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Windows Searchbar continues to launch WebView2 processes even if web search is disabled

Anonymous
2025-02-02T14:00:44+00:00

Like in the title.

  • I turned off everything related to Web/Bing search in the search settings
  • I stopped all search-related processes
  • After opening search bar again, all WebView processes are launched anyway

This seems like a huge RAM waste (100 MBs) for an opt-in feature that I won't ever use anyway.

(Names are in Polish but all of the subtasks of the Search feature are mswebview2 components).

Thank u, MS pls fix soon

Kind Regards

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-02-03T05:05:48+00:00

    Hello, Paweł Syska

    Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

    Thank you for your feedback on your issue here, the WebView2 process you observed starting even after disabling web search is actually a normal design choice by Microsoft.WebView2 is a component of the Windows ecosystem that allows applications to render web content in native applications. Even with web search disabled, other Windows features and system components (such as Cortana, certain settings, or application integrations) may still rely on WebView2 to render and interact with web content, which is why you may see these processes running.

    The WebView2 process is not just limited to the search function; it can also be used by other components in Windows. For example, the Start menu, taskbar, and certain settings windows may call WebView2 to display web-based information or interact with web services. Thus, even if web search is disabled, WebView2 may still be active in other tasks.

    Unfortunately, there is no easy way to completely remove or block WebView2 without affecting the normal operation of these system functions. You can try to limit its resource usage, but disabling it completely may cause some Windows features to not work properly.WebView2 exists as part of Windows' integration of web-based content into the system's native interface.

    In addition, I think your suggestion is a good one, and it really should reduce the amount of memory used by the Windows component processes in order to make the system smoother, and you can give direct feedback to the development team via the Feedback Center for further optimization.

    Microsoft attaches great importance to user experience, you can submit your ideas and suggestions through the Send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app - Microsoft Support, and the development team will regularly review submissions for ideas or fixes. 

    Please share the feedback link here after submitting as it will allow others on the forum to vote for your submission, including me. More votes will lead to more visibility and higher priority to the development team. 

    Best regards

    Bobhe | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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