How to Remove Bing Search from Windows 11 & Edge (2026 Deep Guide)

Quick answer

Windows Search and Edge are fixed separately. Do both.

✅

The short version

Windows: Settings → Privacy & security → Search → turn off Web searches. No toggle? Set DisableSearchBoxSuggestions to 1 in the registry. Edge: open edge://settings/search, pick another engine, and set new tab searches to Address bar.

Update Windows and look for the Web searches toggle (Fix 1).
No toggle? Use the registry or Group Policy (Fix 2, Fix 3).
Change the Edge engine and the new tab box (Fix 7, Fix 8).
Remove the Copilot button and stop Edge popping up (Fix 9, Fix 11).
Check it stuck after updates (Fix 6).

Four rules before you edit anything

Back up the registry key first (File → Export in Regedit) or create a restore point.
Do not uninstall Edge or WebView2. Apps rely on them, and you do not need to.
Skip “debloat” scripts that change dozens of settings at once.
Change one thing, restart Explorer, test, then move on.

Find your case in 20 seconds

Tell me where you see Bing and you get the fixes in the right order.

Where is Bing?

Decoder: what you see and what fixes it

What you see	Cause	Go to
Web results or “Search the web” in Start or the taskbar search	Bing web suggestions in Windows Search	Fix 1, 2, 3
Trending pictures and topics in the search box	Search highlights	Fix 4
Clicking a result opens Edge, even with Chrome as default	Windows Search links use Edge and Bing outside the EEA	Fix 14, 1
Edge address bar searches Bing	Default engine is still Bing	Fix 7
New tab box still goes to Bing	Separate new tab setting	Fix 8
Copilot or Bing icon on the toolbar	Copilot button and sidebar	Fix 9
Edge opens on its own	Startup boost, background apps, clicked web result	Fix 11
Engine setting greyed out, or Bing returns	Policy, extension or hijacker	Fix 12, 13

The 14 fixes

Phase A removes Bing from Windows Search. Phase B removes it from Edge. Phase C is for admins and stubborn cases.

Remove Bing from the Windows 11 taskbar and Start menu search

Official toggle first, then registry and policy.

1Update Windows and use the new Web searches toggleSafeAbout 5 minutes

Use this when

You run Windows 11 25H2, 24H2 or 26H2 and want the official switch, with no registry edit.

Steps

Open Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates, then Advanced options → Optional updates and install the latest cumulative update. The toggle first shipped in KB5120998 (August 27, 2026, builds 26200.9278 and 26100.9278) and later updates such as KB5127648 (October 13, 2026) carry it forward. It is a gradual rollout, so it may not show yet.
Open Settings → Privacy & security → Search. Under Show suggested search results, turn Web searches off. Turn Microsoft Store off too if you want a strictly local search.
Press Win, type an app name and check that the web section is gone.

⚠️

Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro

Microsoft ended updates for 24H2 Home and Pro on October 13, 2026. Move to 25H2 or later to keep getting fixes.

💡

Menus may change this fall

Microsoft previewed a new Copilot-based Windows Search on October 7, 2026 and says it arrives later this fall. If the toggle moves, re-check Fix 6.

2Registry: set DisableSearchBoxSuggestions to 1CautionAbout 5 minutes

Use this when

The toggle is missing, or you use Windows 11 Home. Several 2026 guides confirm this still works on current Windows 11.

Steps

Press Win + R, type regedit and press Enter.
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows. If there is no Explorer key, right-click Windows → New → Key and name it Explorer.
In Explorer, choose New → DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and set it to 1.
Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager, or restart the PC. To undo, delete the value.

PowerShell (current user)

New-Item -Path "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" -Force | Out-Null
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" -Name DisableSearchBoxSuggestions -PropertyType DWord -Value 1 -Force
Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force

💡

Side effect

One 2026 guide reports this also removes the Copilot entry from the Search home. Local apps, files and settings still appear.

3Group Policy for Pro, Enterprise and EducationCautionAbout 5 minutes

Use this when

You have gpedit.msc and prefer a policy.

