It can never be fully disabled, unfortunately. You can clear your browser history (including all new history being cleared on session exit every time) and follow the below steps to get close to the desired results.
In current version:
- Go to "Google and You"
- Go to "Sync and Google Services"
- Disable Autocomplete searches and URLs
(This used to be under Privacy and Security)
In older versions of Chrome:
- Go to the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar
- Click Settings
- Click Show advanced settings (on the bottom)
- In the Privacy section, deselect the "Use a prediction service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar" checkbox
Keep in mind that the address bar shows matches from your browsing history, in addition to predictions. If you don't want to see matches from your browsing history, you must clear that as well.
Beyond that there is nothing more you can do. It is either all or nothing. You cannot modify the behavior of how you dismiss suggestions. Suggestions and autocomplete are the same service.
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See support.google.com/chrome/answer/95656. I was interested in removing matches from my browsing history as well. To do that, you need to clear your browsing history. I'm also interested in preventing browsing history from being kept so that I don't have to keep doing this. It seems the only way to do that is to use Incognito ("If you don’t want Chrome to save your browsing history at all, you can switch to Incognito mode." - support.google.com/chrome/answer/95589)
Mar 1, 2017 at 7:02
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From the original post, he wanted to keep suggestions, but remove the auto-added highlighted part.
Oct 19, 2017 at 15:43
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Wrong: this disables google's autocompletion based on other user's searches, but keeps showing my own searches in autocompletion. I want precisely the opposite: I don't want it to keep track of my search queries (which is intrusive in my opinion, I'm not searching for p*rn or anything in public mode, but I still don't want my colleagues to see the history of my search queries and topics that interest me), but want to keep autocompletion based on popular queries.
Jan 30, 2019 at 11:52
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@Dan Thanks for this suggesting, it is a useful option, but I don't want to lose my browser history as I often look something up in it. I just don't want the browser to display my previous queries while doing the auotcompletion.
Jan 30, 2019 at 14:06
| Show 9 more comments
My biggest complaint is that I type a hostname into the address bar (just a host name, not and FQDN) and Google Chrome goes off and searches for the hostname instead of going to it. And now it is surrounded by a bunch of URL so I hate to type it again!! Grrr!!!!
I found something that seems to completely disable searches in the address bar in Google Chrome.
Settings
- Search engine
- Manage search engines
- Other search engines
- Click Add
- Search Engine - NONE
- Keyword
- anything you won't accidentally type in the address bar
- P1Sn1Q4XhBViV2QoEQaggtcGxUZ3EYvg
- URL with %s in place of query
- Just %s, nothing else
- %s
- Click Add
- Click Add
- Other search engines
- NONE
- Click the vertical ellipsis ⋮
- Select - Make default
- Click the vertical ellipsis ⋮
- NONE
- Other search engines
- Manage search engines
Now, when you want to search in the address bar, you can, by typing the "Keyword" for the search you want and then your search terms.
BUT :-) just typing into the google.com web page search will Not take you to the address bar!
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This did not work for me. Just %s alone is changed by Chrome into "http://%s" which is not a valid url most of the time. Instead I used "google.com/search?q=%s" and that works.
May 22, 2021 at 14:13
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For me there are two different things to do. The first one has been already marked as the correct answer. In brief:
- Go to Chrome preferences - Advanced options - Disable: Use a prediction service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar
However I still see, in addition to sites saved as bookmarks, URLs that I frequently visit. So the second thing to do to remove those entries is to:
- When the unwanted URL appear, type Shift+Del (Windows) or Shift+Function+Delete (Mac) (Full answer here). I guess you can also clear all history cache, if you prefer!
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Which version of Chrome do you use that you see
Use a prediction service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar
? I use chromium and do not have it.–Timo
Jan 8, 2022 at 19:17
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Disabling the prediction service still doesn't disable the history autocompletion. There is NO way to disable history autocomplete in the Chrome address bar. Deleting your browser history is the only workaround. :(
Dec 30, 2022 at 20:44
Add a comment |
I'd just wanted to indicate that I did a bit of trial and test and I found one option that works well for just typing things in the address bar, and not going to the first search result.
It's pretty simple: control-enter instead of just enter will input just the typed text instead of the first suggestion. Note that if the server name is not complete it will try to e.g. add .com
to it so it is not perfect. But for going to local addresses it will suffice (instead of going to the suggested 192.168.I78.X - note the I
instead of the 1
- which I probably searched for by mistyping or something similar).
Tested on Chrome version 90.0.4430.212 (64 bit Windows).
answered May 25, 2021 at 8:57
Maarten BodewesMaarten Bodewes
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To eliminate random suggestions from the web when typing in the address bar...
Paste into 'Search settings': Autocomplete searches and URLs
Find and disable this option.
Chrome version: 100.0.x.x
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If you're about to give a presentation and want to avoid exposing visited URLs, you may need to clear your browsing history -- and/or avoid search-based navigation (e.g. use bookmarks).
Apr 10, 2022 at 16:40
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@WayneBloss, It doesn't prevent it from showing URLs from your own history (which can be cleared separately, if desired) -- but it does stop it from suggesting the names of Internet sites that you've never visited.
Jun 16, 2022 at 22:55
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Alright, let's dive into this Chrome autocomplete puzzle! Now, I've been around the tech block a few times, so when it comes to browser tweaks, I've got you covered. The provided information seems to be a mix of user experiences and suggestions for managing Chrome's autocomplete and search behavior.
First off, the article discusses the challenge of fully disabling Chrome's autocomplete feature. According to the advice, it seems that while you can't entirely get rid of it, there are steps you can take to get close to the desired results. The process involves navigating through Chrome settings, specifically in the "Google and You" and "Sync and Google Services" sections to disable autocomplete searches and URLs.
The second part of the article touches on the annoyance of Chrome searching for a hostname instead of navigating to it directly. There's a workaround presented where you can create a custom search engine with a unique keyword, preventing accidental searches from the address bar. It's a bit of a workaround, but if it does the trick, why not?
Now, the user comments add another layer to the conversation. Some users express dissatisfaction with the provided solutions, claiming they don't entirely address the issue. For instance, there's a debate about whether disabling the prediction service truly solves the problem or if it still keeps showing personal search queries in autocomplete.
In the later comments, there's a suggestion involving the use of Shift+Del (Windows) or Shift+Function+Delete (Mac) to remove unwanted entries that still appear despite the settings adjustments. It seems like a hands-on approach to tackle specific autocomplete suggestions.
Finally, someone shares a tip about using control-enter instead of just enter to input the typed text without relying on the first suggestion. It's a neat trick for those who want more control over what gets entered in the address bar.
And there you have it—a comprehensive breakdown of the concepts discussed in the article. From tweaking Chrome settings to creating custom search engines and using keyboard shortcuts, it's a journey through the intricacies of Chrome's autocomplete behavior. If you ever find yourself lost in the world of browser settings, just know I've got your back!