When you search in Windows 11 using the Start Menu, you receive both local and web-based results powered by Bing by default. This web search feature was first introduced in Windows 10 and has been retained in Windows 11.
Many users of Windows 11 view web searching as a way for Microsoft to promote its Bing search engine rather than enhancing search functionality. In the past, integrating web search has caused issues with Windows Search on Windows 10, and there is a possibility of similar problems occurring again in Windows 11.
How to Turn Off Web Search on Windows 11
Windows 11 offers an official option to disable web searching in the Start Menu, though it is not found in the Settings application. Although there is a setting to manage cloud content search in Settings, it does not affect Internet search in the Start Menu but rather the content from Microsoft Accounts like OneDrive.
Simply disable the options on the page and conduct a search; you will observe that Bing web search results are no longer included.
The official option is accessible in the Group Policy Editor and Registry. The Group Policy Editor is available only in professional and Enterprise editions of Windows 11. Home users must make the change in the Registry to eliminate “Search the web” from the Start Menu.
Group Policy Method
- Open Start, search for gpedit.msc, and choose the Group Policy Editor to launch it with elevated rights.
- Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search in the left sidebar.
- Double-click on the policy “Do not allow web search”.
- Enable the policy.
- Click OK.
- Double-click on the policy “Don’t search the web or display web results in Search”.
- Enable the policy.
- Click OK.
- Restart your computer.
If web-based results persist after this change, you will need to edit the Registry to prevent web search results in Windows 11’s Start Menu.
Registry Method
- Press Start, type regedit.exe, and select the Registry Editor, accepting the displayed UAC prompt.
- Navigate to ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSearch.
- Right-click on Search, choose New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
- Name the value BingSearchEnabled.
- Double-click on the created Dword and set the data to 0.
The change should take effect immediately. Test it by performing a search from the Start Menu to confirm that no web search results are displayed anymore on your Windows 11 PC.
Delete the Dword value to restore the default functionality if needed.
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