Stop autofilling URLs

As you may know, Safari always autocompletes website addresses: if I have been, say, on the "twitter.com" before, I just have to type "tw" and it fills in the rest. That can be a very convenient feature. If, however, you feel a sudden urge to procrastinate while you should be working… well the website you have no time to spend hours on is much more easily accessible that way than if you have to type in the full address. So, I’ve just spent two hours reading everything on the Internet on the subject, clearing my cache, fiddling with my Settings, and, while it seems possible to stop Safari from doing this on a Mac, it’s not possible on an iPad? At most I can disallow autofill of my email address or bank account info, neither of which are issues for me?


So, is there a way to do what I’ve been trying to do? If not, do other web browser do that too?

iPad, iPadOS 13

Posted on Feb 19, 2024 8:35 PM

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Feb 19, 2024 9:12 PM in response to RedBow1

As of my last update in January 2022, Safari on iOS does not provide a built-in option to disable autofilling of website URLs in the address bar. However, there are a few workarounds you can try:

  1. Use Private Browsing Mode: When you open a new tab in Safari, you can choose to open a Private tab instead of a regular tab. Websites visited in Private mode won't be saved in your browsing history, and therefore won't appear in autofill suggestions.
  2. Clear Browsing History and Website Data: You can periodically clear your browsing history and website data in Safari settings. This won't prevent autofill suggestions entirely, but it will remove previously visited websites from the autofill suggestions list.
  3. Use a Third-Party Browser: There are alternative web browsers available on the App Store that offer more customization options, including the ability to disable autofill suggestions for website URLs. Examples include Chrome, Firefox, and Brave.
  4. Provide Feedback to Apple: If the lack of this feature is causing inconvenience, consider providing feedback to Apple through the Feedback Assistant app or Apple's website. Apple often considers user feedback when implementing new features or improvements in future updates.

It's worth noting that other web browsers on iOS may offer similar autofill behavior by default, but they may provide more options for customization compared to Safari. However, you may need to explore each browser's settings to find the specific options you're looking for.

Keep in mind that my information might be outdated, so it's a good idea to check for any recent updates or changes to Safari or iOS that may have introduced new features or options related to autofill behavior.

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Stop autofilling URLs

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