The recent introduction of Microsoft’s Bing AI chat feature in Microsoft Edge and Windows Search has sparked mixed reactions among users. While some appreciate the update, others may prefer to disable it. If you find the Bing Chat icon distracting and want to remove it from your Edge browser or Windows Search, this tutorial will guide you through the process.
Remove Bing Chat Button from Microsoft Edge
Upon the initial release of the Bing AI Chat button on Edge, users were not provided with a built-in means to deactivate this feature. However, a subsequent update by Microsoft addressed this concern, incorporating the capability to disable the Bing AI “Discover” button directly within the Microsoft Edge browser. To implement this, users can adhere to the following procedural steps:
To deactivate the Bing AI Chat button in Microsoft Edge, follow these step-by-step instructions:
- Initiate Microsoft Edge by launching the application.
- Locate and click on the three-dot menu icon situated in the upper-right corner of the window.
- A pop-up menu will appear; from this menu, select the “Settings” option.
- Within the left pane of the Settings window, choose the “Sidebar” category from the list.
- Scroll through the settings until you find the “App specific settings” section, then click on the “Discover” or “Bing Chat” button.
- Once the “App and notification settings” section is visible, identify the “Show Discover” option beneath the “Discover” button and switch it to the off position, thereby disabling the Bing Chat button.
- Should you decide to enable the Bing button at a later time, simply toggle the “Show Discover” option back to the on position.
- If, for any reason, the option to disable the Bing button is not readily available, ensure that you update your Microsoft Edge browser to the latest version to access this functionality.
Remove Bing Chat Button from Windows Search
Moreover, Microsoft introduced the Bing Chat option to Windows, resulting in its presence appearing each time a search operation is conducted. For users who wish to eliminate this feature, the process can be accomplished through the utilization of the Registry Editor.
As a precautionary measure, it is highly advised to create a backup of the current Registry settings prior to undertaking any modifications. Although the following procedure is not expected to cause any issues, maintaining a backup ensures that restorative actions can be taken if unforeseen problems arise.
To eliminate the Bing Chat option from the Search window in Windows, you can proceed with the following steps:
- Utilize the Win + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box.
- Type “regedit” into the Run dialog and press Enter.
- Once the Registry Editor opens, navigate to the following path by pasting it into the address bar and pressing Enter:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
Note: If you cannot locate the “Explorer” key in the Registry Editor, you may need to create it manually. To do so, right-click on the “Windows” key, select “New -> Key,” and name it “Explorer.”
- Click on the “Explorer” key, and then right-click on an empty space on the right side of the editor. Choose “New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value” from the context menu.
- Name the newly created value “DisableSearchBarSuggestions” and press Enter.
- Double-click the newly created value to modify its properties, change the “Value data” field to “1,” and click the “OK” button.
- Restart your computer to apply the changes and disable the Bing Chat icon from the Search window.
To re-enable the Bing Chat button in the future, you can follow these steps:
- Access the Registry Editor again using the Win + R shortcut and typing “regedit.”
- Navigate to the path:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer- Find the “DisableSearchBarSuggestions” DWORD (32-bit) value created earlier. Either change its “Value data” field to “0” or delete the value altogether.
- Restart your PC to implement the changes and restore the Bing Chat icon in the Search window.