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The easiest fix is to open Settings > Privacy & security > Search and turn off the web-results option—if your Windows 11 build includes it. If that control is missing, use the Registry workaround on Windows 11 Home, or the Search policy in Group Policy on supported Pro, Enterprise, and Education installations. These methods remove Bing/web results from Windows Search without disabling local search.
Windows 11 can still show Microsoft Store suggestions, OneDrive or Outlook content, Search highlights, and other online entries afterward. Those are separate from Bing web results.
What this changes—and what it does not
Windows Search can combine results from your device, connected cloud accounts, Microsoft Store, and the web. Microsoft says Bing technology is used for web previews and that Windows Search can display web suggestions. See Microsoft’s Windows Search privacy documentation.
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The steps below target Bing/web results in Start search. They do not:
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- Disable Bing or web searches in Microsoft Edge or other browsers.
- Remove every Microsoft Store suggestion.
- Stop OneDrive, Outlook, SharePoint, or work-account results.
- Delete Search highlights or all promotional content.
- Disable Windows Search itself.
First, check for Windows’ built-in switch
Microsoft announced new controls for web and Microsoft Store results on July 13, 2026. They began rolling out to Windows Insiders through a controlled feature rollout, and Microsoft says availability can vary by region and device. Do not assume this option exists on every stable Windows 11 installation.
- Open Settings.
- Select Privacy & security.
- Select Search.
- Look under the suggested-search-results controls for an option named Web searches, Web results, or similar wording.
- Turn off the web-results option.
The exact label and location may change during the rollout. On some versions, related controls may instead appear under Search permissions or Searching Windows. If you cannot find the switch, use one of the methods below rather than changing unrelated privacy settings.
Microsoft’s Windows Insider announcement explains the rollout and regional availability.
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Windows 11 Home generally does not include the Local Group Policy Editor, so the per-user Registry workaround is the practical fallback when the Settings switch is unavailable.
Before you begin
Registry changes can affect Windows behavior. Create a restore point or export the relevant Registry key first. Change only the value described here, and avoid importing unexplained .reg files.
Using Registry Editor
- Press Windows + R, type
regedit, and press Enter. - Approve the User Account Control prompt.
- Go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsExplorer - If
Explorerdoes not exist, right-clickWindows, choose New > Key, and name itExplorer. - Right-click the empty area in the right pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Name the value
DisableSearchBoxSuggestions. - Double-click it, set Value data to
1, and select OK. - Sign out and back in, restart Windows, or restart Windows Explorer.
This is a commonly used per-user workaround. Its behavior can vary with the Windows build, account context, and future Search changes; it is not identical to Microsoft’s documented managed-device policy.
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Equivalent Command Prompt command
Open Command Prompt and run:
reg add "HKCUSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsExplorer" /v DisableSearchBoxSuggestions /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /fBecause this writes under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, it affects the account from which you run the command.
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If your edition and installed administrative templates expose the policy, Group Policy is easier to manage and reverse than a manual Registry edit.
- Press Windows + R.
- Type
gpedit.mscand press Enter. - Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.
- Open Don’t search the web or display web results in Search.
- Select Enabled, then choose Apply and OK.
- Sign out and back in, restart Windows, or refresh Search.
Microsoft identifies this policy as DoNotUseWebResults. Policy availability can depend on the Windows edition, build, and ADMX templates. If gpedit.msc is unavailable, use the Registry method instead.
See Microsoft’s Search Policy CSP documentation.
Administrator policy method
For managed deployments, Microsoft documents the corresponding policy Registry mapping under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE:
HKLMSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindows SearchThe documented value is:
ConnectedSearchUseWeb = 0An administrator can apply it from an elevated Command Prompt with:
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Refresh Search and verify the change
Windows may not update the Search interface immediately. Try these in order:
- Sign out and sign back in.
- Restart Windows.
- Open Command Prompt and run:
taskkill /f /im SearchHost.exeWindows should relaunch the Search process the next time you use it. You can also refresh the desktop shell with:
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exeTest with an unusual app or file name. If the remaining entry is labeled as a Store app, cloud content, a recommendation, or a Search highlight rather than a web result, the web-results setting may be working correctly.
