How to Disable Bing Search in Windows 10 Start Menu

One of the features of the Windows 10 Start Menu is the built-in Bing search when local searches fail to find anything. Whether it's due to privacy concerns, bugs, or just personal dislike, this article will explain how to disable Bing search in the Start Menu.

When you perform a search in the Windows 10 Start Menu, Windows will first search for local search results such as settings, files, or programs and display anything found.

If there are no local results, Windows will then perform a Bing search for the search keywords and list the results in the Start Menu as shown below.

When signed into a Microsoft Account, this search will be uploaded to Microsoft, which will then list it in your account's Privacy Dashboard. This is a privacy concern as it's feared Microsoft may use this data to track your browsing habits.

There have also been bugs in the Bing search component in the past that caused the Windows 10 Start Menu to appear completely empty. If you don't use the Bing search feature, disabling it can prevent such bugs in the future.

Below, we've outlined two methods that can be used to disable Bing search in the Windows 10 Start Menu.

How to Disable Bing Search in Windows 10 Start Menu

Unfortunately, for those wishing to disable Bing search in the Start Menu, Microsoft doesn't provide an easy way.

Instead, Windows users need to modify the Registry to use the following Registry value.

For those comfortable with modifying the Registry, we have instructions for setting the appropriate value using the Registry Editor.

For those uncomfortable with Registry modifications, please see the second method which includes pre-made Registry files that are easy to use and make the settings for you.

Method 1: Disable Bing Search Results Via Group Policy Editor

Windows 10 Pro comes with the Group Policy Editor, which you can use to disable Bing search in the Start Menu.

To disable Bing Search, follow these steps:

1. Search in the Start Menu for 'gpedit.msc' and select it when the result appears.
2. When the Group Policy Editor opens, navigate to the following path: User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer

3. Under the File Explorer section, you'll see a policy called 'Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box' as shown below. Double-click on the policy to open it. 

   

4. To disable Bing search, set this policy to 'Enabled'. 

   

5. Once done, click the Apply button then OK to save the policy.
6. You can now close the Group Policy Editor and either restart Windows Explorer or restart your computer.

After restarting, Bing search will no longer appear in the Windows 10 Start Menu.

Method 2: Use Registry Editor to Disable Bing Integration

If you're using Windows 10 Home and are comfortable using the Windows Registry, you can disable Bing integration in Windows Search using Registry Editor.

1. First, open the Windows Registry Editor by pressing the Windows key + R simultaneously. This will open the Run dialog: then type regedit and press the OK button. 

   

2. Windows will display a UAC prompt asking if you want to allow the Registry Editor to make changes to the system. Press the Yes button to proceed.
3. Navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer. If the key doesn't exist, create the necessary folders until you're at the Explorer Key.

4. Right-click on Explorer and select New then DWORD (32-bit) Value, as shown below. 

   

5. You'll be prompted to enter a name for the new value. Type DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and press Enter on the keyboard. A new value will be created which is automatically set to 0. Now double-click on BingSearchEnabled and set its value to 1 then press the OK button.

6. Once done, you should have created the BingSearchEnabled value and set it to 1. 

   

7. You can now close the Registry Editor and either restart Windows Explorer or restart your computer.