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How to Enable the Additional Search Box in Microsoft Edge Using the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Use the AdditionalSearchBoxEnabled policy in Settings > Microsoft Edge to give assigned users a second search box beside the address bar, plus requirements and fixes.
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To turn on Edge’s extra search box for your users, open the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Settings > Microsoft Edge, create a configuration policy, add the AdditionalSearchBoxEnabled setting, set it to enabled, and assign the policy to a Microsoft Entra group. Users must be signed in to Edge and restart the browser before the change appears.

What the policy does

According to Microsoft’s policy documentation (last updated 2026-05-22), AdditionalSearchBoxEnabled controls a second text input next to the address bar that lets users search the web from the browser interface. It is a Boolean policy. It can be set as mandatory but not as recommended.

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  • Enabled or not configured: the search box is available. Where policy permits, users can toggle it at edge://settings/appearance#SearchBoxInToolbar.
  • Disabled: the box is hidden. Users must search through the address bar or go to a search engine.

Because the box is available when the policy is unconfigured, you only need to set this policy explicitly to enforce a state, or to make sure a previously disabled setting is reversed.

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Requirements and limits

  • Edge version for the policy: Windows and macOS, Edge 123 or later. Android and iOS are not supported.
  • Edge version for the management service: 115.0.1901.7 or later.
  • Role: Microsoft Edge Administrator.
  • Availability: the Edge management service is not available to customers on GCC plans.
  • Profiles: the policy is per profile and does not apply to profiles signed in with a Microsoft account.
  • Sign-in: users must be signed in to Edge with a work account to receive cloud settings.

Sources: the policy page above and Microsoft’s configuration policies guide (last updated 2025-11-17). Navigation and prerequisites can change, so check them against your live tenant.

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Steps in the admin center

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center and open Settings > Microsoft Edge.
  2. Open Configuration policies and choose Create policy. Name it, select the platform or platforms, and choose a policy type (see the comparison below).
  3. In Settings, choose Add setting, search for AdditionalSearchBoxEnabled, and set it to enabled for the desired platform.
  4. In Assignments, select the Microsoft Entra group that should receive the setting. Microsoft also describes assigning to all users, but warns that a tenant-wide assignment cannot be changed after the policy is created, so use a group for a pilot.
  5. Choose Review and create.
  6. Ask the affected user to sign in to Edge and fully restart it. This policy does not refresh dynamically, so the restart is required.

Cloud policy or Intune policy

Aspect Cloud policy Intune policy
Platform reach Can apply across supported platforms Currently Windows configuration in this service
Licensing No Intune license mentioned Intune license required
Priority Priority number decides conflicts; 0 is highest No priority; conflicts are not resolved automatically

For this single setting, a Cloud policy is usually the simpler choice, especially if you also need macOS.

When the setting does not take effect

Check for competing policy sources

By default, a conflicting device Group Policy Object or MDM setting overrides the Edge management service. Microsoft documents a private policy mechanism that changes this precedence. Don’t use it without understanding your organization’s policy hierarchy.

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Check which account is primary

On Windows, policies are enforced based on the primary user signed in to Edge. If several accounts are signed in, only the primary account’s policies apply.

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Check overlapping cloud policies

Compatible policies assigned to the same user merge. If two set this value differently, the one with the higher priority wins (Cloud policies only).

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Confirm the restart

Settings take effect when Edge is reopened. Close all Edge windows before testing.

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Setting it outside the admin center

If you manage devices with Group Policy, the registry, or macOS preferences, Microsoft lists these equivalents:

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Method Location Value
Group Policy (Windows) Administrative Templates/Microsoft Edge; ADMX file MSEdge.admx AdditionalSearchBoxEnabled
Registry (Windows) SOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftEdge AdditionalSearchBoxEnabled, REG_DWORD, 0x00000001 to enable
macOS Preference key AdditionalSearchBoxEnabled <true/>

Remember that these device-level settings win over the admin center when they conflict.

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