Snap and web search for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS introduces two new extensions that expand search capabilities directly within the **GNOME Shell Overview. Both are enabled by default and aim to make it easier to search the web or discover new applications without leaving the desktop’s main search interface.
One of these additions is the Web Search Provider extension. It allows users to start a Google search from the Overview. Importantly, the search query isn’t automatically sent anywhere while you type. Instead, the feature simply provides a shortcut that appears in the results. When clicked, it launches your web browser and performs the search there using the typed keywords.
This design is quite different from the controversial search behavior seen years ago in the Unity desktop, which once transmitted local search terms to external services. That older system sparked criticism and even earned **Canonical a “Big Brother” award due to privacy concerns. The new implementation avoids that situation entirely because nothing is transmitted until the user actively clicks the web search result.
When triggered, the shortcut opens a new tab in **Mozilla Firefox and runs a Google search using the entered phrase, along with Ubuntu referral parameters. If another browser is configured as the system default, it will open there instead. A similar idea has existed for years through **GNOME Web (also known as Epiphany), but Ubuntu is now including this functionality by default.
The second new addition focuses on software discovery. The Snap Search Provider extension surfaces applications from the **Snap Store that are not yet installed on your system. When you type an app name in the Overview, the results can include matching entries from the Snap catalog alongside your installed programs.
For instance, typing something like “VLC” could display relevant Snap packages in the results list. Selecting one of those results launches the App Center and opens the corresponding page where the application can be installed.
This feature works through **snapd, the background service responsible for managing Snap packages. Instead of sending the search directly to a remote server, the extension forwards the query to snapd, which handles the request and returns potential matches. In practice, this behaves similarly to searching manually within the App Center, but it removes the need to open the store first.
During testing, however, the match accuracy can sometimes be inconsistent. A search for a well-known application may produce several loosely related results while occasionally missing the most obvious package. Since the extension tends to show multiple Snap Store suggestions for many queries, the usefulness of the results may depend on improvements to its matching logic.
There are also safeguards in place. If the extension detects that the system is connected through a metered network, it will avoid initiating searches. The source code also references a possible web-based fallback method that would query the Snap Store online directly, though this functionality is currently disabled.
Ubuntu users may notice that the concept isn’t entirely new. Systems that install **GNOME Software or older versions of Ubuntu’s Software Center have previously displayed application suggestions within Overview searches. The difference here is that the new provider works through snapd and connects directly with Ubuntu’s modern App Center interface.
Longtime Ubuntu users might also recall similar ideas from the Unity era, when the launcher showed “Available Apps” suggestions. That earlier feature allowed right-click actions such as viewing details or installing programs directly from the search result.
Because of those historical features, some people may immediately think about the controversial **Amazon Shopping Lens. That feature attempted to generate revenue for Canonical by combining local search queries with product results from Amazon. The implementation sent user queries to Canonical servers before forwarding them to Amazon, which raised privacy concerns among many Linux users.
The new search extensions in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS operate very differently. Application searches are handled locally through snapd, while web searches only occur if the user explicitly selects the web search option.
Both extensions are already included and enabled in the latest Ubuntu 26.04 LTS daily builds. Since development is ongoing, their behavior may still change before the final release.
Anyone who prefers a cleaner search experience can easily disable these extensions in the system’s extension settings. For some users they may simply remain unused, while others might appreciate the convenience of launching a quick web search or discovering a new app with one less click.