Steps

Open gpedit.msc. Go to User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → File Explorer.
Open Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box, choose Enabled, then Apply and OK. This writes the same value as Fix 2.
Optional: under Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Search, enable Don’t search the web or display web results in Search. Reports on new builds are mixed, so keep the File Explorer policy as your main switch.
Run gpupdate /force and restart.

4Hide search highlights and shrink the search boxSafeAbout 3 minutes

Use this when

You mainly want less Bing-powered clutter on the taskbar.

Steps

Settings → Privacy & security → Search permissions → More settings: turn Show search highlights off.
Settings → Personalization → Taskbar → Search: choose Hide or Search icon only.

⚠️

Cosmetic only

These steps hide trending content and the box. Web results still appear in Search until you use Fix 1, 2 or 3.

5Apply it to every user or to managed PCsCautionAbout 15 minutes

Use this when

A shared PC, a school or office fleet, or Intune.

Steps

Easiest for managed PCs: deploy the File Explorer policy from Fix 3 to users with Group Policy or an Intune Settings catalog profile.
For new profiles on one PC, add the value to the Default user hive (below). Existing users must sign in once or get the policy another way.
Test on one account first.

Command Prompt (Administrator). Default profile only

reg load HKU\DefUser C:\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT
reg add "HKU\DefUser\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" /v DisableSearchBoxSuggestions /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg unload HKU\DefUser

6Check it worked, and re-check after updatesSafeAbout 2 minutes

Use this when

Bing results return after an update, or you want proof the value is set.

Steps

Open Settings → Privacy & security → Search and confirm Web searches is off (if you have the toggle).
Run the read-only check below. A value of 1 means the policy is on.
Re-check after each feature update and after Microsoft’s new Windows Search arrives.

PowerShell (read-only)

Get-ItemProperty "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" -Name DisableSearchBoxSuggestions

Remove Bing from Microsoft Edge

Address bar, new tab, Copilot button, popups and locked settings.

7Change the Edge address-bar search engineSafeAbout 2 minutes

Use this when

Typing in the Edge address bar searches Bing.

Steps

Open edge://settings/search (or Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Address bar and search).
Set Search engine used in the address bar to Google, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo or another engine. If yours is missing, search once on its site, then return here and choose it.
Optional: turn off Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters to stop typed text going to a suggestion service.

💡

Bing stays in the list

Edge keeps Bing as a built-in entry. You cannot delete it, but it stops being used once another engine is the default.

8Make the new tab search box obey your engineSafeAbout 3 minutes

Use this when

You changed the address bar but the big box on a new tab still searches Bing.

Steps

On edge://settings/search, set Search on new tabs uses search box or address bar to Address bar. Typing in the box is then sent to your chosen engine.
Open edge://settings/newTabPage and switch the layout to a simpler one, and turn off the background image and Microsoft Start content you do not want.

⚠️

If the option is missing

A Microsoft support answer from June 2026 says the new tab box itself is always Bing and cannot be changed. Use the Address bar option if you have it, or set your engine’s home page as the new tab page with an extension.

9Remove the Copilot button and sidebarSafeAbout 3 minutes

Use this when

The Bing or Copilot icon sits on the Edge toolbar or sidebar.

Steps

Open edge://settings/appearance/copilotAndSidebar.
Open Copilot under App-specific settings and turn off Show Copilot button on the toolbar. Right-click the button and choose Hide as a shortcut.
Turn off Always show sidebar.

💡

Copilot is separate

Copilot and the sidebar use Microsoft services and do not follow the address-bar engine.

10Move your homepage and startup pages off BingSafeAbout 3 minutes

Use this when

Edge opens a Bing or Microsoft page at launch, or the Home button goes to Bing.

Steps

Open edge://settings/startHomeNTP.
Under When Edge starts, choose Open these pages and add your own site, or choose Open the new tab page.
Turn on the Home button and enter your preferred URL.

11Stop Edge popping up on startup or at randomSafeAbout 5 minutes

Use this when

Edge opens by itself, or opens when you click a Windows search result.

