On Windows 11, whenever you search from the Taskbar or Start menu when hovering over the Search button, you will see a list of your recent searches.
Although this could be a useful feature for repetitive searches, it could be a privacy concern for many users. If you don’t want to see recent searches in the Taskbar, Windows 11 22H2 includes an option to disable this behavior.
This guide will teach you the easy steps to prevent the Taskbar from showing recent searches on the Windows 11 2022 Update.
Disable recent searches on Windows 11
To stop showing recent searches in the Taskbar, use these steps:
-
Open Settings on Windows 11.
-
Click on Personalization.
-
Click the Taskbar tab.
-
Click the Taskbar behaviors setting.
-
Clear the “Show recent searches when I hover over the search icon” option.
Once you complete the steps, when hovering over the search button in the Taskbar, you will no longer see a list of your recent searches.
If you only want to remove the current listing of past searches, you can always recheck the option in the Taskbar behaviors settings.
If you don’t see the option, you don’t have the version of Windows 11 that includes this option. The ability to stop showing recent searches is available on version 22H2 and higher releases.
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].