I always use Google maps when I need directions. I'm used to typing in "maps" into the search bar and going to maps.google.com, my most-visted site whose address begins with "maps".
However, recently, Safari has started autocompleting "maps" to "maps.apple.com", even though I never visit that site. How can I disable this annoying self-promotion and restore the previous functionality of auto-completing to the most visited site?
But aside from all this - where do I tell "Apple" (i.e. a setting on my Mac) to stop doing it?
You are welcome to contact Apple and tell them to stop doing what they are not doing. Start here: How to Contact Us - Apple. Have an incredible day!
The quotes round Apple and the "i.e." tried to convey that I am looking for advice on a setting I can change in the UI that will make Safari forget about maps.apple.com.
I am already well aware of the complete futility of suggesting any kind of change to Apple themselves.
I think I've figured out the reason: Google recently changed the url from maps.google.com to www.google.com/maps. The first URL still exists, but it redirects to the second one, and I guess that's what's preventing Safari from suggesting it. So I guess this is a problem we can't fix, unless Apple decides to make a smarter address bar.
Safari's "autocomplete" feature draws its information from your browsing history and bookmarks. Reset Safari's history and data by following these instructions:
Clear your browsing history in Safari on Mac - Apple Support
AndyS-C wrote:
You mean this is something I have made it do by a conscious act?
Yes. The clue is in your reply.
But aside from all this - where do I tell "Apple" (i.e. a setting on my Mac) to stop doing it?
You are welcome to contact Apple and tell them to stop doing what they are not doing. Start here: How to Contact Us - Apple. Have an incredible day!
This doesn't work - I deleted ALL references to maps.apple.com from my Safari browsing history, restarted Safari (for good measure) but it STILL auto-completes maps. as maps.apple.com
Microsoft got into a lot of trouble for this gratuitous self-promotion of their own tools - Apple should NOT be doing it!
I'm not the only person seeing this.
It's not because it's learning it from the history, as none of my history entries mentions maps.apple.com.
There's something going on here, and it looks a lot like Apple favouring their preferred mapping tool.
I have fixed it by creating a Favourite Bookmark for maps.google.com, and it now finds that link when I start typing "maps".
You mean this is something I have made it do by a conscious act?
No, one day, it started only auto-completing maps.apple.com, rather than maps.google.com, as it had done until then.
You could say it's an algorithm inside Safari, maybe, but I believe Apple wrote that?
How can you be sure Apple isn't doing it, just because you're not seeing it on your machine, grasshopper?
But aside from all this - where do I tell "Apple" (i.e. a setting on my Mac) to stop doing it? Creating a bookmark seems like a work-around to an OS problem.
And clearing all references to maps.apple.com from the search history has not fixed it.
AndyS-C wrote:
I am already well aware of the complete futility of suggesting any kind of change to Apple themselves.
And yet Apple does respond to feedback. People wanted the battery percentage on the screen on iPhones with a notch. It took a awhile but Apple added it. And, when they did, people hated the way it looked. Apple changed it. That a is the only the most recent example I can think of. If you're one of a very small number of people making a suggestion, it is much less likely that you will see the change you want.
I don't really want to delete all my browsing data, but I did create a brand new test account on my machine and this behaviour didn't occur. So the behaviour doesn't seem to be built in to Safari and must be connected to my user account or Apple ID somehow.
It would be helpful to know exactly what's causing it and what to change to prevent it. maps.apple.com doesn't seem to be anywhere in my bookmarks, and I the only times I've ever visited it are by mistake when the autocomplete fills it in, so it's pretty mysterious why it suddenly started to happen.
I fixed it by creating a "favourite" entry called "maps", with the google maps URL. Safari looks in favourites before trying anything else, so when I type maps now, it always goes straight to google maps :) #sorted
Apple is not doing that Andy.
No, you're not. The point is that Apple isn't doing it.
Look within grasshopper.
It is not a setting on your Mac Andy.
OK - that answers my question, then. Thanks John :)
prevent safari from suggesting apple maps
