In this blog post, I will discuss how to Hide Search on Windows 11 Taskbar using the Microsoft Intune policy settings catalog. Hiding the search bar on the Windows 11 taskbar is a simple yet effective way to declutter your desktop and customize your user experience.
By default, Windows 11 displays a search box or icon prominently on the taskbar, making it easy to search for files, apps, and web results. However, you might want to remove or hide this feature if you prefer a cleaner look or rely on other search methods. Thankfully, Windows 11 allows users to adjust these settings to suit personal preferences easily.
To hide the search bar manually, you can right-click on an empty taskbar area and select “Taskbar settings.” In the settings menu, navigate to the “Taskbar items” section, where you’ll find an option labeled “Search.” You can toggle this off to remove the search bar or reduce it to just a small search icon. This customization makes your taskbar less cluttered and frees up space for other taskbar items like pinned apps or widgets, enhancing overall productivity. Here, we achieve the same thing using the Intune Configuration Policy.
Additionally, hiding the search bar doesn’t restrict your ability to search on Windows 11. You can still use the Start menu’s search functionality or keyboard shortcuts like Win + S to bring up the search panel anytime. This feature gives you more flexibility to keep the search functionality accessible without constantly taking up space on your taskbar, providing a cleaner and more streamlined workspace.
Table of Contents
Hide Search on Windows 11 Taskbar Common Benefits
Hiding the search bar on the Windows 11 taskbar offers several benefits that enhance both aesthetics and functionality:
| Common Benefits | Details |
|---|---|
| Cleaner and Minimalistic Look | A less crowded taskbar looks better and can improve system responsiveness by reducing the number of constantly active icons and features. Additionally, by removing the search bar, you minimize unnecessary distractions, helping you focus better on your tasks. You can still access search functions via the Start menu or by pressing Win + S, ensuring that functionality remains intact without visual clutter. |
| More Taskbar Space | Without the search bar taking up a portion of the taskbar, you have more room to pin frequently used apps, tools, or shortcuts. This maximizes taskbar real estate, especially on smaller screens or when you’re multitasking, as it allows quicker access to important programs without overcrowding. |
| Improved Performance and Focus | A less crowded taskbar looks better and can improve system responsiveness by reducing the number of constantly active icons and features. Additionally, removing the search bar minimises unnecessary distractions, helping you focus better on your tasks. You can still access search functions via the Start menu or by pressing Win + S, ensuring functionality remains intact without visual clutter. |
- Windows 11 Taskbar Customization Using Intune MEM
- Custom Search Box on the Taskbar of Windows 11
- Unpin Microsoft Store Apps from Taskbar with Intune | Do Not Allow Pinning Store Apps to the Taskbar
- Remove the Search link from Start Menu Using Intune
Create Configuration Policy to Hide Search on Windows 11 Taskbar
Follow the steps below to create a configuration policy to Hide Search on Windows 11 Taskbar using Microsoft Intune. First, sign in to the Microsoft Intune Admin Center using your administrator credentials.
- Navigate to Devices > Windows > Manage Devices > Configuration
- Click on +Create > +New Policy
In the next step, we can create a new Configuration Profile from scratch. First, we need to provide the options mentioned below.
- Platform: Windows 10 and later
- Profile type: Settings catalog
On the Basics details page, we can name the configuration profile “Hide Search on Windows 11 Taskbar” if needed, briefly describe the policy’s use, and click Next.
We can now add the required settings to the Configuration Settings pane. To do so, click +Add settings in the bottom left corner of the page.
Note! Microsoft Intune testing revealed that admins may experience performance degradation when more than 400 settings are added to a single policy. Please consider this as we continue to improve your policy design.
Search for “Taskbar” as a keyword. This will help you find the correct policy based on our current needs. Now you can see the browse by category found as Search. Click that to find “Configure Search On Taskbar Mode (Windows Insiders only)” Select the check option and close the Settings picker pane.
Note! Configures search on the taskbar. If you disable this policy setting or do not configure it, users can see and change this setting. This setting is only available to Windows Insiders. Learn more.
On the next page, select the Hide option in the Configure Search On Taskbar Mode (Windows Insiders only) drop-down menu and click Next. Other options available here include the Search icon only, the Search icon and label, and the Search box.
On the next page, Leave the Scope tags as Default. If your tenant has custom scope tags, you can select them based on your policy requirements.
Click on Next. Here, I am assigning the configuration policy to HTMD – Test Computers. To do that, click Add Groups and select a required device group under the Included Groups option. I am not using any Filter in this example, and the Excluded Groups option was also left blank.
On the Review + Create page, carefully review all the settings you’ve defined for the “Hide Search on Windows 11 Taskbar” configuration. Once you’ve confirmed everything is correct, select Create to deploy the policy.
- Easy Way to Hide Task View Button with Intune
- How to Customize Windows 11 Taskbar Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Set App Defaults using Intune | Export the Default XML File & Encode it in Base64 format
Monitor the Hide Search on Windows 11 Taskbar Policy Deployment
This configuration policy has been deployed to the HTMD – Test Computers device group, a Microsoft Entra ID group. Once the device is synced, the policy will take effect immediately. To monitor the policy deployment status from the Intune Portal, follow the steps below.
- Navigate to Devices > Windows > Configuration > Search for the “Hide Search on Windows 11 Taskbar” configuration policy.
- Under the Device and user check-in status, you can see the policy’s deployment status.
To drill through a detailed report, click on the View Report option. The report will display the targeted devices’ names, logged-in users, check-in statuses, filters, and the last report modification time.
End User Experience – Hide Search on Windows 11 Taskbar Configuration Policy
It’s time to check whether the Hide Search on the Windows 11 Taskbar worked. To do so, log in to one of the policy-targeted devices. On the desktop, you can see no search option in the taskbar. Only the Windows Start icon is available. So we can conclude that our policy is working perfectly fine!
Join the LinkedIn Page and Telegram group to get the latest step-by-step guides and news updates. Join our Meetup Page to participate in User group meetings. Also, Join the WhatsApp Community to get the latest news on Microsoft Technologies. We are there on Reddit as well.
Author
Vaishnav K has over 11 years of experience in SCCM, Device Management, and Automation Solutions. He writes and imparts knowledge about Microsoft Intune, Azure, PowerShell scripting, and automation. Check out his profile on LinkedIn.