Disable Microsoft Edge Search Bar in Windows 11
The Microsoft Edge desktop search bar is a floating search box that lets you look up the web straight from your screen. Microsoft introduced this widget in Windows 11 build 22H2, but it often takes up extra space if you prefer a clean desktop.
Hiding the search bar takes less than two minutes with a quick change inside the Registry Editor (a tool for changing low-level system settings). You can turn off the widget completely by changing a single registry value.
Open the Windows Registry Editor and navigate to the specified Edge key. Create a new DWORD value named SearchbarAllowed and set its data to 0 to disable the search bar. A reboot may be required for the changes to take effect.
Disable the Edge search bar
To disable Edge search bar features on your Windows 11 desktop, you need to make a quick change inside the Registry Editor (a built-in tool for changing advanced system settings). By adding a specific value to the Microsoft Edge folder in the registry, you can permanently hide that floating search widget and keep your screen clean.
First, open the Windows Registry and navigate to the following folder key path.
A new Registry entry will be created for Microsoft Edge. Right-click an empty space in the right-hand pane, hover over New, and select DWORD (32-bit) Value (a specific type of data entry used by Windows to store settings). Name this new DWORD entry SearchbarAllowed to control the search bar’s behavior.
The SearchbarAllowed registry value governs the Microsoft Edge search bar . Double-click SearchbarAllowed and change its value to 0 to disable the Edge search bar in Windows 11, preventing the search bar from appearing on the taskbar .
Deleting the SearchbarAllowed value brings the search bar right back whenever needed.
SearchbarAllowed
WebWidgetAllowed
A system reboot might be necessary for the changes to take effect.
Registry tweaks stay in effect until you reverse them.
How to undo this:
Delete the SearchbarAllowed value you created to restore the search bar.
- Access the Registry: Open the Windows Registry Editor and navigate to the appropriate key path.
- Create a DWORD: Right-click on the Edge folder and create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named
SearchbarAllowed. - Set the Value: Change the value of
SearchbarAllowedto0to disable the search bar. - Delete Values to Re-enable: If you wish to enable the search bar again, delete the
SearchbarAllowedandWebWidgetAllowedvalues. - Reboot Required: A system reboot may be necessary for the changes to take effect.
Managing the functionality of the Edge search bar suits personal preferences, allowing for its removal whenever it proves distracting.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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