How to Remove Bing from Microsoft Edge (2026 Complete Guide)

If you’ve opened Microsoft Edge and found Bing forced on you as the default search engine, you’re not alone. Millions of users run into this every year — and Edge has a persistent habit of quietly reverting your search engine back to Bing after updates. This guide covers every method to remove Bing from Edge, keep it out, and clean up Bing from the Windows 11 Start search bar as well.

At a Glance

Goal	Method	Difficulty
Change default search engine	Edge Settings → Privacy, search, and services	Easy
Delete Bing from the search list entirely	edge://settings/searchEngines	Easy
Stop Edge from reverting to Bing after updates	Disable search suggestions + registry tweak	Medium
Remove Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) sidebar button	Edge Settings → Appearance	Easy
Disable Bing in Windows 11 Start Search	Settings → Privacy & security → Search permissions	Easy

Step 1: Change Your Default Search Engine in Edge

This is the core fix. Here’s the exact path in Edge as of 2026:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu (…) in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. In the left sidebar, click Privacy, search, and services.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Address bar and search.
6. Under Search engine used in the address bar, click the dropdown and select Google, DuckDuckGo, or any other engine.
7. Also change Search engine used in the new tab page search box to match your preference — this is a separate setting that many guides miss.

That’s it for the basic switch. But if Edge keeps reverting, keep reading.

Step 2: Delete Bing from the Search Engine List Entirely

You cannot delete Bing from the list while it’s the active default — but once you’ve set another engine as the default in Step 1, you can fully remove Bing:

1. In Edge’s address bar, type edge://settings/searchEngines and press Enter.
2. You’ll see a list of all search engines Edge knows about.
3. Find Bing in the list.
4. Click the three-dot menu (…) to the right of Bing.
5. Select Delete.

Bing is now gone from the list entirely. If Edge adds it back after an update, repeat this step.

Step 3: Stop Edge from Reverting to Bing After Updates

This is the most frustrating issue — Edge has been widely reported to silently reset the default search engine back to Bing after browser updates. Here are the fixes that actually work:

Fix A: Disable “Show me search and site suggestions”

1. Go to edge://settings/search in the address bar.
2. Turn off Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters.
3. Restart Edge.

This disables part of Edge’s integration with Bing that can trigger resets.

Fix B: Disable the Experimental Bing Override Flag

1. Type edge://flags in the address bar and press Enter.
2. Search for #edge-msb-all-dse.
3. If found, set it to Disabled.
4. Click Restart to apply.

Fix C: Registry Lock (Windows Pro/Enterprise only)

For users who need a permanent fix that survives updates, a registry policy will enforce your search engine choice:

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, press Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge (if the Edge key doesn’t exist, right-click Microsoft → New → Key → name it Edge).
3. Inside the Edge key, right-click → New → DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name it DefaultSearchProviderEnabled and set the value to 1.
5. Create another DWORD: DefaultSearchProviderName → value: the name of your preferred engine (e.g., Google).

Warning: Registry edits can affect system stability if done incorrectly. Create a system restore point before making changes. This method is primarily useful on organization-managed machines.

Fix D: Check for Extensions Hijacking Your Search

Some browser extensions quietly change your search engine, then it looks like Edge is reverting to Bing. Check your extensions:

1. Go to edge://extensions/.
2. Look for any toolbars, “helpers,” or unfamiliar add-ons.
3. Remove anything you didn’t intentionally install.

Step 4: Remove the Copilot Button from Edge (Formerly “Bing Chat”)

What used to be called the “Bing Chat” button in the top-right corner of Edge is now Microsoft Copilot. Microsoft rebranded Bing Chat to Copilot in late 2023. The button still sits in the Edge toolbar by default as of 2026.

Method A: Settings Toggle (Easiest)

1. Open Edge → Settings → Appearance.
2. Scroll down to Copilot and Sidebar.
3. Toggle off Show Copilot button on the toolbar.

That hides the Copilot icon immediately with no restart needed.

Method B: Turn Off the Entire Edge Sidebar

If you also want to remove the full Edge sidebar (which includes Copilot, Collections, and other Microsoft apps):

1. Open Edge → Settings → Sidebar.
2. Toggle off Always show sidebar.

Method C: Registry Method (Survives Updates)

For a more permanent fix that persists through Edge updates:

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, press Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
3. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named HubsSidebarEnabled and set value to 0.
4. Close Registry Editor, then open Edge, type edge://policy/ in the address bar, and click Reload policies.

The Copilot sidebar button will disappear. Note: this removes the entire sidebar, not just the Copilot icon.

Step 5: Remove Bing from Windows 11 Start Search

Even if you’ve removed Bing from Edge, Windows 11’s Start menu search bar can still route queries through Bing. Here’s how to turn that off:

1. Open Settings (Windows key + I).
2. Click Privacy & security in the left sidebar.
3. Scroll down and click Search permissions.
4. Turn off Show search highlights.
5. Also turn off SafeSearch if you want to prevent online results from appearing in Start Search.

For a more aggressive approach on Windows 11 Pro:

1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, press Enter.
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Search.
3. Set Do not allow web search to Enabled.
4. Set Don’t search the web or display web results in Search to Enabled.

This prevents the Start search bar from sending queries to Bing entirely.

Troubleshooting: Common Issues After Removing Bing

Edge still shows Bing results in the address bar even after changing the default
This usually means the new tab page search box is still set to Bing. Go to edge://settings/search and check Search engine used in the new tab page search box — set it to match your default engine.

Bing reappears after every Edge update
Edge updates occasionally reset customizations. After each major update, check edge://settings/searchEngines and re-delete Bing if it’s reappeared. For a permanent fix, use the registry method in Step 3 above.

“Microsoft Bing isn’t your default search engine” notifications keep appearing
Edge sometimes shows a notification prompting you to switch back to Bing. Go to edge://settings/search and look for a notification or prompt about Bing — select “Don’t ask again” or dismiss it.

Edge is managed by your organization and you can’t change the search engine
If you see “Your browser is managed by your organization,” an IT administrator has locked the search engine via Group Policy. You’ll need to contact your IT department to make changes.

Quick Reference: Exact Settings Paths

Task	Path
Change default search engine	edge://settings/search
Delete Bing from the engine list	edge://settings/searchEngines
Remove Copilot toolbar button	Edge Settings → Appearance → Copilot and Sidebar
Check extensions causing resets	edge://extensions/
Reload policies after registry change	edge://policy/
Toggle Edge experimental flags	edge://flags/

As of 2026, Microsoft continues to tie Bing deeply into Edge’s default behavior. The steps above cover every level of removal — from the basic settings toggle to registry-level policy enforcement. For most users, Steps 1 and 2 are all that’s needed. If Edge keeps reverting after updates, the registry approach in Step 3 provides a more permanent solution.