This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off save search history on this device for your account in Windows 11.
Windows Search lets you search from your taskbar to find what you’re looking for, whether it’s on your device, in the cloud, or on the web.
Windows Search saves your recent search history locally on your device by default to help you find things faster. For example, you might discover that an app is ranked higher in your results if you’ve searched for it before.
Reference:
Windows Search and privacy - Microsoft Support
Learn how to connect Windows Search with your accounts in the cloud, manage your Windows Search and SafeSearch settings, clear search history, and more.
support.microsoft.com
Turning off "Search history on this device" will not clear recent device search history.
Contents
- Option One: Turn On or Off Recent Search History in Settings
- Option Two: Turn On or Off Recent Search History using REG file
EXAMPLE: Recent search history in Windows Search
Starting with Windows 11 build 26100.4770 (24H2), Microsoft is reorganizing Windows Search settings under Settings > Privacy & security under a “Search permissions” settings page and a “Searching Windows” settings page. Microsoft is beginning to roll out a change that brings those two settings pages together so you can easily access to all the Windows Search settings under a single settings page via Settings > Privacy & security > Search. The page is refreshed with a new modern visual for you to clearly browse the settings and control your experiences inside Windows Search, with the items listed in a better order.
1 Open Settings (Win+I).
2 Click/tap on Privacy & security on the left side, and click/tap on Search on the right side. (see screenshot below)
3 Turn On (default) or Off Search history for what you want. (see screenshots below)
4 You can now close Settings if you like.
1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.
2 Turn On Recent Search History on this Device
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_ON_recent_search_history_on_this_device.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SearchSettings]
"IsDeviceSearchHistoryEnabled"=dword:000000013 Turn Off Recent Search History on this Device
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_OFF_recent_search_history_on_this_device.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SearchSettings]
"IsDeviceSearchHistoryEnabled"=dword:000000004 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Related Tutorials
- Clear Recent Device Search History in Windows 11
- Enable or Disable Recommended Files in Start, Recent Files in File Explorer, and items in Jump Lists in Windows 11
- Change SafeSearch Filters in Windows 11
- Enable or Disable Cloud Content Search in Windows 11
- Turn On or Off Show Recent Searches when Hover over Search Icon in Windows 11
- Enable or Disable Store Activity History on Device in Windows 11
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