Windows 10: Hide or Show Search Box or Cortana Icon on Taskbar in Windows 10

How to: Hide or Show Search Box or Search Icon on Taskbar in Windows 10

How to Hide or Show Search Box or Search Icon on Taskbar in Windows 10


Search Windows and the web from the taskbar to find help, apps, files, settingsyou name it. You can also get quick answers from the weblike weather, stock prices, currency conversion, and much moreand get to websites faster by using links in the preview pane.

Starting with Windows 10 build 18305.1003, Microsoft separated the Search and Cortana UI by giving them individual buttons and flyouts on the taskbar. The separate Search and Cortana features are currently only available for some Windows Insiders using A/B testing. If you have been included in this A/B testing, you can select to hide or show the separate Search and Cortana buttons on the taskbar now.

Starting with Windows 10 build 18317, Microsoft will be decoupling Search and Cortana in the taskbar. This will enable each experience to innovate independently to best serve their target audiences and use cases. Some Insiders have had this update for a few weeks now. For those new to this update, when it rolls out to you, youll find clicking the search box in the taskbar now launches our experience focused on giving you the best in house search experience and clicking the Cortana icon will launch you straight into our voice-first digital assistant experience.

UPDATE: Search and Cortana are now separated for everyone.

*Arrow How to Hide or Show Cortana Button on Taskbar in Windows 10

This tutorial will show you how to show search icon, show search box, or hide search on your taskbar in Windows 10.

*tip You can also also press the Windows+S keys to open search.



Note If you have multiple displays, then the search box (if set to show) will only show on the main display with the other displays showing the search icon.

If you have tablet mode turned on, then you will see this below when you right click on the taskbar instead.






CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Hide or Show Search Box or Search Icon on Taskbar in Taskbar Context Menu
• Option Two: To Hide or Show Search Box or Search Icon on Taskbar using a REG File

EXAMPLE: Search box and search icon on taskbar











OPTION ONE [/i] To Hide or Show Search Box or Search Icon on Taskbar in Taskbar Context Menu
1. Right click or press and hold on the taskbar on your main display, click/tap on Search, and click/tap on Hidden, Show search icon, or Show search box for what you want to check.

• The search box will only display on the main display.
• Show search box will not be available if the main display[/B].
• Show search box will not be available if you use small taskbar buttons.
• Show search box will not be available if the main display[/b] is set below 1024 x 768.

OPTION TWO [/i] To Hide or Show Search Box or Search Icon on Taskbar using a REG File Download
*note The downloadable .bat files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search

SearchboxTaskbarMode DWORD

0 = Hidden
1 = Show search icon
2 = Show search box


1. Do step 2 (search box), step 3 (search icon), or step 4 (hide) below for what you want.

2. To Show Search Box on Taskbar

• The search box will only display on the main display.
• Show search box will not be available if the main display[/B].
• Show search box will not be available if you use small taskbar buttons.
• Show search box will not be available if the main display[/b] is set below 1024 x 768.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .bat file below, and go to step 5 below.

Show_search_box_on_taskbar.bat

Download

3. To Show Search Icon on Taskbar
*note If you disabled Cortana, you will only have a Search icon available instead of Cortana icon.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .bat file below, and go to step 5 below.

Show_search_icon_on_taskbar.bat

Download

4. To Hide Search on Taskbar
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .bat file below, and go to step 5 below.

Hide_search_on_taskbar.bat

Download
5. Save the .bat file to your desktop, and run it.

6. If prompted, click/tap on Run.

*note If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

7. You will now notice your screen flicker as explorer is restarted.

That's it,
Shawn


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• How to Enable Search Box on Lock Screen in Windows 10

:)

 

search box in task bar

Hi Phil,

Right click your Taskbar, choose Search - Hidden

Does this remove the search box, if so it is Cortana Search, which is part of Windows

You can either show the search box, the icon or hide it altogether

If it does not hide, it is probably some bloatware, please provide a screenshot of the search box if that is the case . . .

 

How can I turn on the search icon?

I realize you resolved this a while ago but for anyone else who like me ran in to this issue the solution is simple.

You can not have both the Cortana and Search icon on the taskbar. If the Cortana icon is present just hiding by right clicking the taskbar and selecting Hidden for Cortana will only hide the icon not turn off Cortana. In All Settings go to Cortana & Search
Settings and follow the prompts to turn off Cortana. When Cortana is turned off the circle icon will disappear and the magnifying glass (search) icon should appear in its place. Now when you right click the taskbar you will see Search with the option to
show or hide the icon.

Also, if you want the search box rather than the icon you need to uncheck "use small taskbar buttons". HTH

 

The file won't download to show the searchbox on my tool bar. I've tried downloading the bat for a while now. Also putting 2 in for the dword does not work

 

Hello fstrausser, and welcome to Ten Forums.

I'm not sure what had happened, but the download links are fixed now. Please try again. *Smile

 

No problem. Verified that the download works, however it doens't work for me. I still ONLY have the Cortana Icon option available. The searchbox isn't available.....

Thoughts?

 

Also I have tried to change the registry myself.... everytime I change it to 2, it changes back to 1... by itself. We have 3 laptops and a desktop, my laptop is the only one being stupid like this. I really want the searchbar.... other ideas?

 

What edition of Windows 10 do you have installed?

In addition, please post a screenshot showing what you are seeing instead. *Smile

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...en-forums.html

 

it didn't work here...

 

My screen shot would be exactly what is posted, but in English....

I have Windows 10 home edition.

 

Please post a screenshot showing all of your taskbar included to see if it may reveal a cause. *Smile

 

windows 10 pro x64 , build 10240

I also tried changing the language, but it didn't make any difference

 

I must admit that I'm not sure why you do not have "Show search box" in the context menu.

Where did you get you copy of Windows 10 from?

You might consider a clean install of Windows 10 to see if that may sort it.

 

I downloaded from the "Media Creation Tool". I thought about it but it's not worth the trouble ^^*Smile

 

Here is my screenshot attached.

Did regular upgrade. I have an HP laptop.