Microsoft Tests Windows 11 Search Toggle to Disable Web and Store Results, Prioritizing 2-Character Local Queries
Updated
Updated · WindowsLatest · Jun 7
Microsoft Tests Windows 11 Search Toggle to Disable Web and Store Results, Prioritizing 2-Character Local Queries
3 articles · Updated · WindowsLatest · Jun 7
Summary
Microsoft is testing a Windows 11 Search toggle that would let users turn off web results entirely and separately hide Microsoft Store app listings, with tester rollout expected in a few weeks.
The change follows complaints that Search often surfaces Bing or Store results when users want local files or apps; today, disabling web integration generally requires editing multiple Windows Registry entries.
Windows 11’s June 2026 update already shifts Search toward local content by triggering local matches from just two characters and ranking on-device results above the web.
Microsoft is also adding substring matching—so a file like “SavedYouAClick” can be found with “Click” or “You”—as part of a broader push to declutter and speed up Windows Search.