How-To

How to Disable Bing Chat AI from Windows 11 Search

By Brian Burgess

Updated February 28, 2024

Microsoft is integrating its AI technology within the Windows 11 UI. However, if you don’t like it, you can disable Bing Chat AI from search.

You may have spotted the fresh Bing icon adorning the Windows 11 taskbar’s search box. This symbol, featuring the letter ‘B‘ encircled by a speech bubble, opens up access to the Bing AI chatbot.

Microsoft is currently introducing this enhanced search box and AI system to Windows 11 users. The integration isn’t seamless, however, as your inquiries are directed to the Bing AI Chat page through the Microsoft Edge browser.

Where to Find Bing Chat AI

As noted, this new AI feature is rudimentary and not fully integrated. You can’t just start chatting with Bing AI from the search field on the taskbar — you don’t have the full Bing AI experience merged within Windows 11 just yet.

To use it, you need to type your query and press Enter. Alternatively, you can click the Bing Chat AI button in the top-right or top-left corner of the web results page.

The search feature will open Microsoft Edge to the Bing Chat AI page, where you can continue interacting with the AI.

How to Disable Bing AI from Windows 11 Search

If you find that the Bing Chat AI button gets in your way while searching for content, you can get rid of it.

To Disable Bing Chat AI from the Search

1. Press the Windows key and open Settings, or use the Windows key + I shortcut to open it directly.
2. When Settings opens, click Privacy & security from the left panel.
3. Scroll down to the Windows permissions section and click on Search permissions from the list.
4. Now, scroll down to the More settings section and toggle off the Show search highlights option.
5. The Bing Chat AI icon will no longer appear in the search field.

It’s also important to note that turning off this setting will disable web suggestions and remove the AI chatbot shortcut from the search home interface. However, you can still access the AI chatbot from the top left and top right corners of the search home UI.

If you want to reenable the feature, go back to the same section of the Settings app and toggle on the Show search highlights option.

How to Remove Copilot Button from Microsoft Edge

With a recent update, Microsoft is allowing Edge users to turn off the button from within the browser’s own settings. These steps will work to disable Copilot AI on Edge running on Windows 10 or 11.

Like the previous Bing Chat AI iteration, the Microsoft’s Copilot AI also appears in the top right corner of Edge.

To Turn Off Copilot AI in Microsoft Edge

1. Click the three-dot button in the top right corner and click Settings.
2. Select the Sidebar option from the left column.
3. Under the App specific settings section, click Copilot.
4. Toggle the Show Copilot switch off and the button will disappear.Click the Restart button to complete the process.
5. After the browser restarts, the Copilot button will no longer display in the browser’s top right corner.

Currently, Microsoft is still in the process of tweaking the Copilot feature and is integrating it into all of its products. Luckily, the company is allowing users to turn it off in Edge through the browser’s settings.

Managing Search on Windows 11

Whether you are ready for it or not, AI is coming to play a significant role in our lives. Microsoft also plans to integrate its AI service with other products like Office in the future. However, you can get rid of it for now if you don’t want to use it.