Hide or Unhide Windows 11 Taskbar Search Box

This post shows students and new users steps to hide or unhide the Search box on the Taskbar in Windows 11. In addition, windows let you choose whether the search box shows on your Taskbar.

If you don’t see a search box on your Taskbar, it’s hidden, and you can make it visible again.

Windows Search is a built-in feature that allows you to search for documents and app settings from a particular folder or the entire PC. Windows Search service indexes content for faster results when searching for files and other content from defined locations.

Window Search is essential to quickly find missing files, folders, documents, and settings. In addition, excellent Windows Search features are available to users, including Search Highlights, Cloud content search, Enhanced search indexing, and more.

Again, you can hide the search box from the Taskbar if you don’t need all these features or unhide it if it’s missing.

How to hide or show the search box in Windows 11

As mentioned above, Windows lets you choose whether the search box shows on your Taskbar.

Below is how to hide or unhide the search box on the Taskbar in Windows 11.

Show the search box on the Taskbar:

• Press and hold (or right-click) the Taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
• Select Taskbar items to expand the section, then toggle the Search switch to On.

Hide the search box on the Taskbar:

• Press and hold (or right-click) the Taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
• Select Taskbar items to expand the section, then toggle the Search switch to Off.

On the Personalization > Taskbar settings pane, under Taskbar items, toggle the switch to the On or Off position to enable or disable the Search box on the Taskbar.

Alternatively, click on Start > Settings > Personalization > Taskbar to change the Search box settings in Windows 11.

Hide or unhide the Search box via Windows Registry Editor

If you want to change the Search box layout for all users on the machine, use the Windows Registry Editor.

Open the Windows Registry, and navigate to the folder key path below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search

If you don’t see the Search folder key, right-click on the CurrentVersion key, then create the subkey (Search) folders.

Right-click on the Search folder key’s right pane and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Then, type a new key named SearchboxTaskbarMode.

Double-click the new value name (SearchboxTaskbarMode) and enter the Value data of 0 through 3 to choose the Seach box mode to display on the Taskbar.

• 0 – Hide the search box
• 1 – Search icon only
• 2 – Search box (default)
• 3 – Search button

The option you choose will immediately be reflected on the Taskbar.

That should do it! You can now close the Registry Editor

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Windows 11 allows users to easily hide or unhide the Search box on the Taskbar, providing flexibility and customization options.
• The Search box is a crucial built-in feature, offering efficient file and settings search capabilities, including Search Highlights and Enhanced search indexing.
• Users can toggle the Search box visibility through Taskbar settings or by utilizing the Windows Registry Editor for system-wide changes. This level of control empowers users to tailor their Windows 11 experience according to their preferences.