Microsoft is finally letting Windows 11 users remove Bing results from Search

• Microsoft is preparing a Windows 11 setting to disable Bing-powered web results directly from Search.
• The option will appear in Settings > Privacy & Security > Search and may include a separate toggle for Microsoft Store results.
• The change aligns with Microsoft’s Windows K2 initiative, which focuses on improving Windows performance, usability, and user control.

Microsoft is preparing a new Windows 11 feature that will allow users to disable web results from the operating system’s Search experience. The company previewed the change during a Windows Insider meetup in San Francisco on June 2 (via PCMag).

The upcoming option will appear under Settings > Privacy & security > Search, where users will be able to turn off suggested web results. Screens shown during the presentation also indicate Microsoft may add a separate toggle to remove Microsoft Store results from Search.

Windows 11 Search is getting a cleanup

For many users, this change is long overdue. Since Microsoft integrated Bing into Windows Search, users looking for an installed app, document, or setting have often been presented with web links alongside local results. A lot of people have argued that the feature adds unnecessary clutter and turns a tool designed for finding content on a device into another entry point to Microsoft’s online services.

The ability to disable web results is not entirely new. Users in the European Union already gained similar controls through changes Microsoft implemented to comply with the Digital Markets Act. The difference now is that Microsoft appears ready to bring the option to users in other regions.

Another sign of Microsoft’s Windows K2 strategy

The upcoming Search controls also fit into Microsoft’s broader Windows K2 effort, an initiative focused on improving the core Windows experience and rebuilding user confidence in the platform.

While Build 2026 featured plenty of AI announcements, Microsoft has recently been highlighting improvements to Windows itself. At the Insider event, the company said File Explorer launches faster, and that bulk file deletion performance has improved by roughly 30 percent in internal builds. Recent Insider releases have also introduced a cleaner Widgets experience, more Taskbar customization options, Start menu refinements, and faster Search responsiveness.

Viewed on its own, a new Search toggle may seem like a small addition. However, it reflects a larger effort to make Windows feel faster, cleaner, and less intrusive in everyday use.

No more Registry edits

Outside the EU, users who wanted to remove Bing results from Windows Search typically had to modify the Registry, a process most people never attempt. By moving the option into Settings, Microsoft is making the feature accessible to everyone with a single click.

The company has not announced when the feature will roll out, but it is expected to arrive first in Windows Insider preview builds before expanding to all Windows 11 users.