How to Show Only Local Results in Windows 11 Search

By Game Osborne · November 3, 2026 · Windows · Windows 11, Windows Search, Start menu

Turn off web and cloud suggestions so Windows Search concentrates on apps, settings, and files stored on your PC.

What this change does

Windows 11 Search can mix several kinds of results together. Along with programs and documents on your computer, you may see websites, Microsoft Store suggestions, and files from connected accounts. That can make a simple search feel surprisingly cluttered.

Newer versions of Windows 11 include a setting called Web search. Turning it off gives local results—items installed or stored on your computer—more attention. Microsoft calls it Web search rather than Bing search because other search providers may be available in some regions.

This guide assumes your PC has received the newer Search controls. Microsoft is introducing them through Windows updates, so they may not appear on every Windows 11 computer at the same time.

Turn off web results

A toggle is a small switch that changes a setting between On and Off. Nothing here deletes your files or removes your internet browser. You can also reverse the change whenever you like.

1. Press the Windows key and the I key together to open Settings.
2. Select Privacy & security in the left-hand menu.
3. Select Search on the right side of the window.
4. Find the setting named Web search.
5. Switch Web search to Off.
6. Switch Microsoft Store suggestions to Off if that separate option appears.

Stop cloud files from joining the results

Turning off Web search may not make Search completely local. Windows can also show material from linked Microsoft, work, or school accounts. That may include OneDrive documents or Outlook content.

Look for a section named Search my accounts on the same Search settings page. If you want results to come only from this computer, disable the account sources listed there. These switches do not sign you out or erase anything from OneDrive or Outlook. They only stop that content from appearing in Windows Search.

1. Expand Search my accounts if the section is closed.
2. Switch Microsoft account results to Off.
3. Switch Work or school account results to Off if that option appears.

Test your cleaner Start search

Now try a name that you know belongs to something on your PC. Windows Search works from either the Start menu or the magnifying-glass Search button on the taskbar. The taskbar is the strip that normally runs along the bottom of the screen.

Windows should now concentrate on matching apps, settings, and indexed files. An index is Windows’ internal catalog of file names and locations. Common folders such as Desktop, Documents, Pictures, and Music are normally included.

You may still notice a web-help area in the search preview. That does not necessarily mean the setting failed. Current versions of Windows may retain parts of the web-based Search interface even after web results are disabled.

1. Press the Windows key to open Start.
2. Type the name of an installed app or a file stored on your PC.
3. Select the matching local result to open it.

If the Web search switch is missing

Do not worry if you cannot find the switch. The feature is arriving gradually and depends on your Windows 11 version and installed updates. Searching Settings for terms such as “Disable Bing” may also fail to reveal it.

You can ask Windows to offer newer features sooner. This does not guarantee that the control will appear immediately, because Microsoft sometimes rolls out features in stages.

1. Press the Windows key and the I key together to open Settings.
2. Select Windows Update in the left-hand menu.
3. Turn on Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.
4. Select Check for updates.
5. Install any available Windows updates.
6. Restart the PC if Windows asks you to do so.
7. Return to Settings, Privacy & security, and Search after the restart.

If Windows still cannot find a local file

Removing web suggestions makes the result list cleaner, but it does not automatically make every drive and folder searchable. Windows relies on its search index. The standard indexing mode covers common personal folders, while an enhanced or advanced mode can catalog more of the PC.

For a file that remains hard to find, open File Explorer—the yellow folder icon—and search inside the folder or drive where you believe the file is stored. This searches a more specific location and can be more useful than changing additional settings.

1. Select the yellow File Explorer folder on the taskbar.
2. Open the folder or drive that may contain the missing file.
3. Type part of the filename into the search box at the upper right.

Bottom line

Turn off Web search, Store suggestions, and connected-account results to make Start focus on what is actually installed or stored on your PC. If the switches are missing, update Windows and check again later—the feature may still be reaching your device.