Microsoft is now bugging Windows 10 and 11 with annoying “rewards” and distracting “search highlights”. Here’s how to disable both. […]
Microsoft is constantly adding new elements to Windows 10 and Windows 11, which are mostly beneficial to the company itself, but hardly to the user community. Instead, such elements distract from what one would actually want to do on the computer.
This time it’s about the useless “search highlights” and the “rewards” with which Microsoft wants to encourage the user community to do as much as possible of what money is washing into Microsoft’s coffers.
Let’s face it: a user interface that is constantly changing with no user interaction and constantly new elements and notifications appearing is distracting.
In addition, a system’s performance may not be beneficial if it is constantly in the background fetching new content for all of Microsoft’s ad formats and collecting data to calculate points from there.
But both can be turned off. At least now!
If the search field in the taskbar is wide, Microsoft inserts a small, colorful drawing. When you click, a search menu with a colorful Bing image unfolds. The opening screenshot on the previous page is from Windows 10.
How to do it in Windows 10:
Right click on the taskbar. In the context menu, move the mouse pointer to the submenu To search. Disable the option in it Show search highlights.
(Source: PCtipp.ch)
Windows 11 has the same and looks like the screenshot below. By the way, you also see the Microsoft icon, which is based on a medal rewards.
(Source: PCtipp.ch)
How to do it in Windows 11:
click on to start and open the settingsapp. Go to it in the left column Privacy and Security. The right part continues search rights. Scroll further down until you find «More settings».
Turn off the toggle switch below here Show search highlights.
(Source: PCtipp.ch)
Disable Microsoft Rewards
You didn’t buy your computer for Microsoft fun, you bought it to get things done, be creative, or play your favorite games.
That’s why you probably don’t give a shit about the Microsoft Rewards, with which Microsoft wants to reward you with points. It’s almost like “Hend Si Cumulus?”, just in Microsoft instead of Migros format. Here one Microsoft FAQ in German.
The rewards can only come about through Microsoft spying on your behavior. They are also related to Bing, MSN and Edge. Unfortunately, it can only be deactivated via Edge.
The following applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Open the Microsoft web browser Side. Click top right Three pointsicon and open the settings. In the area profiles click on Microsoft Rewards. Here’s the toggle switch behind “Earn Microsoft Rewards in Microsoft Edge”.
(Source: PCtipp.ch)