The Windows Taskbar offers a Search bar where you can click and type to instantly search for anything on Windows 11/10. You can quickly get the focus by pressing the Windows key and start typing right away; however, if the Taskbar Search bar or icon is missing, then this post shows how to get the Search bar back on Windows 11/10.
Windows Search Bar or Icon is missing
Most of the time, the search bar or icon is hidden, and you may feel as though if it is missing. So follow the tips to enable and show the Search bar or icon.
- Enable Search bar from the Taskbar
- Toggle off small taskbar buttons
- Change Primary Monitor
- Change Taskbar Position
- Run SFC/DISM Tool
- Check Registry.
Lastly – there is a better way to access search, and all it takes is a keyboard shortcut to bring it up! The latest version of Windows has detached Cortana from the search, and even if Cortana is disabled, it does not affect the search. We will talk about this at the end of this post.
1] Enable Search bar from the Taskbar
Sometimes the search box or the icon is only hidden, and you need to enable it to make it appear on the Taskbar.
- Right-click on the Taskbar
- Click on Search
- Check either Show search icon or Show search box
Depending on what you turn on, the search option should instantly appear in the Taskbar.
2] Toggle off small taskbar buttons
If you have enabled the Search bar in the Taskbar option but still see only the search icon, then here is how to fix it.
- Right-click on the Taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
- Locate and toggle off the option—Use small taskbar buttons
Once it’s off, you should see the Cortana Search box if you have selected the Show search box option from the Taskbar menu.
3] Change Primary Monitor
If you have multiple monitors and you are not able to see the search bar, then your current monitor is not the primary monitor. While Windows supports the Taskbar on all the displays, the search bar is reduced to search bar in the rest of the displays except for the primary monitor.
If you are not able to see the Taskbar at all:
- Right-click on the Taskbar and click on Taskbar settings
- Locate Multiple displays section
- Toggle on Show Taskbar on all displays
Change Primary Display:
- Open Windows Settings (Win + I) and navigate to System > Display
- Click on the Identify button. If its anything other than “1” then it’s not your primary display
- Select the monitor you want to make your primary display
- Scroll to find the Multiple Display section, and check the box which says—Make this my main display.
If the Search box option is enabled from Taskbar settings, then you should be able to see the search box right away. If it’s a search icon, you can change it by following the first method on the list.
4] Change Taskbar Position
The Taskbar can be repositioned to any side of the screen, and when placed anywhere except at the bottom, the search bar changes to the search icon. It happens despite the search bar option being checked. So if you want the search bar back, you need to set the Taskbar at the bottom.
5] Run DISM/SFC Tool
If none of these work, then there is probably a corruption of system files. As a last option, run the SFC and DISM tool to fix any corrupt system file, and then restart to see the changes. Follow our detailed guide on running these commands on PowerShell or Command Prompt with admin permission.
Launch Windows Search using Keyboard Shortcut
While the search bar makes it easy to visualize, it can be easily accessed using a shortcut key. You can choose to hide the search bar from the Taskbar and still launch the Search using Win+S. It instantly brings up the search box, and you can start typing.
6] Check the value of this Registry key
Open Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
On the right side, locate SearchboxTaskbarMode.
Its values are as follows:
- 0 – Disabled or Hidden
- 1 Show only Search icon
- 2- Show Search box
Set its value to 1 or 2 as required, restart the computer, and see.
I hope this post helps you get the search bar back on your Windows 11/10 PC.
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