Steps

Open edge://settings/system and turn off Startup boost and Continue running background extensions and apps when Microsoft Edge is closed.
Open Settings → Apps → Startup and switch Microsoft Edge off.
Turn off Windows web results (Fix 1 to 3). Clicking a web result opens Edge, so with none shown, nothing can launch it.

12Settings greyed out, or Edge keeps going back to BingCautionAbout 10 minutes

Use this when

The search engine setting is locked, or Bing returns after you change it.

Steps

Open edge://policy. Policies named DefaultSearchProvider… mean something is managing the setting. On a work PC, ask IT.
On a personal PC, remove unknown extensions at edge://extensions and run a full Windows Security scan.
Check for leftover policy keys at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge and HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge. Export first, then delete only values you recognise as unwanted.
Last step: edge://settings/reset. Resetting returns startup pages, the new tab page, search engine and pinned tabs to defaults and disables extensions.

Admin policies and Windows-to-Edge links

For fleets, locked settings and Chrome or Firefox users.

13Set Edge policies for a whole PC or organisationCautionAbout 10 minutes

Use this when

You manage several PCs, or you need a setting users cannot change.

Steps

Run the commands below as Administrator, or set the same policies in Group Policy or Intune.
Check edge://policy. Edge will show “managed by your organization” and lock these settings.

Command Prompt (Administrator)

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v DefaultSearchProviderEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v DefaultSearchProviderName /t REG_SZ /d "Google" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v DefaultSearchProviderSearchURL /t REG_SZ /d "https://www.google.com/search?q={searchTerms}" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v NewTabPageSearchBox /t REG_SZ /d redirect /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v SearchSuggestEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v HubsSidebarEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

NewTabPageSearchBox=redirect: sends new tab searches to the address bar
HubsSidebarEnabled=0: hides the sidebar. Since Edge 141 it no longer hides the Copilot Chat button. Edge for Business uses Microsoft365CopilotChatIconEnabled for that

14Windows Search clicks that open Edge and BingCautionAbout 5 minutes

Use this when

You use Chrome or Firefox, but Windows search results still open Edge.

Steps

Set your browser under Settings → Apps → Default apps. In the European Economic Area, Windows components follow your default browser. Elsewhere, web results from Windows Search open Edge and Bing whatever you choose.
The dependable fix outside the EEA is to turn web results off (Fix 1 to 3), so there is nothing to click.
Third-party redirectors exist, but Microsoft has blocked them before, so do not rely on them.

Which method works where

Use this to pick a method for your edition. Methods marked legacy are listed so you can skip them.

Method	Editions	Status in 2026
Settings → Privacy & security → Search → Web searches	All editions, after KB5120998 or later	Official. Gradual rollout, may be missing
Registry `DisableSearchBoxSuggestions=1`	Home, Pro, Enterprise	Reported working in 2026. Needs Explorer restart
Group Policy: File Explorer search entries	Pro, Enterprise, Education	Writes the same value as the registry method
Group Policy: Don’t search the web	Pro, Enterprise, Education	Mixed reports on new builds. Test it
Registry `BingSearchEnabled=0`	Old Windows 10 builds	Legacy. Not reliable on Windows 11
Search highlights off, search box hidden	All editions	Cosmetic. Does not remove web results

💡

Windows 11 S mode and the EEA

In S mode, Edge and Bing stay the defaults. In the European Economic Area, Windows follows your default browser and offers extra search choices.

Keep Bing removed

Turn off Web searches or set DisableSearchBoxSuggestions=1, then restart Explorer.Set a non-Bing address-bar engine and new tab searches → Address bar in Edge.Hide the Copilot button and turn off Edge Startup boost.Check edge://policy if a setting is greyed out.Re-check Search and Edge settings after each feature update.

Do’s and don’ts

Do

Use the Settings toggle when you have it
Export a registry key before editing
Check edge://policy when settings are locked
Re-check after feature updates

Don’t

Uninstall Edge or WebView2
Run unknown debloat or “Bing remover” tools
Rely on BingSearchEnabled alone
Edit HKLM keys on a work PC without IT approval

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove Bing search from the Windows 11 taskbar and Start menu?

