Windows 10 - A Teacup In The Start Box?

Nope, cannot see it on the tray.

Do you use Coffee Cup?

.

I only use mugs for oatmeal because it has a handle. And it wasn't there yesterday. Its just a small cup with a teabag with a green leaf next to that. It doesn't do anything hovering over it. It has the sort of look like it was a cafe ole you would see on a coffee shop, has a few small stars next to it as to make it festive.

I checked under themes.

The last update was 2 weeks ago. I guess it could be an easter egg but that's a dumb easter egg. Ran a malware check. Doing a virus check anyway.

Basically to look for it. At the bottom is the search box thing, at the end of that are those 2 graphic symbols. And that's it. When I click to search I don't see it there.

----Mike Savad

Take a photo and show us

It could be the new Search Highlights feature.

"Microsoft recently improved the Search feature on Windows 10 by introducing Search Highlights. With Search Highlights, the Window would periodically update with new content, centred around you i.e. happening online, around you and your organization. This includes fun illustrations too, which may appear on the Search bar in the Taskbar."

Turn off Search Highlights in Windows 10

In case you do not like the new Search experience, you can turn off Search Highlights as well. For that, Right-click an empty area of the Taskbar, Click Search, and Uncheck "Search Highlights". This would turn off the Search Highlights feature, together with the icon in the search bar, and return to the previous design.

Oh that did it. It was search highlights that came out of no where. Thanks. I can't imagine how that's useful to anyone. Mostly I found it distracting.


----Mike Savad

Funny, it showed up in my search box too. And that search box showed up out of nowhere. Thanks for the tips!

Luckily I have yet to be afflicted with that "feature".

I have it too, Mike. Today it's a tea cup and leaves but I think it's changed daily for about a week now. I'm going to get rid of it...didn't know I could. Thanks, Andy!

You're all still on 10? Crikey

I can't do 11 for some stupid limitation. And until I have to really switch, I don't want to take the chance on nuking my drive to make it compatible. Probably by then i'll upgrade the machine again. Plus I see no advantage in doing 11. Or why they had to change the numbers at all. They said they wouldn't.


----Mike Savad

"You're all still on 10? Crikey"

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3655739/windows-11-adoption-appears-to-be-stagnating.html

My 3 year old AMD processor desktop is not compatible for some reason, so I'll stick with the old adage of "it ain't broke, don't fix it"

JMHO, YMMV

Yes, I have it, right by my search. One thing I dislike about Microsoft or whoever, they are always downloading a bunch of junk I don't want and it takes up space.

I have it too. I keep the search bar hidden so I never would have know it was there.

Similar to what Andy said - a quick Google searched turned up this article dated 5/8/22:

https://www.onmsft.com/news/windows-10-search-bar-horse-freak-people-out

One of the new features of Search Highlights in the Windows 10 and Windows 11 search box is a mini graphic to remind you of various seasonal moments throughout the year. A bit like the Google Doodle, from time to time, on the right of the main search box in Windows 10, or the top right of the expanded search box in Windows 11, you’ll see a “cute” icon. Most recently it was of horses to remind you of the Kentucky Derby. Yet, as cool as some think this is, turns out that not everyone is a fan of this OS behavior, and per a Reddit thread, a lot of people hate it.

Currently with 337 upvotes at the time of writing, that Search Highlights feature seems to have hit the nerves of some people. The original poster proclaimed it as “this stupid thing,” questioning what it is, unaware of the true purpose. In the replies, another user called it “depressing,” and one more person questioned why Microsoft thinks it is appropriate. In another moment, a Redditor also proclaimed that “this is not a search engine webpage, but an OS used by professionals for serious work.”

Simply put, the general consensus is that people don’t like this behavior of the search box, so much so that one person thought it was a virus. It’s not the first time that this has happened either, as similar “cute” icons for the NFL draft appeared in the past back in April. This was of a football and a microphone icon.

