In OneNote the Search bar has moved, How do I put it back to where it was?

Anonymous
2025-05-22T20:51:54+00:00

Version 2504 Build 16.0.18730.20122 on Windows 11.

I have been using OneNote for years, all of a sudden when I opened it up today, the Search bar has moved from its correct place on top of the pages list on the side, to now being in the upper right corner of the actual notes main page.

When I type in a search, the list of pages where the search term shows up now covers up half of the notes field, meaning you can't read half of the page to see if the search result is actually what you are looking for or not, making the entire search function pretty much useless.

How can I move the search box, and more importantly, the list of pages that contain the search result, so that it no longer covers up the actual notes page that I need to read?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | Other | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-06-30T14:14:13+00:00

    There are TWO search boxes. the office app search across the title bar at the very top is the only one you can hide. That one is really just a BING search built into office apps and does NOT search the contents of your notes. The actual search that does work within OneNote is the one that you can only "hide" if you switch it to full page view with also "Hides" 99% of the other functions and turns OneNote into a drawing program for use with a stylus pen on table PCs.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-06-30T01:23:13+00:00

    That only removes the top box. That's not the box that is the problem.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-06-29T20:52:43+00:00

    Not sure if this just propagated, as I'm using a new laptop. But this removed the Search Box for me!

    • File > Options > General >
    • Under "User Interface Options, check "Collapse the Microsoft Search box by default".

    Image

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-06-27T21:15:54+00:00

    Hello,

    Welcome to the Microsoft Community Forum. Please accept our warmest regards and sincerest hope that all is well despite the situation you find yourself in.

    To move the Search bar back to its original position in OneNote, you can try the following steps:

    1. Open OneNote on your Windows 11 device.
    2. Click on the "View" tab in the top menu bar.
    3. Look for the "Search" group.
    4. Click on the "Search" dropdown menu.
    5. Select "Dock to left" or "Dock to right" to move the Search bar back to its original position on the side of the pages list.

    If the above steps do not resolve the issue, you may need to check for any updates for OneNote or Windows 11 that could potentially address this problem.

    Hope this helps.

    Best Regards,

    Fordy B.

    Microsoft Community Moderator

    When I go to the View Tab, there is no "Search" Group.

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