Update Windows, then open Settings → Privacy & security → Search and turn off Web searches. If you do not have the toggle, set the DisableSearchBoxSuggestions registry value to 1 (Fix 1 and 2).

Is there a Settings toggle to turn off Bing in Windows 11 Search?

Yes, on updated builds. KB5120998 (August 27, 2026) added a setting in Privacy & security → Search for web and Microsoft Store suggestions. It rolls out gradually, so it may not show on every PC yet.

Does DisableSearchBoxSuggestions still work on Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2?

Several 2026 guides report that it works on Windows 11 Home and Pro. Create the value under the Explorer policy key, set it to 1 and restart Explorer. Re-check it after major updates (Fix 2 and 6).

How do I remove Bing from Windows 11 Home, which has no Group Policy?

Use the Settings toggle if you have it, or the registry method in Fix 2. Both work on Home.

Does the old BingSearchEnabled registry value still work?

Not reliably. It was a Windows 10 era setting that newer builds ignore. Use DisableSearchBoxSuggestions or the Settings toggle.

Why did Bing results come back after a Windows update?

An update can change the Search interface or move settings. The policy value normally stays, so check it with the read-only command in Fix 6 and re-check the Settings page.

Can I change Windows Search from Bing to Google?

Outside the EEA there is no setting for that, and changing your browser or the Edge engine does not affect Windows Search. The practical answer is to turn web results off and search the web in your browser.

How do I remove Bing from Microsoft Edge?

You cannot delete Bing from Edge, but you can stop using it. Change the address-bar engine at edge://settings/search, then set new tab searches to use the address bar (Fix 7 and 8).

Why does the Edge new tab page still search with Bing?

The new tab box is a separate setting from the address bar. Set Search on new tabs to Address bar. If the option is missing on your build, Microsoft says the box is always Bing (Fix 8).

Why is the Edge search engine setting greyed out or switching back to Bing?

Usually a policy, a leftover registry key, a browser extension or malware. Check edge://policy, remove unknown extensions, scan the PC and reset Edge if needed (Fix 12).

How do I remove the Bing or Copilot icon from the Edge toolbar?

Open edge://settings/appearance/copilotAndSidebar, choose Copilot and turn off Show Copilot button on the toolbar (Fix 9).

Does turning off web results also remove Copilot from Windows Search?

One 2026 guide reports that the registry and Group Policy methods also remove the Copilot entry from the Search home. The separate Copilot app and taskbar button are not covered.

Why does Edge keep opening by itself?

Common causes are Startup boost, background running, a clicked Windows web result and Edge in your startup apps. See Fix 11.

Is it safe to uninstall Microsoft Edge or WebView2 to get rid of Bing?

No. Windows features and many apps rely on Edge WebView2. You do not need to remove Edge to stop Bing, and removal is not supported on most PCs.

Does this work on Windows 10?

The DisableSearchBoxSuggestions value is reported to work on Windows 10 too, but Windows 10 is out of regular support, so move to Windows 11 when you can.

How do I do this for all users or through Intune?

Deploy the File Explorer policy to users, add the value to the Default user hive for new profiles, and set Edge policies with Group Policy or Intune (Fix 5 and 13).

Will this stop Microsoft collecting my search data?

No. It stops Bing web results in Windows Search and Bing use in Edge searches. Copilot, Edge services and your Microsoft account settings are separate.

How do I change the search engine in Edge on Mac, Android or iPhone?

On Mac, use edge://settings/search as on Windows. In Edge for Android and iPhone, open Settings and choose Select search engine.

Will Windows Search be faster without web results?

Some outlets that tested the new toggle reported faster, cleaner Search. Results vary by PC.

Bottom line

Bing in Windows Search and Bing in Edge are two separate switches. Turn off Web searches (or set DisableSearchBoxSuggestions to 1), then change Edge’s address-bar engine and send new tab searches to the address bar. Hide the Copilot button, stop Edge’s startup behaviour, and re-check after updates.

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