microsoft have seen a preview of windows 11 update which will allow users to disable Bing web integration in the Start menu and Windows search. The change was demonstrated during a recent meeting with Windows Insiders.
The Settings app will include a new option to remove web integration (Bing) from search results, and there will be a separate setting in the Privacy & Security section to exclude Microsoft Store apps from appearing in search results.
Microsoft has not yet announced a specific timeline or which Insider version the update will arrive in.
What’s changing in Windows 11 Search?
The new options address a long-standing concern with Windows 11. Currently, the search experience combines local files with Bing web results and Microsoft Store listings, even when searching for content stored on the device itself.
Planned updates include an option to disable Bing web integration in Windows Search and a separate option in Privacy & Security to exclude Microsoft Store app listings from search results.
Users have often resorted to editing the Windows Registry to disable the Bing integration, but the new options offer a compatible alternative to achieve the same result without manual registry adjustments.
Other improvements to search and file explorer
Microsoft announced at the same meeting that local search will be significantly faster, along with performance improvements to File Explorer.
The company also mentioned that bulk delete operations have already seen a 30% increase in speed on internal Windows builds.
These search improvements are expected to complement other recent Windows 11 updates. These include the Low Latency Profile CPU Boost feature introduced in May, the mobile taskbar available in the Experimental channel, and the latest Windows Update Pause extensions added to the Beta channel this week.
Windows K2, user reaction and Microsoft’s new focus on control
The changes reflect Microsoft’s renewed focus on responding to feedback from Windows 11 users, as part of the broader Windows K2 initiative.
CEO Satya Nadella has admitted that windows 11 has lost its way in some areas, and company executives have indicated their desire to rebuild user trust after years of complaints about forced integrations, telemetry and AI Features.
The new search controls are expected to be included in a future Windows 11 Insider Preview before they become generally available. No specific date has been announced.
