On Windows 11, Microsoft is now rolling out an updated version of the search box experience in the Taskbar that integrates the new Bing AI chatbot.
However, it’s not technically an integration. Instead, it’s an option that takes your questions from the search box to the Bing Chat page using Microsoft Edge. So, you won’t be interacting with the chatbot from within the Windows 11 search experience.
If you are not interested in this “feature” (shortcut), it’s possible to disable it from the Taskbar and (partially) from the search home interface by disabling the search highlight functionality.
This guide will teach you the steps to remove the Bing Chat AI feature for Taskbar (and partially from the search home interface) on Windows 11.
- Disable Bing Chat AI from Taskbar Search on Windows 11
- Enable Bing Chat AI from Taskbar Search on Windows 11
Disable Bing Chat AI from Taskbar Search on Windows 11
To disable the Bing Chat AI integration in the Taskbar Search on Windows 11, use these steps:
Open Settings on Windows 11.
Click on Privacy & security.
Under the “Windows permissions” section, click the “Search permissions” setting.
Under the “More settings” section, turn off the “Show Search highlights” toggle switch to disable Bing Chat AI.
Once you complete the steps, the Bing Chat AI will no longer appear in the search box. However, this will also disable web suggestions when using the search feature on the desktop. Also, this option will also remove the chatbot shortcut from the search home interface, but you will still see an option from the top-right corner.
Enable Bing Chat AI from Taskbar Search on Windows 11
To enable the Bing AI option to use the chatbot in the Taskbar, use these steps:
Open Settings.
Click on Privacy & security.
Under the “Windows permissions” section, click the “Search permissions” setting.
Under the “More settings” section, turn on the “Show Search highlights” toggle switch to enable the Bing Chat AI in search.
After you complete the steps, the Bing Chat AI experience will be available in the Taskbar search box and search home interface.
Source: Pureinfotech