How To Disable Web Search And Bing In Windows 11 (2026)
You open the Windows 11 Start menu, type a word, and Bing links and web suggestions crowd out your apps and files.
Microsoft has started adding a Settings option for this, and the older registry and policy methods still exist as fallbacks.
The steps below take about 5 minutes with the new setting, or 10 minutes with a registry edit.
Which method should you use?
| Method | Works on | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| Settings > Privacy & security > Search | Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 with the KB5120998 update or later | The option must have reached your PC |
| Registry: BingSearchEnabled and IsWebSuggestionsEnabled | Windows 11 Home and Pro | Registry Editor |
| Registry policy: DisableSearchBoxSuggestions | All editions | Administrator account |
| Group Policy: Don’t search the web or display web results in Search | Enterprise and Education per Microsoft Learn | Local Group Policy Editor |
Why is the Settings option the best first try?
Microsoft’s notes for the August 27, 2026 preview update KB5120998 describe a new setting that lets you choose whether web and Microsoft Store suggestions appear alongside local results.
The update covers OS builds 26200.9278 (25H2) and 26100.9278 (24H2), and Microsoft lists the feature under gradual rollout.
Gradual rollout means it can reach some PCs before others, even when they run the same update.
Method 1: Turn it off in Settings
- Press Win+I to open Settings.
- Go to Privacy & security > Search.
- Find the option for web suggestions (one guide calls it Show suggested search results) and switch it off.
- Switch off the Microsoft Store suggestions option too if you see one.
Microsoft’s page names the path but not the exact label, so the wording on your build may differ.
What if the option is missing?
- Install updates: open Settings > Windows Update and install KB5120998 or a later update.
- Wait for rollout: the setting arrives gradually, so it may appear after a restart or a later update.
- Use a fallback: Methods 2 to 4 below work without it.
If Settings says some options are managed by your organization, a policy is controlling them.
Before you edit the registry
A wrong registry change can cause problems, so create a restore point first.
- Press Start, type Create a restore point, and open it.
- Select your system drive and click Create.
- Name the point and wait for the confirmation.
Method 2: Edit the per-user registry values
These two values are the older switches for web suggestions, and they live under HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
| Key | Value | Set to |
|---|---|---|
| HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SearchSettings | IsWebSuggestionsEnabled | 0 (off) |
| HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search | BingSearchEnabled | 0 (off) |
Both are DWORD values, and setting them back to 1 turns web results on again.
Restart Windows Explorer or sign out and back in after changing them.
Method 3: Use the DisableSearchBoxSuggestions policy value
- Open Registry Editor as an administrator.
- Go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows. - If there is no Explorer key, right-click Windows, choose New > Key, and name it Explorer.
- Inside Explorer, create a DWORD (32-bit) value named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions.
- Set it to 1, then restart the PC.
This value also turns off search box suggestions in File Explorer, and one reviewer reported a false message that search indexing is not working even though search still worked.
To undo it, delete the value or set it back to 0.
Method 4: Why does Group Policy only work on some editions?
Microsoft Learn documents the policy named Don’t search the web or display web results in Search.
It lists the applicable editions as Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise, and it does not list Pro.
- Press Start, type gpedit.msc, and open it.
- Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.
- Open Don’t search the web or display web results in Search and select Enabled.
- Click OK and restart the PC.
The policy writes ConnectedSearchUseWeb under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search, and Microsoft’s table shows 0 as web results not allowed.
Home PCs do not include the Group Policy Editor, so use Method 1, 2, or 3 there.
How do I also turn off search highlights and cloud results?
These are separate from web suggestions, and both live in Settings.
- Search highlights: Settings > Privacy & security > Search, then turn off Show search highlights. On some 25H2 systems the toggle is reported missing.
- Cloud content search: turn off the Microsoft account and Work or school account options to stop results from OneDrive, Outlook, and similar services.
Microsoft’s policy list also has an Allow search highlights policy, stored as EnableDynamicContentInWSB under the same Windows Search policy key.
Registry and policy quick reference
| Item | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Web suggestions (per user) | HKCU\…\SearchSettings | IsWebSuggestionsEnabled = 0 |
| Bing in search (per user) | HKCU\…\Search | BingSearchEnabled = 0 |
| Search box suggestions (policy) | HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer | DisableSearchBoxSuggestions = 1 |
| Web results (Group Policy) | HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search | ConnectedSearchUseWeb = 0 |
| Search highlights (policy) | HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search | EnableDynamicContentInWSB = 0 |
Will web results come back after an update?
Microsoft changes Search between releases, so recheck after a feature update.
Open Settings > Privacy & security > Search first, then confirm any registry values still read as you set them.
Policy-based settings tend to be enforced more firmly than loose per-user values, but Microsoft does not promise either will survive every update.
Why do I still see web results?
| What you notice | What to try |
|---|---|
| Settings option is not listed | Install KB5120998 or later from Windows Update, then restart |
| Settings says options are managed by your organization | A policy is set, so change or remove the policy |
| Registry change had no effect | Sign out and back in, or restart the PC |
| Policy key works for one account only | Test with an administrator account, since one user reported it failed on a standard account |
| Store listings still appear | Turn off the separate Microsoft Store suggestions option if your build has it |
Outside the EU, removing Bing results used to require a registry edit, and the new Settings option is meant to replace that workaround.
Related Windows 11 guides
- How to disable or remove Recall on Windows 11
- How to remove or disable Phone Link on Windows 11
- How to completely remove or disable Microsoft Edge on Windows 11
Sources: Microsoft KB5120998 release notes, Microsoft Learn: Policy CSP Search, Microsoft: Windows Search and privacy.