HATE THIS - Windows Search "Top Apps" - How do I remove it?

Anonymous
2019-06-16T21:25:43+00:00

Is it possible to remove the "Top Apps" section of Windows Search.

I'm using 

and the what I need removed is

I really hate anything to do with search history and that sort of thing and I really hate seeing this every time I try to do a search.

Please help.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Settings

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Anonymous
2019-08-18T03:39:45+00:00

Just right click on the taskbar, go to Search and click on Hidden.  Then to search all you need to do is to hit the Windows key and type your search.

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Kapil Arya 38,491 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2020-08-03T12:07:42+00:00

Hello,

There is no direct method to disable Top Apps (as of Version 2004), however you can try this workaround to skip Top Apps:

Right click on Taskbar and select Search > Hidden.

Now simply click on Start button or press Windows key and type your search query. This way you can skip Top Apps on the search fly-out you are seeing. 

Hope this helps!

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  1. Neil D 34,335 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2019-11-14T14:04:27+00:00

    Just type snip in Search the snipping tool should still be there.

    If you just press the winkey you don't see any previous history. That's all I do but if you mean you want to click in Search and not see any history then that's another story. (no fix)

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-11-14T13:49:39+00:00

    Just an update.

    • Now managed to remove "XBox Game Bar" and "Your Phone" apps by using Powershell as Administrator.
    • Now found another "improvement".  Snipping Tool that was a simple and effective piece of software has been replaced in the 1903 version by Snip & Sketch. Another complicated thing that I could do without. I wonder if it's possible to revert to the previous tool.
    • Still can't fix the Top Apps in the searchbar problem that this post was originally all about. Has anybody succeeded yet?

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-11-13T18:01:38+00:00

    Oh dear, not again.

    Having installed version 1903 I'm coming up against all the problems:

    • Washed out colours and grey taskbar, which I finally fixed by manipulating the Personalization settings.
    • Rich blue wallpaper replaced by light blue (see Windows/WEP folder). Had to fight with the permissions to get the previous wallpaper back.
    • Cortana icon appeared back in the settings menu, despite Cortana being turned off. Group Policy Editor failed to get rid of it, but manipulating the Registry did.
    • Language bar was added to the taskbar when I only have one default language and keyboard. After trawling through fine print in Settings I got rid of it.
    • "Group by" and "Sort by" preferences in folders were defaulted to something I have never set. I've been through and reset everything to what I had before.
    • Arrows appeared back on all desktop shortcuts, even though I had set them not to appear. I've now reset them again. MS, why do you keep messing with my settings?
    • Apps were deleted because they "don't work on this version of Windows". Nonsense. I re-installed them and they work perfectly.
    • Xbox Game Bar and Your Phone apps were added to the Programs Menu. I don't want either of these but they aren't deletable.....YET.
    • Then the problem with the Search Bar, for which nobody has found a solution yet. What possible use is this? It adds nothing and annoys everybody.

    This is the list after two days. I'll probably find more misbehaviour as time goes on, not to mention what will be added by version 1909 that landed today.

    Why, oh why does MS mess about with things that don't need fixing? I haven't found ONE, SINGLE improvement in version 1903. Only a lot of useless changes.

    I guess MS does not want to give up on the intrusiveness of their programs. Instead of optionality, they force updating to all what is good for them, disregarding customer preferences.  After each "update" one has to clean up after them. While, I know, not advisable, I will postpone updating Windows

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