To hide the search bar in Windows 10, right-click an empty part of the taskbar, point to Search, and select Hidden. To keep a small search button instead of the full box, select Show search icon. You can still search at any time by pressing Windows logo key + S.
Applies to: Windows 10. Checked against Microsoft Support on September 28, 2026.
Hide the search bar
- Right-click an empty part of the taskbar.
- Point to Search.
- Select Hidden.
The search box goes away right away. Nothing else changes, and search still works.
The three choices
- Show search box: The full “Type here to search” box. This is the usual setting.
- Show search icon: A small magnifying glass button. It saves space and is still one click away.
- Hidden: No search button at all. Press Windows logo key + S, or open Start and start typing, to search.
Bring the search bar back
Right-click the taskbar, point to Search, and select Show search box.
Search without the search bar
Hiding the box doesn’t turn search off. Press the Windows key and start typing, and the search results appear straight away. Windows + S opens search directly, which is handy if a Start menu tile has focus.
Free up more taskbar space
The search bar isn’t the only thing you can remove. Right-click an empty part of the taskbar and clear any of these:
- Show Task View button: the button for timeline and virtual desktops. You can still open it with Windows + Tab.
- Show Cortana button: hides the circle icon next to search.
- News and interests > Turn off: removes the weather and news widget.
Change what search shows
Whether the box is visible or hidden, you can control what search looks at in Settings > Search:
- Permissions & History: set SafeSearch, choose whether results include your Microsoft account content such as OneDrive and Outlook, and clear your search history on this device.
- Searching Windows: choose Classic to search your libraries and desktop, or Enhanced to search the whole PC. Enhanced finds more files but uses more power while indexing.
Search also shows web results from Bing. Windows 10 has no simple switch to turn those off, but most people find typing more of the name brings local results to the top.
Turn off the pictures in the search box
On recent versions of Windows 10, the search box can show small illustrations and suggestions for holidays and events, called search highlights. To remove them, right-click the taskbar, point to Search, and clear Show search highlights.
Hide the search box with the registry
This is useful for setting up several PCs the same way. In the Registry Editor, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search, double-click SearchboxTaskbarMode (create it as a DWORD if it’s missing), and set it to 0 for hidden, 1 for the icon, or 2 for the full box. Restart Windows Explorer to apply it. The setting is per user.
Stop web results in search
On recent versions of Windows 10, you can keep search to your PC only. In the Registry Editor, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer (create the Explorer key if needed), add a DWORD named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions with the value 1, and restart. Delete the value to get web results back. Back up the registry before changing it.
If the search bar keeps coming back
- A Windows update turned it back on. Feature updates sometimes reset taskbar settings. Hide it again the same way.
- It only shows on one screen. With multiple monitors, each taskbar can look a little different. Right-click the taskbar on the screen where it’s showing and hide it there.
- The setting won’t change. Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and try again.
Frequently asked questions
Why don’t I see the Search option?
If you use small taskbar buttons, or the taskbar is on the side of the screen, Windows can’t show the full box. You’ll see Show search icon and Hidden only. The Search option may also be missing on a work or school PC that’s managed by an organization.
Does hiding the search bar turn off Cortana?
No. It only hides the box. To turn off the Cortana button or app, see how to turn off Cortana in Windows 10.
Search isn’t working. Will hiding it help?
No. See how to fix Windows Search not working in Windows 10.
Can I hide the whole taskbar?
Yes. See how to hide the taskbar in Windows 10. To find files without the search bar, see how to search for files in Windows 10.
Will hiding the search bar speed up my PC?
Not noticeably. The search box uses very little memory. Hiding it is about saving taskbar space, not performance.
Is it the same in Windows 11?
Similar. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and set Search to Hide, Search icon only, or a search box.
Using Windows 11? See how to get rid of the search bar in Windows 11.
Microsoft’s reference is Customize the Taskbar in Windows. More help is on our Windows Help & Guides page.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.