Question
Issue: How to disable Omnibox in Chrome?
How can I disable omnibox in Google Chrome? I do not like these autocomplete suggestions!
Solved Answer
Omnibox in Chrome has been called one of the most significant and convenient features of the web browser. However, some users find it annoying due to privacy reasons and might want to disable Omnibox altogether. Google Chrome by default has enabled omnibox which is a combined search box and URL[1] bar. Therefore, you can search the web and look for the information quickly, without having to access Google or another search provider first.
Once you start typing a search term, Chrome delivers suggestions and auto-completes queries. As soon as you click on a particular opinion, you are redirected to a website or Google search results page. These omnibox suggestions are based on these types of information:
- your browsing history
- bookmarked items
- suggestions
- URL prediction provided by Google
These predictions are made based on your entered keywords, previous search queries and Trending stories (it is based on what other people are looking for).
There are two main reasons why people decide to disable Omnibox in Chrome. One of them is related to possible privacy-related issues which have appeared as soon as this feature was released in 2008.[2] Google may collect and store logs; thus, if you want to hide your terms from the search giant, you need to disable Omnibox and use another search provider.
Another reason is related to Chrome’s ability to synchronize connected devices.[3] Chrome remembers Omnibox history and uses it across other devices. Therefore, if you searched for particular information from your laptop, you will find the same keywords when you open Chrome on your smartphone.
How to Disable Omnibox in Chrome?
If you are concerned about your privacy or find this feature annoying, you need to take three simple steps in order to disable Omnibox in Chrome. These steps require turning off Omnibox history sync, deleting history and autofill form data, and deleting search suggestions and URL prediction. Follow the steps below:
Step 1. Turn off Omnibox History sync
If Omnibox History sync has been enabled on Chrome, you need to turn it off. Perform the following steps to disable Omnibox history sync:
- Open Google Chrome browser
- Click on the three vertical dots on the top-right of the window and click on Settings (make sure you are logged in to your Google account)
- Click on Sync, and you will enter Advanced sync settings
- Make sure the History option is turned off
Step 2. Delete History, Cookie and Autofill Data
Next, you have to remove all the previous data you used while browsing the web (Google saves it automatically):
- Open Google Chrome once again and go to Settings
- Scroll down and click on Advanced
- In the Privacy and security section, locate Clear browsing data
- In the newly opened window, click on Advanced
- In the Time range section, pick the option All time
- Tick Browsing history, Cookies and other site data and Autofill form data
- Click on Clear data
Step 3. Delete search suggestions and URL prediction
This step is crucial to disable Omnibox completely. Perform the following actions:
- Go to Settings and click Advanced once again
- Under Privacy and security, locate Use a prediction service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar
- Click on it once to disable Omnibox prediction service completely
We hope that this tutorial helped you to make the browsing experience more pleasant on Google Chrome!
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- ^ Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Techopedia. Where Information Technology and Business Meet.
- ^ Adam Pash. Take Back Your Privacy from Google's Omnibox. Life Hacker. Tech, Money, Cooking, Health, Travel, and Parenting Tips.
- ^ Matt Elliott. Get started with Google's Backup and Sync app. Cnet. Product reviews, how-tos, deals and the latest tech news.
