How to disable web results in Windows 11 search?

Tired of web results in Windows 11? Disable them easily!

Windows 11, Like Windows 10 above, it automatically includes web search results in the Start menu search. This can be useful for some people, but others feel it’s too much and prefer to see only local results. If you fall into the latter group, this guide is here to help you disable web results in Windows 11 search.

Reasons to disable web results

Before we move on to the steps, let’s talk about why you might want to disable web results in Windows 11 search:

- Privacy :When you search the web, your queries may go to Microsoft, and some people find that a little disturbing.

- Speed: Disabling web results can make your searches faster because the system will not have to search for information online.

- Relevance: If you primarily want to search for local files and applications, web results can make your searches seem cluttered.

How to disable web results

You have two main ways to disable web results in Windows 11 Search: via the Group Policy Editor or via the Registry Editor.

Step 1: Open Windows Settings

To disable web results in Windows 11 search, you must first access the Settings app:

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings window. Alternatively, you can click the Start menu (the Windows icon) in the bottom left corner and then select the Settings gear icon.

Step 2: Go to Privacy and Security

In the Settings window, navigate to the Privacy and Security section:

1. On the left sidebar, scroll down and click Privacy & Security.

Step 3: Open Search Permissions

Under Privacy and Security, you will find a section labeled Windows Permissions. In this section, you will see the Search Permissions option.

1. Click Search Permissions to open search-related settings.

Step 4: Disable online search results

Now that you are in the Search Permissions menu, you will need to disable web results:

1. Under the Search online and include web results setting, move the switch to the Off position.

This will prevent Windows 11 from showing web-based results (from Bing) in its search results.

Step 5: Verify the changes

Once you've disabled the web search option, it's a good idea to check that the change has taken effect. Here's how:

1. Press Windows Key + S to open the search bar.
2. Type something into the search field (for example, “weather” or “news”).
3. You should no longer see web results. Instead, only local results such as files, apps, and settings will be displayed.

Alternative Methods

Method 1: Using the Group Policy Editor

The Group Policy Editor is a useful tool for tweaking various settings on your Windows computer. Please note that this option is only for Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise editions.

1: To open Group Policy Editor: Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc and press Enter.

2: Next, go to Search Policies: In the left sidebar, follow this path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.

3: To disable web searching: Find the policy named “Do not allow web searching”, double-click it and choose Enabled. Then click OK.

4: To disable the display of web results: Find the “Do not search the web or display web results in Search” policy, double-click it, set it to Enabled, and click OK.

3: Finally, restart your PC – this will ensure that the changes take effect.

Method 2: Using Registry Editor

If you have Windows 11 Home edition, you will use Registry Editor to disable web results.

1: To start, open the Registry Editor by pressing Win + R, typing regedit and pressing Enter. When prompted by User Account Control, simply accept it.

2: Next, locate the search key by following this path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search.

3: Now it's time to create a new DWORD value. Right-click on the Search key, go to New, and then select DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name this new entry as BingSearchEnabled.

4: After that, double-click on the BingSearchEnabled value you just created and change the data to 0. Then, remember to click OK.

5: Finally, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

In short, disabling web results in Windows 11 Search can help protect your privacy, speed things up, and make your results more relevant. Whether you use the Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor, it's a simple process that won't take long.