Microsoft is about to let users turn off one of the most annoying features on Windows 11.
Currently, whenever a PC user wants to perform a local search for files on their computer, Windows 11 also pulls up Bing-powered web search results. In fact, many times, users have reported that the search function prioritizes web results over local results.
The best example of this issue came from a viral post on X last year when a user looking to pull up the terminal in Windows 11 was instead provided with a web search result for the 2018 Margot Robbie film Terminal.
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However, according to a new report by our colleagues at PCMag, Microsoft is about to provide users with the option to turn web search off in local search. (Disclosure: PCMag and Mashable are both owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.)
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At a Windows Insiders Program meetup in San Francisco, right before Microsoft's big developer conference Build, the company provided a teaser showing that users will have the option to shut off web search in Windows 11's settings, under Privacy & Security > Search.
A toggle to turn off web searches will appear under the section called "Show suggested search results."
A photo from the Windows Insiders Program meetup showing the update. Credit: Michael Kan/PCMag
According to the report, Microsoft also seems poised to add an option where users can turn off Microsoft Store suggestions in Windows 11 search as well.
While Windows 11 users can technically turn off web results in search right now, it requires that they go into the Windows registry and manually make this change. This requires some technical know-how, as users will actually be going in and editing system files.
Soon, everyone will be able to turn off Bing web search on Windows 11 with the click of a toggle. Microsoft has not yet announced when this update will roll out.