One of the new Search Highlights features in the Windows 10 and Windows 11 search box is a mini chart to remind you of various seasonal times throughout the year. Much like Google Doodle, once in a while, to the right of the main Windows 10 search box or top right of the Windows 11 extended search box, you’ll see a “cute” icon. More recently, these were horses to remind you of the Kentucky Derby. Yet, as cool as some people think, it turns out that not everyone is a fan of this OS behavior, and by a Reddit threada lot of people hate it.
Currently, with 337 upvotes at the time of writing, this Search Highlights feature seems to have gotten on some people’s nerves. The original poster proclaimed it as “that dumb thing”, wondering what it is, ignoring the real purpose. In the replies, another user called it “depressing,” and one more person asked why Microsoft thinks this is appropriate. In another moment, a Redditor also proclaimed that “This is not a search engine web page, but an operating system used by professionals for serious work.”
Simply put, the general consensus is that people don’t like this behavior of the search box, so much so that a person thought it was a virus. This isn’t the first time this has happened either, as similar “cute” icons for the NFL Draft appeared in the past back in April. It was a soccer ball and a microphone icon.
Luckily, for those who weren’t sure why there were horses in their Windows search box, r/Windows10 admins pinned a comment with a link that explains it as we have done. This thread mentions how you can disable Search Highlights on Windows 11, through the settings app in Privacy & Security > Search Permissions > More Settings. In Windows 10, meanwhile, all you have to do is right-click your search bar and uncheck View Research Highlights.
Do you think those “cute” seasonal icons in the search box are too distracting? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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