- To disable search highlights with Bing in the Taskbar, open Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions and turn off “Show Search highlights.”
UPDATED 12/11/2023: On Windows 11, the “Search highlights” feature in the Windows Search experience shows periodic updates from Bing search to help you discover more, connect, and stay productive. The feature is on the right side, and it can show notable moments, including holidays, anniversaries, and other educational moments locally and worldwide. In addition, you will find today’s moment and daily content like word of the day, Microsoft Rewards, trending Searches, and more.
On the left side of the Search interface, the experience will list recent apps, files, settings, and websites that allow you to pick tasks quickly where you left off.
If the Search highlights feature isn’t for you, Windows 11 includes an option to disable the Bing search suggestions for a more traditional experience. Once disabled, the space will include a section showing Search query suggestions and your top apps. (You must use the Group Policy or the Registry to remove search highlights, web results, and the Bing AI button.)
This guide will teach you the steps to remove the Bing search highlights feature for Taskbar on Windows 11.
- Disable Bing search highlights from Taskbar on Windows 11
- Enable Bing search highlights from Taskbar on Windows 11
Disable Bing search highlights from Taskbar on Windows 11
To disable the search highlights in the Taskbar on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 11.
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Click on Privacy & security.
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Under the “Windows permissions” section, click the “Search permissions” setting.
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Under the “More settings” section, turn off the “Show Search highlights” toggle switch to disable Bing search suggestions.
Once you complete the steps, Bing search highlights will no longer appear in the search box. Also, this option will remove the chatbot shortcut from the search box interface, but you will still see an option from the top right corner.
If you want to disable web results when searching on Windows 11, you should use these instructions.
Enable Bing search highlights from Taskbar on Windows 11
To enable the search highlights option to use the chatbot in the Taskbar, use these steps:
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Open Settings.
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Click on Privacy & security.
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Under the “Windows permissions” section, click the “Search permissions” setting.
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Under the “More settings” section, turn on the “Show Search highlights” toggle switch to enable the Bing search suggestions.
After you complete the steps, the Bing experience will be available in the Taskbar search box and search home interface.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].