How to Turn Off Search Highlights on Windows 11

Windows 11 is the latest operating system from Microsoft that offers many new features and improvements. One of these features is the Search Highlights, which show you interesting and relevant content from the web when you click on the Search icon on your taskbar. You can see things like the birthdays of famous people, trending searches, Microsoft Rewards, and more.

However, not everyone may like this feature or find it useful. If you prefer to keep your Search pane clean and simple, you can disable the Search Highlights feature using one of the following methods.

Method 1: Using Search Settings

This is the easiest way to turn off Search Highlights on Windows 11. You just need to access the Search Settings from the Search pane itself and toggle off an option. Here are the steps:

- Click on the **Search** icon on your taskbar to open the Search pane.

- In the top-right corner of the Search pane, click on the **three dots** and select **Search Settings**.

- Scroll down to the **More Settings** section and turn off the **Show Search Highlights** option.

That's it. You have successfully disabled the Search Highlights feature on Windows 11.

Method 2: Using Settings App

Another way to disable Search Highlights on Windows 11 is by using the Settings app. This method is useful if you want to access other search-related settings as well. Here are the steps:

- Press **Windows + I** keys to open the Settings app.

- In the left sidebar, click on **Privacy & Security**.

- On the right pane, click on **Search Permissions** under Windows Permissions.

- Scroll down to the **More Settings** section and toggle off the **Show Search Highlights** option.

You have now turned off Search Highlights on Windows 11 using the Settings app.

Method 3: Using Local Group Policy Editor

If you are using Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education Edition, you can also use the Local Group Policy Editor tool to disable Search Highlights on Windows 11. This method is more advanced and requires administrative privileges. Here are the steps:

- Press **Windows + R** keys to open the Run dialog box.

- Type **gpedit.msc** and press Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor tool.

- In the left sidebar, navigate to the following path:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search

- In the right pane, double-click on the policy named **Allow search highlights**.

- In the policy settings window, select **Disabled** and click on **Apply** and **OK**.

You have now disabled Search Highlights on Windows 11 using the Local Group Policy Editor tool.

Method 4: Using Registry Editor

The last method to disable Search Highlights on Windows 11 is by using the Registry Editor tool. This method is also advanced and requires administrative privileges. You should also back up your registry before making any changes. Here are the steps:

- Press **Windows + R** keys to open the Run dialog box.

- Type **regedit** and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor tool.

- In the left sidebar, navigate to the following key:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\SearchSettings

- In the right pane, double-click on the value named **IsDynamicSearchBoxEnabled**.

- In the value data box, change it from **1** to **0** and click on **OK**.

You have now disabled Search Highlights on Windows 11 using the Registry Editor tool.

Conclusion

Search Highlights is a feature that shows you interesting and relevant content from the web when you click on the Search icon on your taskbar in Windows 11. However, some users may not like this feature or find it useful. If you are one of them, you can disable this feature using one of the methods described above. We hope this article helped you learn how to turn off Search Highlights on Windows 11.