The Leaky Dash
When you press the Super (Windows) key in Ubuntu and begin typing to search for a local file or application, the GNOME Dash (or Ubuntu search menu) attempts to be helpful by simultaneously sending your search query to the internet. Depending on your Ubuntu version, it might query the Ubuntu Snap Store for software, Wikipedia, or even Amazon for product suggestions. Not only does this clutter your search results with irrelevant online suggestions when you just wanted to open the Calculator, but it also presents a privacy concern, as your local search terms are being transmitted to external servers.
Restricting Search to Local Files
To protect your privacy, speed up results, and stop Ubuntu from automatically searching online when you use the desktop search bar, you must disable the online search providers in the system settings.
Click the system menu in the top-right corner of your screen and select Settings. In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Search. You will see a list of individual toggles representing different search providers. At the very top, you can often toggle off the master switch for “Search” entirely, but that breaks local search too. Instead, look through the list and locate providers like Ubuntu Software, Snap Store, or any third-party plugins. Click the toggle switch next to these specific online providers to turn them Off. From now on, typing in the Dash will only query your local hard drive and installed applications.