On Windows 11, users have the option to disable web search results that appear on the home page of the Windows Search experience. This can be achieved through the Settings app, allowing for a more streamlined search experience. Below are the steps to configure this setting effectively.
How to turn off search highlights on Windows 11 using Group Policy
For those utilizing Windows 11 Pro, the following steps will guide you in preventing Windows Search from displaying web results:
- Open Start.
- Search for Group Policy and select the top result to launch the application.
- Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.
- Right-click on the “Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box” policy and select Edit.
- Select the Enabled option.
- Click the Apply button.
- Finally, click the OK button.
After completing these steps, a reboot may be necessary to apply the changes, ensuring that the Windows Search experience no longer shows web results. If you wish to revert this setting, simply follow the same instructions, but choose the “Not Configured” option in step five.
How to turn off search highlights on Windows 11 using Registry
For users of both Windows 11 Pro and Home, disabling web results via the Registry is another viable option. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Start.
- Search for Registry and select the top result to access the application.
- Navigate to the following path: HKEYCURRENTUSERSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows.
- Right-click the Windows key, select New, and then choose Key.
- Confirm the name Explorer for the key and press Enter.
- Right-click the newly created key, select New, and choose “DWORD (32-bit) Value”.
- Name the DWORD DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and press Enter.
- Right-click the newly created key and select Modify.
- Change its value from 0 to 1.
- Click the OK button.
Once these steps are completed, restart your computer. The next time you perform a search, the results will be limited to system and file-related queries. To undo these changes, access the Registry again, navigate to HKEYCURRENTUSERSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsExplorer, right-click on the “DisableSearchBoxSuggestions” DWORD, and select the “Delete” option. This configuration will also disable search highlights, which are the web suggestions displayed when opening the Windows Search home. Consequently, the “Show search highlights” option on the Search settings page will appear grayed out.
FAQs about disabling web search on Windows 11
Here are some common inquiries regarding the process of disabling web search results on Windows 11:
What are web search results in Windows Search?
Web search results in Windows Search refer to the online suggestions that appear when users input queries into the search box, providing links and information sourced from the internet alongside local files and applications.
