Windows 11 users who prefer searching their PC rather than the web may finally have a simpler option. Windows Latest reports that the built-in controls for disabling web and Microsoft Store suggestions are reaching more computers, following an initial rollout in August 2026. The feature remains gradual, so availability can still differ between devices.
The practical benefit is a more focused search experience: fewer online distractions when you want to launch an installed application, find a document, or open a setting. This is an optional change, not a report that Microsoft has removed Bing from Windows Search by default.
What is changing in Windows Search?
In an October 28 report, Windows Latest's Mayank Parmar describes two settings under a section called “Show suggested search results.” One controls web suggestions; the other controls Microsoft Store suggestions. When available, these switches let users change search behavior through Settings rather than relying on registry edits or third-party customization tools.
The distinction between the switches matters. Someone who wants to remove web suggestions but still discover Store apps can treat those as separate preferences. For a more locally focused experience, the report recommends disabling both.
Microsoft labels the web option in general terms rather than simply calling it Bing. Windows Latest notes that users in regions such as Europe may have a different preferred search provider. Look for the web-search control rather than assuming the interface must explicitly mention Bing.
How to turn off web and Store suggestions
If the rollout has reached your computer, the reported procedure is straightforward:
- Open Settings and select Privacy & security.
- Open Search.
- Look below the indexing status for Show suggested search results.
- Turn off the option for web searches.
- If you also want to exclude Store suggestions, turn off that separate option.
- Close and reopen Windows Search, then try a familiar application or filename.
For work-managed computers, follow your organization's support process before attempting alternative configuration methods. A missing switch is not a good reason to apply an unfamiliar registry script, particularly when the supported interface is still becoming available.
What results should you expect?
Parmar reports a cleaner Search home screen after disabling the online suggestions, with Bing-related content such as trending searches and quizzes no longer displayed. Recent local searches remain, and individual recent items can be removed.
In the author's testing, typing a letter surfaced installed applications alongside matching settings, files, and folders. The experience also felt faster. Those observations are useful, but they are not a controlled performance benchmark or a guarantee that every PC will respond identically.
The most important trade-off is simpler: a search without a local match can now end with “No results found” rather than offering web results. That is expected behavior for a more focused search tool, not necessarily a fault. If you regularly use the Start menu as a shortcut to internet searches, you may prefer keeping the web option enabled.
A quieter search panel is not the same as a repaired search index. If a known document is still missing, check whether Windows is indexing its location and whether indexing has finished before blaming the new preference.
Is Windows Search now better than Spotlight?
Windows Latest's headline makes that comparison, but it should be read as the author's assessment rather than an established cross-platform result. Parmar says Windows Search worked better than Spotlight on his MacBook for finding apps, and also describes improved handling of misspelled Outlook queries.
The report does not establish that disabling web suggestions causes better typo recognition. Nor does it provide a standardized Windows-versus-macOS test across different machines, datasets, or workloads. Those distinctions matter if you are evaluating desktop search for a business rather than choosing personal preferences.
A more useful test is whether search reliably finds your own applications and documents. Try exact app names, partial filenames, and a few common typing mistakes. Compare the relevance of the first result, not just how uncluttered the panel looks.
A sensible approach for IT teams
Treat this as a usability preference worth piloting, not an urgent fleet-wide remediation. On a small set of representative PCs, record whether the controls are present, test common searches before and after changing them, and ask users whether they miss the online suggestions.
For a help-desk knowledge article, include the Settings path and a clear note about staged availability. Avoid promising that all employees will see the same switches immediately. The source report does not identify an enterprise deployment policy or a universal rollout-completion date.
Also avoid describing these controls as a comprehensive privacy setting. Removing web suggestions from Search does not, by itself, establish what happens to every other Windows online feature or telemetry setting. Security and compliance decisions require separate documentation and validation.
The bottom line
If you mostly use Windows Search to reach things already on your PC, the new controls are worth checking. Start with the built-in switches, test your everyday searches, and keep the configuration that fits your workflow. The meaningful improvement is greater control over search results, not a proven victory over every competing desktop launcher.
Source: Windows Latest reporting by Mayank Parmar, October 28, 2026.