How to Disable Web Search in Windows 10 and 11

How to take control of your Windows 11 experience by disabling web search - customize your settings for a focused and private environment.

How to Disable Web Search in Windows 11

It is important to understand that web searches can lead to potential privacy concerns and unwanted data tracking. For instance, your search queries might be stored and used for targeted advertising. You can, however, reduce its impact by adjusting specific parameters. Please remember that the processes may vary slightly depending on Microsoft's upgrades and modifications.

Disable Web Results in Start Menu Settings

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Click on the gear icon to open Settings.
3. Go to "Privacy & Security."
4. Choose "Search" from the left sidebar.
5. Toggle off "Show web results in Start menu."

Microsoft Edge Search Settings

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click on the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner to open the menu.
3. Select "Settings."
4. Scroll down to the "Privacy, search, and services" section.
5. Under the "Services" category, you can turn off options like "Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters" and "Show me suggestions from Microsoft Edge."

Group Policy Editor (for Windows Pro and Enterprise editions)

1. Press `Win + R` to open the Run dialog.
2. Type `gpedit.msc` and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
3. Navigate to "Computer Configuration" > "Administrative Templates" > "Windows Components" > "Search."
4. Look for policies related to web search, such as "Do not use the search-based method when resolving shell shortcuts" or "Do not search the Internet."
5. Enable these policies if available.

Registry Editor

1. Press `Win + R` to open the Run dialog.
2. Type `regedit` and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
3. Navigate to `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows`.
4. Create a new key (folder) called `Explorer` and navigate to it.
5. Create (or edit) a DWORD value named `DisableSearchBoxSuggestions` and set its value to `1` to disable Bing search in Windows 11.

Remember to set a system restore point or backup your registry before making changes, as incorrectly changing the registry can have unforeseen repercussions, such as system instability or even data loss. This is especially important in Windows 11, where the registry is a critical part of the operating system. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

How to Disable Web Search in Windows 10

The Windows 10 Spring Update (2018) no longer allows you to turn off web search in Start, which can lead to Microsoft tracking applications and documents, potentially leaking sensitive information to the web. It's crucial to be aware of these issues and take necessary steps to protect your privacy.

Users started reporting that Windows 10 Search was not working shortly after the release of Microsoft Windows 10 called the Spring Update. They report that Windows 10 search doesn't find files but offers web search results. This can be a potential privacy concern as it can lead to Microsoft tracking your search queries and potentially leaking sensitive information to the web. I have also seen this. While searching for a program already installed on my computer, I get web results listing the company website and where to download the program. Some programs, despite being installed and used, do not show up in the start menu search - again, web results, app store links and even the file in the downloads directory show - but not the shortcut to run the program.

Before the update, these are the settings you need to change to turn off the web search. Scroll down to find out how to disable web search after the spring update.

Select the search box in Windows 10's taskbar. Cortana's greeting and news feed results should appear. Click the settings cog.

Now Toggle "Cortana can give you suggestions . . . " to off as well as "Search online and include web results" to off.

The search box will now say "Search Windows" instead of "Ask me anything." Responses will be quicker and only show results from your hard drive or local network.

Disable Web Search in Windows 10 using Group Policy

If you are running Windows 10 Professional versions 1607 to 1709, you can use the Group Policy Editor to disable web searching.

1. Start the Local Group Policy Editor
2. Browse to the policy under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search
3. Set Allow Cortana to Disable
4. Set Do not allow web search to Enabled
5. Set Don't search the web or display web results in Search to Enabled
6. Click Apply and close the policy editor
7. Restart

Since the Spring Update, the policies have not worked anymore. Follow the steps below to fix web searching in Windows 10.

How to Disable Web Search after Spring Update

Now that Microsoft has broken the Windows 10 search, there is a registry fix you can apply to restore the functionality; however, it is not as simple as the previous steps. All that is required is to create a few entries in the registry to turn off web search in Windows 10.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search]
"BingSearchEnabled"=dword:00000000
"AllowSearchToUseLocation"=dword:00000000
"CortanaConsent"=dword:00000000

These entries are not present by default, so you must create them. However, before doing any registry modifications, it's highly recommended to create a system restore point. This is a precautionary measure that can help you revert any changes if something goes wrong. A reboot might be required after you make these changes so they take effect.

You can download a registry fix below. Save the link to your computer and double-click the file. It will ask if you want to allow the app to change your device, so click yes and then yes again in the next dialogue. It will then add the keys and values to the registry. Reboot for the changes to take effect.

Disable Web Search in Windows 10

It's not yet clear if this is a bug Microsoft introduced or if they are forcing web updates. However, this change can lead to potential privacy concerns and unwanted data tracking. For now, here is a workaround you can use to disable web search in Windows 10.