Microsoft has introduced a new feature called Search Highlights in the latest Windows 11 operating system as well the Windows 10 OS version 21H2 starting with build 19044.1618. It basically replaces the initial contents of the Search pane. Instead of showing the list of recent apps and documents, it includes some interactive data.
Based on the user’s account, it may provide data such as the global and local events, holidays, anniversaries, etc. For enterprise devices and school computers, Search Highlights will include a people chart and shared files and projects.
Explaining this feature, Microsoft says: “The taskbar search box and search home will periodically update with content, including fun illustrations, which help you discover more, be connected, and stay productive. Search highlights will present notable and interesting moments of what’s special about each day—like holidays, anniversaries, and other educational moments in time both globally and in your region.”
While the Search Highlights feature looks interesting, for some users it may make the search UI more cluttered. In that scenario, it’s better to disable the feature from the Windows computer and the good news is that the company has provided an option to disable this new feature.
In this step-by-step guide, we will show you how to disable the Search Highlights feature in the Windows 11 operating system through the Settings app.
How to disable Search Highlights in Windows 11
Step 1: Open the Settings application on your Windows 11 computer. For this, click on the Start Menu and click on the Settings app or search for the Settings and select the application from the search results. Alternatively, you can also press the Windows + I keys on your device to open the Settings app.
Step 2: When the Settings app opens, click on the “Privacy & Security” from the left sidebar.
Step 3: On the right side of the window, select the “Search” settings option.
Step 4: In the Search Settings section, disable the “Show search highlights” option.
That’s it. After following the above-mentioned steps, the Search Highlights feature on your Windows 11 computer has been successfully disabled. To verify this, you can open the search pane by clicking the taskbar button or pressing the Windows + S keys on the keyboard and you will notice that the search highlights section is no longer available.
