How to disable web search results on Windows 11 – and remove Bing

• To disable web search on Windows 11 from the Start menu and Windows Search, open Group Policy (gpedit.msc) > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer, open and enable the “Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box” policy.
• Alternatively, open the “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer” path in the Registry, create the “DisableSearchBoxSuggestions” key, and set it to “1.”
• This process removes the Copilot button from the Start menu and Windows Search interfaces.

On Windows 11, you can disable web results in the Start menu and Search box to keep results focused on local apps, files, and settings. It’s also possible to remove the Copilot entry from the Windows Search experience so queries don’t open in the browser.

By default, when you search from Start or the Taskbar, the system shows results from your device. However, if there’s no exact match, Windows 11 pulls in suggestions from Bing. Clicking one of these results opens the page in Microsoft Edge, and selecting the Copilot option also sends the query to the browser.

While this integration can be useful, many users prefer a cleaner, local-only search experience. The issue is that the operating system doesn’t include a straightforward toggle in the Settings app to turn off web results or remove Copilot from Search. 

There’s an option on the “Search” settings page, but it only disables the search highlights in the Windows Search interface.

To disable these features, you have to use system-level configurations. On devices running Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you can use the Group Policy Editor to turn off web search, search highlights, and related cloud content. On Windows 11 Home, the same outcome can be achieved using the Registry Editor, since Group Policy isn’t available.

In this guide, I will show you how to completely disable web results in the Search box and the Start menu on Windows 11.

• Disable web search results on Windows 11 from Registry
• Disable web search results on Windows 11 from Group Policy
• Pureinfotech’s Take
• FAQs about disabling web results on Windows 11

Disable web search results on Windows 11 from Registry

To disable web search results (and remove the Copilot button) in the Windows Search home from the Registry on Windows 11 (Home or Pro), follow these steps:

1. Open Start on Windows 11.

2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.

3. Browse to the following path:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

4. Right-click the Windows key, select the New menu, and choose the Key option.

   

5. Name the key Explorer and press Enter (if applicable).

6. Right-click the newly created key, select the New menu, and choose the “DWORD (32-bit) Value” option.

   

7. Name the DWORD DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and press Enter.

8. Double-click the newly created key and change its value from 0 to 1.

   

9. Click the OK button.

10. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, Windows Search will no longer offer web results, and the Copilot button will be removed from the interface. However, the search experience will continue to offer results for files, apps, and settings.

If you want to revert the changes, open the Registry, and in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer path, right-click the “DisableSearchBoxSuggestions” DWORD, and select the “Delete” option.

It’s important to note that you can also disable search highlights in the Windows Search home interface in the Settings app. However, this option doesn’t disable web results in the operating system, and for that reason, I’m not including it as an option.

Disable web search results on Windows 11 from Group Policy 

To disable web search results (and the Copilot button) on Windows 11 (Pro) from Group Policy, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for gpedit and click the top result to open the Group Policy Editor.

3. Browse to the following path:

   User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer

4. Double-click the “Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box” policy.

   

5. Select the Enabled option.

   

6. Click the Apply button.

7. Click the OK button.

8. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, you will no longer see web results in Windows Search on the Taskbar or Start menu. In addition, this method will also remove the Copilot button from the interface.

If you want to revert the changes, you can use the same instructions outlined above, but in step 5, select the “Not Configured” option.

Pureinfotech’s Take

Disabling web results on Windows 11 is one of those tweaks that instantly improves the overall experience, especially if you rely on Search to quickly launch apps, find files, or access settings. By removing Bing integration and the Copilot entry, you eliminate distractions and keep results fast, relevant, and local.

The downside is that Microsoft still doesn’t offer a simple toggle in the Settings app to control this behavior. Instead, you have to rely on Group Policy or the Registry, which isn’t ideal for everyday users. However, once configured, the change is reliable and significantly cleans up the Search interface.

If you’re looking for a more focused and predictable search experience on Windows 11, turning off web results is a worthwhile adjustment that makes the Start menu and taskbar search feel more like a true system search tool again.

FAQs about disabling web results on Windows 11

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers about turning off web results on Windows 11.

Can I disable Bing web results in Windows 11 Search?

Yes. You can disable Bing web results in the Windows 11 Search box or Start menu using the Registry Editor or Group Policy Editor. Once disabled, Search will only show local results for apps, files, and settings.

How do I remove the Copilot button from Windows Search?

To remove the Copilot button, you can modify the Registry by creating a DisableSearchBoxSuggestions DWORD under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer and setting its value to 1. This also disables Bing web suggestions.

Can I disable web results on Windows 11 Home edition?

Yes. Even though Windows 11 Home doesn’t include the Group Policy Editor, you can still disable web results through the Registry Editor method.

What happens after disabling web results on Windows 11?

After disabling web results, the Search box and Start menu will no longer show suggestions from the web or the Copilot button. You’ll only see results for local apps, files, and settings on your device.

Can I disable search highlights without turning off web results?

Yes. You can disable search highlights from Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions, but this only hides trending content. It doesn’t disable web or Bing search integration.