Safari, like many other browsers, autocompletes my searches based on past history. If I type "you" into the search bar, YouTube.com automatically shows up. However, for personal reasons I want to disable this feature entirely, meaning that to get into Youtube.com I would have to type out YouTube.com in its entirety. I have all of these settings unchecked but to no avail.
Is there a way to do this on Safari for Mac?
MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 14.3
To completely disable URL autocomplete in Safari on your MacBook Pro running macOS 14.3, you may need to take additional steps beyond the preferences settings. Here's what you can try:
1. Disable Autofill: In Safari, go to Safari > Preferences > Autofill. Make sure all the autofill options are unchecked, including "Using info from my contacts", "User names and passwords", and "Credit cards".
2. Clear Bookmarks: Clearing your bookmarks can prevent Safari from suggesting URLs based on your bookmarks. To do this, go to Bookmarks > Edit Bookmarks, then select all bookmarks and delete them.
3. Check Extensions: Some Safari extensions may also affect URL autocomplete behavior. Disable any extensions you have installed and see if that helps.
4. Reset Safari: Go to Safari > Clear History, and choose "All history". This will clear all browsing history, cookies, and other website data.
5. Check Keyboard Settings: It's possible that macOS's keyboard settings are influencing autocomplete behavior. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Text and check if there are any text replacements set up that might be causing unwanted autocompletion.
6. Use Private Browsing: While not a permanent solution, you can use Safari's Private Browsing mode (Command + Shift + N) to prevent autocomplete from using your browsing history or bookmarks.
If autocomplete still persists after trying these steps, it's possible that Safari's autocomplete behavior cannot be completely disabled through settings alone, and you may need to explore third-party solutions or alternative browsers.
To completely disable URL autocomplete in Safari on your MacBook Pro running macOS 14.3, you may need to take additional steps beyond the preferences settings. Here's what you can try:
1. Disable Autofill: In Safari, go to Safari > Preferences > Autofill. Make sure all the autofill options are unchecked, including "Using info from my contacts", "User names and passwords", and "Credit cards".
2. Clear Bookmarks: Clearing your bookmarks can prevent Safari from suggesting URLs based on your bookmarks. To do this, go to Bookmarks > Edit Bookmarks, then select all bookmarks and delete them.
3. Check Extensions: Some Safari extensions may also affect URL autocomplete behavior. Disable any extensions you have installed and see if that helps.
4. Reset Safari: Go to Safari > Clear History, and choose "All history". This will clear all browsing history, cookies, and other website data.
5. Check Keyboard Settings: It's possible that macOS's keyboard settings are influencing autocomplete behavior. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Text and check if there are any text replacements set up that might be causing unwanted autocompletion.
6. Use Private Browsing: While not a permanent solution, you can use Safari's Private Browsing mode (Command + Shift + N) to prevent autocomplete from using your browsing history or bookmarks.
If autocomplete still persists after trying these steps, it's possible that Safari's autocomplete behavior cannot be completely disabled through settings alone, and you may need to explore third-party solutions or alternative browsers.
Hello keerthik80,
To disable URL autocomplete entirely on Safari, you can follow these steps:
These steps should prevent Safari from autocompleting URLs based on your browsing history. If you find that autocomplete is still occurring after following these steps, you may want to clear your browsing history and cache to ensure that Safari isn't using old data to provide suggestions.
That only works in private browsing windows. I've already cleared my history and cache, but then safari starts to draw from my bookmarks.
How to turn off URL autocomplete entirely on Safari
