Windows 10 Start Menu includes a Bing search feature that is activated when local searches fail to produce results. This article will show you how to disable Bing Search in the Start Menu, whether it’s for privacy reasons, bugs or personal dislike.

Windows 10 will display local search results, such as files, settings or programs, when you search the Start Menu.

Windows will perform a Bing Search for the keyword searched and display the results on the Start Menu, as shown below.

When logged into a Microsoft Account, these searches will be uploaded to Microsoft, who will then list them in your account’s Privacy Dashboard. This is a privacy concern for fear that Microsoft is using this data to track your browsing habits.

There have also been bugs in the Bing search component in the past that have caused the Windows 10 Start menu to appear completely blank. If you do not utilize the Bing search feature, disabling it could prevent those bugs in the future.

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

How to disable Bing search in the Windows 10 Start Menu

Microsoft doesn’t provide an easy way to disable Bing Search in the Start Menu.

Windows users should instead modify the registry so that the following Registry values are used.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER] SOFTWARE/Policies/Microsoft/Windows/Explorer]
“DisableSearchBoxSuggestions”=dword:00000001

We have provided instructions for those who are comfortable with modifying the registry.

If you are not familiar with Registry modification, then please use method number two. It contains a pre-made Registry file which makes the settings automatically.

Method 1: Disable Bing search results via the Group Policy Editor

Windows 10 Pro includes the Group Policy Editor, which can be used to disable Bing Search in the Start menu.

Follow these steps to disable Bing Search:

1. When the results appear, search for gpedit.msc in the Start menu and select the entry.
2. When the Group Policy Editor opens, navigate to the following path: User ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsFile Explorer
3. As shown below, under the File Explorer section you will find a policy titled ‘Turn Off Display of Recent Search Entries in the File Explorer Search Box’. To open the policy, double-click it.

1. To disable Bing search, set this policy to ‘Enabled.’

   

1. Click on the Apply button and then Ok to save your policy.
2. Close the Group Policy Editor, and then restart Windows Explorer.

Bing search will disappear from the Start Menu once you restart your computer.

Method 2: Use the Registry Editor to disable Bing integration.

If you are using Windows 10 Home and are comfortable using the Windows Registry, you can disable Bing’s integration in Windows Search using the Registry editor.

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

   

2. Windows will ask you if the Registry Editor can make system changes. To continue, press the Yes button.
3. Navigate to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER] SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer key. Create the folders necessary until you reach the Explorer key if the key doesn’t exist.
4. Click on Explorer and select New. Then, click on DWORD Value (32-bit),
   

   

5. You will be prompted to enter the name of the new value. Type DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and press Enter on the keyboard. A new value will be created that should automatically be set to 0. Now double-click on BingSearchEnabled and set the value to 1 and then press the OK button.
6. When done, you should have the BingSearchEnabled value created and set to 1.

   

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

Once restarted, Bing search will no longer work in the Windows 10 Start Menu.

Enable Bing integration again

To enable Bing integration again, simply disable the group policy or edit the Registry and delete the DisableSearchBoxSuggestions value under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER] SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer Registry key.

Once again, restart the Explorer process or the computer, and Bing integration will work again.