How to disable Bing search in Windows 11 and Windows 10

Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10 version 2004 or later. Back up the registry or make a restore point before Step 2. On a work PC, ask IT first; they may already control these settings.

What you can and can’t turn off

When you type in the Start menu or taskbar search box, Windows also sends the text to Bing and mixes web suggestions into the results. You can remove those web suggestions and the “search highlights” content. You can’t swap Bing for Google in Windows Search itself in most regions; in the European Economic Area, Microsoft has said it lets web search providers plug into Windows Search, so check Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions there.

This guide is about Windows Search. If Bing has replaced the search engine in your browser, that’s a browser setting or unwanted software; see how to get rid of an unwanted search engine.

Step 1: Turn off search highlights and cloud search

Windows 11: open Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions.

• Under More settings, turn off Show search highlights. This removes the Bing images, trending searches and daily content from the search pane.
• Under Cloud content search, turn off Microsoft account and Work or School account if you don’t want results from OneDrive, Outlook and other Microsoft services.

Windows 10: the same switches are in Settings > Search > Permissions & History (and right-click the taskbar, then Search > Show search highlights to untick it, on versions that have it).

These switches don’t remove the “Search the web” suggestions. That needs Step 2 or Step 3.

Step 2: Turn off web results with the registry

This works on Windows 10 version 2004 and later and on Windows 11, including Home. It changes only your own user account.

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit and press Enter. Select Yes if asked.
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
3. If there’s no Explorer key under Windows, right-click Windows, choose New > Key and name it Explorer.
4. Right-click Explorer, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it DisableSearchBoxSuggestions.
5. Double-click it, set Value data to 1 and select OK.
6. Sign out and back in, or restart the PC.

Or run this in Terminal or Command Prompt (no admin rights needed, because it’s your own user key):

reg add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer /v DisableSearchBoxSuggestions /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Good to know: Microsoft documents this value as the policy that turns off recent search suggestions in the File Explorer search box. On current versions it also removes web suggestions from Start and taskbar search, which is why it’s the usual way to turn Bing off, but that side effect isn’t officially documented and could change in a future update. It also stops File Explorer from showing your recent searches.

Step 3: Use Group Policy (Pro, Enterprise, Education)

Group Policy sets the same value without editing the registry by hand:

1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
2. Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.
3. Open Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box, select Enabled and then OK.
4. Sign out and back in.

Under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search you’ll also find Allow search highlights (set it to Disabled) and Don’t search the web or display web results in Search. Microsoft lists that last one for Enterprise and Education, and it may not work on newer Windows 11 versions, so use the File Explorer policy above as well. For managing policies across several PCs, see Group Policy Management Console on Windows 11.

Older Windows 10 versions

Before version 2004, Windows 10 used different values. If you’re still on an older build (check with winver), set these DWORD values to 0 under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search:

BingSearchEnabled = 0
CortanaConsent = 0

Those builds no longer get security updates, so updating Windows is the better long-term fix.

How to turn Bing results back on

Delete the DisableSearchBoxSuggestions value (or set it to 0), or set the Group Policy back to Not Configured, then sign out and back in. Turn Show search highlights back on in Settings if you want it.

If search stops responding after any change, see can’t type in the Windows search bar. If the search box disappeared from the taskbar, see taskbar icons missing.

Related guides

• Can’t type in the Windows search bar: how to fix it
• How to get rid of an unwanted search engine in your browser
• Group Policy Management Console on Windows 11
• Taskbar icons missing in Windows: how to get them back

Official sources: for more detail, see these Microsoft pages:

• Microsoft Learn: ADMX_WindowsExplorer Policy CSP (DisableSearchBoxSuggestions)
• Microsoft Learn: Search Policy CSP
• Microsoft Support: Windows Search and privacy

Frequently asked questions

Does this make Windows search faster?

It can feel snappier, because Windows no longer waits for web suggestions, and results only show apps, files and settings on your PC.

Will turning off Bing break Start menu search?

No. Local search for apps, settings and files keeps working. You just won’t see “Search the web” results.

Can I make Windows Search use Google instead?

Not with a built-in setting in most regions. Use your browser for web searches and keep Windows Search for local files.

Why did Bing results come back after an update?

Feature updates can reset some search settings. Check that the registry value or policy is still there, and set it again if needed.