Fortunately, for those who weren’t aware of why there are horses in their Windows search box, the admins of r/Windows10 pinned a comment with a link that explains it just like we did. That thread mentions how you can turn off Search Highlights on Windows 11, through the settings app in Privacy & Security > Search Permissions > More Settings. In Windows 10, meanwhile, all you need to do is right-click on your search bar, and uncheck Show Search Highlights.

So its like a 1000 degrees today, I wonder what hot tea represents. I couldn't even hover over it for a fun tidbit.

They add it to my windows, and i'm thinking... Oh great I have a weirdo virus in my system. One that does specifically that one weird thing. Even with the highlights on, I didn't see what it was highlighting. In fact half the time I type and the window is blank for some reason.


----Mike Savad

I am on 8.1 and the little teacup showed up too.

"You're all still on 10? Crikey"

My computer won't even run 11. I won't be getting 11 until I buy a new computer that already has it installed.

The whole reason I built a new computer was because of windows 10. Now I have to do it all over again with 11, and all over the way the main drive is formatted.


----Mike Savad

Well now I feel left out... I don't have it. lol

is it part of edge browser? I never use that browser.

In fact, when I right click the taskbar I don't even see an option called search highlights.

I guess I have another dreaded update coming soon.

In your task try in windows itself, that search bar would have it on the end next to the circle and film strip things, that I also never touch. Just do the thing andy said but in reverse. And then you too will see that silly thing.


----Mike Savad

Or click the link patti put up, that weirdo horse was on their bar.


----Mike Savad

Apparently I have the search bar disabled, I've never seen it.

Mine showed up today I had tennis racket and tennis ball. I don't play tennis! LOL!

right click on the taskbar go to search and uncheck search highlights

Mine is showing a green tennis ball and pink racket.

It's been something different everyday I think, but I barely paid attention to it till now.

If you hover over it, the pop-up window shows a headline image about the French Open.

It'll probably be something different tomorrow.

And yeah, I'm still on Windows 10.

Go to Windows 11 ! It's virus proof and has no tea cups. haha

DITTO--Tennis racket and ball

Thank Goodness it ain't something else

Thanks Jessica

It's World Turtle Day today...

I just got a cute turtle!

If you want a cute turtle, you could always buy mine!!

I'm joking and I'm allowed not to worry :)

Okay, what gives? I got no teacup or turtle, just nothing but a boring old search box.

lol

ETA: Ah ha moment... it is Google. I don't use Google as my default search engine. Nevermind... it said it was Windows 10 which I do have. But I don't use the Edge browser either so maybe that is why I am not seeing them.

So I tried Andy's thing in reverse again and still all I see is
Search> hidden
>show search icon
>show search bar

The good news is that I hit show search icon and freed up a whole bunch of space on my taskbar! that is something I didn't know I could do.

So now I probably won't see the little cutsey stuff even if they do give it to me. I can't remember the last time I used that search bar because it always opens the wrong browser, so I ignore it.

@shelli - search doesn't matter, its not the browser. Its the search bar in windows, its in the task tray, next to the start button, that white box.

Right click that, hover up to SEARCH then SEARCH HIGHLIGHTs. And from there you get a stupid graphic. Which for me when I hover over it, I don't get anything more than another list of options without a clue that its world turtle day


----Mike Savad

Mike, I don't have "search highlights" at all when I right click the search box. It is okay though, I probably have an update I avoided by not shutting down for days. They usually wait until 3 am to sneak them in on me because I ignore those too.

yeah, here is the update I have waiting... Windows 10, version 21H2 I might go with it overnight tonight since eventually they will install it anyway.

Edit: okay now that I checked for updates I am all of a sudden getting little icons for my MS weather app. a blue umbrella with raindrops falling on it... and then a blue rain gauge with the rainfall totals in inches. those are new. Also my locations services had been switched back on even though I purposely turned them off. so I had to go in and turn them off again. ugh!

I see now, I've always had the search box hidden, I never had a reason to use it. I did unhide it and ya, I have the little turtle thing too and I promptly hid it again. lol

I figured out how to get the weather thing to go away. Turn off the news settings when right clicking the taskbar. I still don't have search highlights but when I get it I will probably turn it off too.