace and it takes me to bing. It NEEDS to search whatever app you're currently in.. buuuut that'd be toooo smart.

 

[cmdates2991]

It should have all the functionality it has now PLUS be contextual. Just have another screen in there or something.

 

[cmdates2991]

I find myself constantly hitting it when I'm in the marketplace and it takes me to bing. It NEEDS to search whatever app you're currently in.. buuuut that'd be toooo smart.

THIS. That's why it frustrates me.

 

[TMavC5]

Works great for the WP8 device.

 

[jeremyshaw]

THIS. That's why it frustrates me.

It used to be contextual in pre wp7.5.

 

[mikejets89]

Not useless I use it Everyday for info or scout or grab some pictures

 

[ltyarbro42]

I have made the move from google to Bing about a month ago and it does take some gettin used to. However, I now think it is as every bit as good a search engine as google. I use the search button almost constantly on my 900. I do wish it gave Bing rewards though.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

 

[ynight]

It's ok for me for qr code and music identity, but it'd be much better if the button performs the same way as the search charm in win 8
Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express

 

[robbg]

I use the search button regularly, but I would much prefer it to be contextual...with a long press in order to activate Bing. A guy can dream.....

 

[michail71]

I think a better compromise would be to allow the app to have bing hooks. If you launch it from an app the app's hooks could then take priority in ranking. That would allow for consistent behavior and also allow search hits for an app from outside the app.

 

[JPDVM2014]

I use the search button all the time. I actually prefer it to not be contextual. I like knowing that whenever I need to search(music ID, Code scanning, etc), it is only one key press away. I do wish MS would expand it a little though. I miss the "Just Type" functionality from webOS.

 

[GomzyRockz]

I used to think it was useless, but then got the hang of it. QR reader, identifying music, checking out latest news, and bing search as well. so pretty useful I must say.

 

[anthonyng]

omg on screen text translation! I could use this soooooo much!

 

[xFalk]

When your in an app and need to search for something, what exactly is it you want to search for? Most apps have a dedicated search function so I don't get why you want or need this on the search button.

 

[Connie Litrenta]

Ahh! Something else I didn't know!

No way, this search is the opposite of useless. Whoever says otherwise needs to examine the dictionary definition for the word "useless".

I wouldn't say useless either but I would definitely like a device wide search on that. Now THAT would be useful.