Microsoft Edge frequently experiments with new ways to integrate its search engine directly into the Windows operating system. Following a recent update, you may have turned on your PC to discover a floating, pill-shaped Bing search bar permanently plastered to the middle of your Windows desktop.
This floating widget acts as a quick launch portal for Microsoft Edge, automatically redirecting all of your desktop searches to the Bing search engine. While it aims for convenience, it is incredibly intrusive. It obscures your desktop wallpaper, gets in the way of your application icons, and cannot be closed using standard Windows taskbar controls.
If you prefer a clean desktop without floating browser widgets, you must disable the Web Widget feature directly within Edge.
How to Remove the Edge Desktop Search Bar
You can turn this feature off via the Edge settings, or by interacting directly with the widget itself.
Method 1: Direct Removal
- Locate the floating search bar on your Windows desktop.
- Click the three horizontal dots located on the far right side of the search bar.
- Click on Close search bar from the drop-down menu.
- When prompted with a confirmation dialog, ensure you check the box labeled Don’t show this again before confirming.
Method 2: Via Edge Settings
- Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
- Click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on More tools (or scroll down to “Search bar” if it has a dedicated tab in newer versions).
- Click on Launch search bar.
- You will see an option labeled Open search bar on Windows startup.
- Turn this toggle to the Off position.
Once disabled, the widget will immediately vanish from your screen and will never reappear when you reboot your computer.