How to turn Bing Web Suggested Search Results on or off in Windows 11

Windows Search helps you find things on your computer and the web. When you type in the search bar, it can show you apps, files, settings, and even web results. This guide shows you how to control whether it shows suggestions from web searches.

Why would you want to change this? Some people like seeing web suggestions right away to find information faster. Others might prefer a cleaner search experience without web results mixed in. This setting lets you choose what works best for you.

What happens when you turn on web suggestions? When you start typing in the Windows Search bar, you might see quick links or suggestions based on popular web searches. This can help you find information or websites more quickly. If you turn it off, you will only see results from your computer and apps.

Microsoft has been testing a feature that lets you control web suggestions in Windows Search. If you don’t see this option yet, you might need to use a special tool to enable it.

Option One: Using Settings

This is the easiest way to turn the feature on or off if it’s available in your Windows version.

1. Open Settings. You can do this by pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard.
2. On the left side, click on Privacy & security.
3. On the right side, click on Search.
4. Look for a section called Show suggested search results.
5. You will see an option for Web Searches. Turn the switch On or Off depending on your preference. It is On by default.
6. You can now close the Settings window.

Option Two: Using Command Prompt (Advanced)

This method uses the command prompt to change a setting. This requires administrator privileges.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. To do this, search for ‘cmd’ in the Start menu, right-click on Command Prompt, and select ‘Run as administrator’.
2. To Add Bing Web Suggested Search Results:
   
   Type the following command and press Enter:
   

   REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /V BingSearchEnabled /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F

   
   This is the default setting.
   
3. To Remove Bing Web Suggested Search Results:
   
   Type the following command and press Enter:
   

   REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /V BingSearchEnabled /T REG_DWORD /D 0 /F

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/Office/foundations-experiences/find-what-you-need-with-microsoft-search

Summary

This guide showed you how to manage Bing web search suggestions in Windows 11 Search. You can turn this feature on or off through the Settings app for a simpler or more web-integrated search experience. For those who don’t have the setting in their app or want to use alternative methods, registry edits or command prompt commands are also provided, though these are more advanced and require caution.