How to disable web search on Windows 10 version 1803

If web results on Windows 10 search isn't for you, use this guide to disable the feature on version 1803.

Disable web search results on Windows 10
Disable web search results on Windows 10

On Windows 10, search has become more than just a feature to find apps and files, it’s a tool to find anything as well as to search the web. While search results can enhance the experience to get things done on Windows 10, it’s not a feature for everyone, as many users prefer the search experience like the one available on Windows 7.

If search results in the Start menu aren’t for you, it’s possible to modify the Registry to disable web search on Windows 10 version 1803 (April 2018 Update). However, be aware that usually Microsoft changes the way web searches works and enables the feature again once you install a new version of the OS. This means that the workaround outlined in this guide, may stop working in the next feature update.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to disable web search on Windows 10 running the April 2018 Update.

How to disable web search results on Windows 10

If you want to disable web search result when using search box in the taskbar, do the following:

Warning: It’s very important to note that modifying the Windows Registry can cause serious problems if not used properly. It’s assumed you know what you’re doing and that you have created a full backup of your system before proceeding.
  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for regedit, right-click the top result, and select Run as administrator.

  3. Browse the following path:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
  4. Double-click the CortanaConsent key.

  5. Set the key value from 1 to 0.

    CortanaConsent regedit
    CortanaConsent regedit
  6. Click the OK button.

  7. On the left pane, right-click the Search (folder) key, and select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

    Search regedit
    Search regedit
  8. Name the new key AllowSearchToUseLocation, press Enter, and leave its default value of 0.

    AllowSearchToUseLocation regedit
    AllowSearchToUseLocation regedit
  9. On the left pane, right-click the Search (folder) key, select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  10. Name the new key BingSearchEnabled, press Enter, and leave its default value of 0.

    BingSearchEnabledand regedit
    BingSearchEnabledand regedit
  11. Browse the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
  12. Right-click the Windows (folder) key, select New, and click on Key.

    Windows Search key regedit
    Windows Search key regedit
  13. Name the key Windows Search and press Enter.

  14. On the left pane, right-click the Windows Search (folder) key, and select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  15. Name the new key ConnectedSearchUseWebOverMeteredConnections, press Enter, and leave its default value of 0.

  16. On the left pane, right-click the Windows Search (folder) key, and select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  17. Name the new key AllowCortana, press Enter, and leave its default value of 0.

  18. On the left pane, right-click the Windows Search (folder) key, and select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  19. Name the new key DisableWebSearch and press Enter.

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

    DisableWebSearch regedit
    DisableWebSearch regedit
  21. On the left pane, right-click the Windows Search (folder) key, and select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  22. Name the new key ConnectedSearchUseWeb, press Enter, and leave its default value of 0.

After completing the steps, restart your computer to complete disabling web search on Windows 10. However, remember that using these instructions also completely disables Cortana, as the assistant relies on the web.

At any time, you can revert the changes to enable web search and Cortana using the same steps, but on step No. 5, make sure to change the key value to 0. On step No. 8, right-click the AllowSearchToUseLocation key and select Delete. On step No. 10, right-click the BingSearchEnabledand key and select Delete. On step No. 11, right-click the Windows Search key and select Delete to delete all the remaining keys. Finally, restart your device to apply the changes.

About the author

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 14 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 20 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.