Windows 10: How to disable the display of recent searches in Windows 10's Search Box

When you run a search on Windows 10, you can do so using the Start Menu or the dedicated search box if it is displayed. Both search options use the same Windows Search component to display search results to the user, but the front page of the services differ.

The Start Menu displays installed programs and tiles by default, the search box a list of quick searches and recent searches that the user ran previously.

Tip: for a better search experience, try Everything Search and EverythingToolbar; both are free.



Some users may find the list of recent searches useful, as it makes it very easy to repeat a search as it takes just a click or tap on the search term to do so. Others may prefer that the information is not displayed, e.g. when they want to make sure that their searches are not revealed accidentally to others.

You can remove individual search records by hovering the mouse over an entry and selecting the x-icon that is then displayed to remove it.

Windows 10 comes with an option to disable the recording of search terms locally on the device. Users may disable the functionality to remove the recent searches listing in the Search box and stop the storing of the data on the device.



Here is how that is done:

1. Select Start > Settings, or use the keyboard shortcut Windows-I to open the Settings application.
2. Go to Search. You should be in the Permissions & History section.
3. Scroll down to History.
4. Toggle the option "Search history on this device". Doing so disables the display of search history and the recording of searches on the local device.
5. Select "clear device search history" if you want the existing records to be removed as well. If you don't activate the button, saved searches remain on the device. If you activate the feature again at a later time, you will see your past searches again if you don't clear them.

When you open the search box afterwards, you won't see recent searches listed there anymore.

Now You: do you use Windows Search often, or do you use a third-party search alternative? (via Techdows)

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Microsoft rolls out Windows Search Box recent searches in Windows 10

Source: Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 20236 | Windows Insider Blog


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

 

search box

Hi,

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.

I appreciate your interest in Windows 10.We sincerely regret for the inconvenience caused.

I suggest you to follow the below steps and check if are able to find search box.

• 
  Right click on the task bar.
  
• 
  Go to Cortana.
  
• 
  Click on show search box.
  

Now check if you are able to find search box.

Please let us know if you need further assistance.

Thank you.

 

Windows 10 Search box

Which instructions are you suggesting I missed? There is no search icon. Right clicking the taskbar shows no search option. The "small characters" or icons trick did nothing. The regedit thing:
Follow these steps to turn on the hidden search box:

• Open regedit
• Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
• Inside the search key, create the new DWORD value named EnableSearchBox and set it to 1
• Restart your computer or simply Explorer Shell

Did not give me a search option that I can find.

So in at least MY version of windows 10 there is no search box I can find that will allow me to search my own computer to find possible misplaced files.

So what are the instructions?