Disable AI Search in Start Menu and Settings

AI-powered search in the Windows Start Menu and Settings can display web results, recommendations, and suggestions that may not be relevant to all users. Disabling these features streamlines the search experience, reduces distractions, and can address privacy concerns by limiting data sent to Microsoft servers.

Turn Off AI Search Features in Start Menu and Settings via Group Policy Editor

Open the Group Policy Editor by pressing Windows + R, typing gpedit.msc, and pressing Enter. This tool is available on Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

In the left pane, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search. This folder contains search-related policies.

Double-click Do not allow web search and set it to Enabled. This disables web search integration in the Start Menu.

Double-click Don't search the web or display web results in Search and set it to Enabled. This further restricts AI-powered web results.

Click Apply and then OK to save changes. Restart your computer to apply the new settings.

Disable AI Search Using Windows Registry Editor

Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor. If prompted, allow the app to make changes to your device.

Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer. If the Explorer key does not exist, right-click Windows, select New > Key, and name it Explorer.

In the right pane, right-click and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it DisableSearchBoxSuggestions.

Double-click DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and set its value to 1. This disables AI-based suggestions and web results in the Start Menu search box.

Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to activate the changes.

Caution: Editing the Windows Registry can cause system issues if done incorrectly. Always back up your registry before making changes.

Remove AI Suggestions in Settings App

Open the Settings app by pressing Windows + I.

Go to Privacy & security and select Search permissions.

In the Cloud content search section, turn off the toggles for Microsoft account and Work or school account. This prevents AI from using your cloud content for search suggestions.

Scroll to History and disable Search history on this device to stop Windows from using past searches to generate suggestions.

Disabling AI search features in Windows Start Menu and Settings gives you a faster, more private search experience. You can always re-enable these options if you want AI-powered results in the future.