If Bing disappears but online suggestions remain
Microsoft Store suggestions
Store suggestions are separate from Bing web results. Microsoft’s newer Search controls are designed to provide separate control over web and Microsoft Store results, but those controls may not yet be available on every build.
Cloud results
Windows Search can include content from OneDrive, Outlook, SharePoint, or a connected work or school account. Turning off web results does not automatically disable those sources. Review the Search permissions or account-related settings available on your build if you want to limit cloud content as well.
Search highlights and recommendations
The Allow search highlights policy controls dynamic content and highlights in Search home and the Start search box. It is not the same as blocking all web results. Similarly, changing Bing SafeSearch only filters sensitive content; it does not remove Bing integration from Windows Search.
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Copilot and browser handoffs
Depending on the Windows build and account configuration, some online suggestions or Copilot-related entries may be controlled separately. Removing Bing results should not be described as removing every online handoff from Windows.
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What not to do
- Do not disable Windows Search entirely. The Fully disable Search UI policy removes Search entry points and type-to-search from Start. It does not create a cleaner local-only search; it removes Search itself.
- Do not disable indexing to remove Bing. Indexing affects how quickly Windows finds local files and can make local search worse.
- Do not disable the Windows Search service unnecessarily. This can degrade Search in Start, Settings, File Explorer, and other Windows features.
- Do not change SafeSearch expecting Bing to disappear. SafeSearch filters content; it does not turn off web results.
Microsoft documents the distinction between disabling Search UI and other Start policies.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to undo the change
Undo the per-user Registry workaround
Either set DisableSearchBoxSuggestions to 0, or delete it with:
reg delete "HKCUSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsExplorer" /v DisableSearchBoxSuggestions /fThen sign out and back in, restart Explorer, or reboot.
Undo Group Policy
Return to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search, open Don’t search the web or display web results in Search, select Not Configured, and apply the change. Refresh Windows or restart the computer.
Undo the administrator Registry policy
Remove or reverse the managed value only if you administer the device and know that no organization policy should control it. On a work or school PC, contact the administrator instead; a management service may simply apply the setting again.
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Why the setting may be missing or ineffective
- Your stable build has not received the newer Settings control.
- You are not on the relevant Insider channel, or the feature has not reached your device or region.
- The Registry path or value name was entered incorrectly.
- SearchHost or Explorer has not refreshed.
- The item you are seeing is a Store or cloud result, not a Bing result.
- A work or school policy is overriding the local setting.
- A recent Windows update changed Search behavior or labels.
Windows Search behavior can differ between PCs because of the Windows build, edition, region, Insider status, Microsoft account, work account, controlled feature rollout, and organizational policy.
Which method should you use?
| User or device | Best starting point | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 Home | Settings switch, then Registry | Home normally lacks Group Policy Editor. |
| Personal Windows 11 Pro PC | Settings switch, then Group Policy or Registry | Group Policy is easier to manage when available. |
| Enterprise or Education device | Group Policy, Intune, or policy CSP | Centralized policy is more consistent. |
| Windows Insider device | Settings switch | It may have Microsoft’s newer controls before stable builds. |
| Privacy-focused user | Disable web results, then review cloud-search settings | Web and cloud results are separate. |
No purchase is necessary for this change. A third-party Start replacement such as Start11 is a broader customization product, not a requirement for removing Bing. A local filename-search tool such as Everything can supplement Windows Search, but it does not replace Start, Settings search, or Windows’ web-results controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this disable Bing in Microsoft Edge?
No. These settings affect Windows Search, especially searches opened from Start. Edge, Bing.com, and other applications keep their own search settings.
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Will removing web results make Windows Search completely local?
Not necessarily. Microsoft Store suggestions and cloud results from services such as OneDrive or Outlook may remain unless their separate controls are changed.
Why do Bing results return after a restart or update?
A managed work or school policy may be reapplying the setting, or a Windows build may have changed Search behavior. Verify the policy or Registry value and check for pending updates.
The Bottom Line
Use the new Search privacy switch if your Windows 11 build has it. Otherwise, Windows 11 Home users should use the per-user Registry workaround, while supported business editions can use the Search Group Policy. Refresh Windows Search afterward, and remember that blocking Bing does not automatically remove Store, cloud, or every other online result.
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