How to Enable or Disable Visual Search in Microsoft Edge

Why Use Visual Search?

Visual Search helps you find online content related to the images you come across while browsing. With it on, you can find similar products, learn details about a photograph, or explore related topics much faster. You don’t have to save the image and upload it to a separate search page.

The trade-off is the extra icon. It can get in the way if you often hover over pictures to read, copy or drag them. If that annoys you, turning the feature off is a reasonable choice.

Method 1Turn Visual Search On or Off Using Browser Settings

Microsoft Edge Visual Search settings control whether a search button appears when you hover over images online. You can switch it on or off in the browser settings, in the Appearance section, under the hover menu options. Turning it off stops the search 🔍 icon from popping up every time you look at a picture.

It also needs no changes outside the browser. Follow the steps in order.

1. Open Microsoft Edge. Microsoft Edge browser

2. Click the Settings and more button. This is the icon with 3 horizontal dots in the top right corner. Alternatively, press Alt+F on your keyboard. A menu opens below the button.

3. Select Settings from the menu that appears. Settings opens in a new tab.

4. Click Appearance on the left side panel. The appearance options now fill the right side of the page.

5. Scroll down and locate the Hover menu section under Context menu. Click on it to expand the options.

6. Find the toggle switch labeled Show hover menu on image hover. It appears in the expanded options.
7. Flip the toggle to the blue On position to activate the feature. Moving the toggle back to the left turns it gray and stops the browser from analyzing pictures for searches.

If the toggle is greyed out, or the page says your browser is managed by your organization, a policy is controlling the setting. That includes a registry value set earlier with the second method below. Change or remove that value, then check the setting again. If your PC is managed by a workplace, ask your IT team. If you can't find the option at all, make sure Edge is up to date, because older builds don't have it.

7. Check that the change has applied. It takes effect immediately, but closing and reopening Microsoft Edge confirms it is working. Then hover over an image on any webpage to see whether the search icon appears.

To undo the change, return to the same toggle and flip it back.

Method 2Turn Visual Search On or Off Using Windows Registry

You can also turn Microsoft Edge Visual Search on or off by editing the Windows Registry, a central database for system settings. This method needs administrator permissions. You change the VisualSearchEnabled value directly, and the setting applies without you opening the browser interface. It works on Home as well as Pro, since it does not rely on Group Policy tools.

Proceed with this method only when comfortable working with system registries. A wrong change in the wrong place can cause problems. Before you start, back up the registry in the Registry Editor with File › Export, so you can restore it if needed.

1. Open the Windows Registry. Typing regedit into the Windows search bar and pressing Enter launches the tool. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission.

2. Navigate to this folder path. You can expand the keys in the left pane one at a time or paste the path into the address bar at the top of the window.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge

3. Check whether the final subkey in that path exists. If the designated subkey is missing, right-click the parent key, select New, and then Key to create it. Name the new key Edge. The new key appears in the left pane.

4. Right-click inside the right-hand pane of the Edge folder.
5. Select New and then DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new value appears in the right pane with its name ready to edit.

5. Type the name: VisualSearchEnabled. Press Enter to confirm it.

6. Double-click the newly created VisualSearchEnabled item. An edit window opens.

7. Confirm the Base is set to Decimal. Then modify the Value data field to match what you want:

To turn Visual Search ON: Type 1

To turn Visual Search OFF: Type 0

8. Click OK to save the modification. The new value now shows in the right pane.

9. Restart the computer for changes to take effect. After you sign back in, open Microsoft Edge and hover over an image to check the result.

To undo the change, open the same value and enter the opposite number. You can also right-click the value and choose Delete to remove it. Edge then goes back to using the setting in its own menus. If you set this value on a PC that Edge treats as managed, the browser setting may stay greyed out until you delete it.

Summary

Microsoft Edge Visual Search helps you explore web images by showing a search button when you hover over them. You can manage it through the browser appearance settings. If you prefer a system-level fix, you can change the VisualSearchEnabled value in the Windows Registry instead.

• Using Browser Settings: Go to Settings, click Appearance, find the context menu options, and toggle the switch. This is the easiest method for most users. It takes effect immediately and needs no administrator rights.
• Using Windows Registry: Edit the registry to change the VisualSearchEnabled value to 1 (on) or 0 (off). This method requires administrator access and is best for advanced users or IT professionals. Restart the PC afterward.

Both methods give the same result. Pick the one you are comfortable with. Browser changes apply at once. Registry changes apply after a system restart. Whichever you choose, you can reverse it later with the same steps.