Microsoft is testing new Windows 11 Search toggles that allow users to turn off Bing web results and Microsoft Store app suggestions. These controls, previously only available in the European Economic Area, are now being extended to all markets.
The settings appear in Windows 11 Insider Experimental build 26300.8697 for Windows 11 version 26H2. Currently, the settings are hidden in the build and require ViveTool feature flags to enable. They are not yet accessible to the general user base.
What The New Windows 11 Search Toggles Do
The Windows 11 Search feature has traditionally combined results from local files, apps, and settings with web suggestions, often showing Bing results even when users were searching only on their device.
The latest updates include new toggles in the Settings menu under Privacy and security, Search, that address this issue directly:
- A "Web Searches" toggle under "Show suggested search results" allows users to turn off Bing web results in Search.
- A separate "Microsoft Store" toggle prevents Store apps from appearing in Search results.
These toggles give users more control over their search experience, enabling them to limit results to local files, apps, and settings without web or Store content appearing alongside.
Users in the European Economic Area have been subject to these controls for some time as part of Microsoft's compliance with the EU Digital Markets Act.
The new build indicates that Microsoft is planning to extend similar controls to users worldwide. A separate Bing disable option was shown in earlier Windows Insider builds.
The current version in 26300.8697 includes both a web search toggle and a separate Store app toggle, offering more detailed control than previous previews.
Security Settings Reorganization and How To Try The Feature Early
The latest preview build also features a revamped Privacy and Security page. Microsoft has reorganized the settings into clearer categories and introduced a new header that provides quick access to Windows Security, offering glanceable information on location, camera, and microphone permissions.
Additionally, new entry points for features such as Passkeys and the Custom Dictionary are being added. The Web Searches and Microsoft Store toggles are not officially available in the current build and cannot be enabled through the standard Feature Flags page.
This feature was spotted by @PhantomOfEarth inside the Insider build and can only be enabled using ViveTool feature IDs. For users running Windows 11 Insider Experimental build 26300.8697 who want to try the feature now:
- Download ViveTool from its official GitHub repository.
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
- Navigate to the ViveTool folder.
- Enable the relevant feature IDs, which have been documented by community testers as indicated by the original article.
- Restart Windows.
Enabling experimental features through ViveTool is unsupported by Microsoft and could cause unexpected behavior. Users should only attempt this on test devices.
Availability
The feature is currently being actively developed, and Microsoft has not committed to including the toggles in a future general release.
If testing goes as planned, the company may refine the feature through upcoming 26H2 preview releases before deciding whether to roll it out more broadly.
Users running stable versions of Windows 11 should expect the toggles to be available through a future Windows Update once Microsoft enables them by default. The exact timing has not been announced.
This change follows a broader pattern of Microsoft responding to longstanding user feedback about Windows 11. Recent updates have introduced features like a movable taskbar, extended Windows Update pause options, and other changes based on user input, rather than simply adding new bundled features.
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