Disabling Tenor GIF search in Windows Emoji Picker
The emoji picker dialog that Windows includes (use Windows + . to access it) not only allows you to insert emoji and smileys with relative ease, but also does GIFs. I find this distracting, and on top of that these are provided by an external service that the tool connects to automatically and without my consent.
There is no option to disable this (to my knowledge), but here's a working solution, due to RetsuAsakura on Reddit: disallow outbound network traffic from the program in question. Here's how to do it, using Windows' built-in firewall:
- Open settings (Windows + i is the easiest way).
- Open the Windows Defender Firewall (typing firewall into the search box is the easiest way).
- Click on Advanced Settings in the left-hand sidebar.
- Click on Outbound rules in the left-hand sidebar.
- Click on New Rule... in the right-hand sidebar.
- Select the Program rule type (default).
- Select This program path (default), click Browse, and navigate to C:\Windows\SystemApps\МісrоѕоftWіndоwѕ.Сlіеnt.СВЅ_сw5n1h2tхуеwу\ТехtІnрutНоѕt.ехе.
- Select Block the connection (default).
- Check Domain, Private and Public (all checked by default).
- Assign a name to the rule so that you'll remember later what it's for. This is not strictly required, but it's a REALLY good idea.
After you do all that, GIFs won't trouble you anymore:
