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Google Instant -has anyone successfully disabled it?

Has anyone figured out how to get rid of Google Instant?

I followed the instructions I found here on how to disable it:
http://searchengineland.com/google-instant-complete-users-guide-50136
but the confounded thing still offers suggestions. (Maybe these suggestions aren't something that bothers everyone, but they sure bother Mr & Mrs H.)

I've seen several discussions already throughout the web complaining about this new feature that Google thinks we need. I just wondered if anyone here has found a way out of this.

I know I can use Google Fudd to avoid it (and probably Google International which I used to use, but can no longer find - anyone know the address for this?); however, Fudd doesn't have everything available as full Google does.
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=xx-elmer

Mrs H

NB I use Firefox, not Safari, but it's Google that's the culprit not my browser.

Message was edited by: Mrs H

MacBook Pro, Dual 450 G4/Apple Studio Display, iBook G3, Powerbook 170, Mac Plus, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 25+ years Apple user! iPod Classic 160G; 4 LaCie d2 Quadra HDs

Posted on Sep 9, 2010 12:20 PM

Reply
23 replies

Sep 9, 2010 12:48 PM in response to nashikens

From http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2010/09/googledebuts_instantsearch.html I found the following, which also doesn't help but it's nice to see so many other people complaining in the various feedbacks at the end of articles I've found already.

"It works like this: If you're *signed into Google* and run a modern browser (Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or newer, Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8, Apple's Safari 5 and version 5 or newer of Google's Chrome) and start typing a query on Google's home page, the site will display links matching your query after you've typed the first letter.

"...But to get any benefit out of this option *(you can turn it off with a link to the right of the search box)*, some of Google's most frequent users will have to break longstanding habits. +Instant doesn't work in the search boxes that browsers provide as a shortcut for Web queries. Google will need a few months to extend Instant to there+ -- and to its mobile search site."

1. *signed into Google* - but I'm NOT!

2. *(you can turn it off with a link to the right of the search box)* no, you can't!

3+Instant doesn't work in the search boxes that browsers provide as a shortcut for Web queries. Google will need a few months to extend Instant to there+ -- it may not be in Safari now, but look for it sooner or later...

Sep 10, 2010 6:49 AM in response to Mrs H

*There is no way to disable it*

Looking further into this, we find a Google employee saying that autocomplete is now obligatory for everyone on using Google forevermore: "As Autocomplete quality has improved, we felt it was appropriate to have it always on for all of our users."

This link below will take you to the page with Kelly F's "Best Answer" to the question "How do I turn off autocomplete?"

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Web+Search/thread?tid=5a69f1094357f31b&hl= en

We have found two workarounds, neither great: forbid Google in Firefox via NoScript; or use Google Elmer Fudd.

Best option, perhaps – use dogpile.

If anyone comes up with a better suggestion, please let us know.

Thanks,
Mrs H

Sep 10, 2010 9:32 AM in response to Mrs H

Hi Mrs H! 🙂

Maybe these suggestions aren't something that bothers everyone, but they sure bother Mr & Mrs H.

What exactly is it you object to? You don't have to look at the links until you finish typing.

I find Google even faster now.

Of course, if you use Glims you can default to any other search engine you wish.

But I think you knew that already!

Sep 10, 2010 2:03 PM in response to Klaus1

Hi Klaus 🙂 Longtime no talk!

Klaus1 wrote:
What exactly is it you object to? You don't have to look at the links until you finish typing.


The drop down suggestions. (That's what they used to call autocomplete? and what they say is un-removable on their FAQ page)

In any case, the suggestions are almost always wrong and they get in the way of reading the list of options provided once you are on a search results page (where I can click on the x and get rid of instant...)

I still use Firefox, with NoScript. I found that I could *forbid the permissions* for Google and that stops the dropdowns. It does, however, make Google Images revert to the old format which involves clicking on "Next" - rather than seeing the manymany photos in the newer version. Using Elmer Fudd Google works the same as I've just described here for what happens with permissions forbidden.

But, and I'll say more about this to Carolyn below, when I follow the instructions I've found all over the web including on Google Help, and the ones Carolyn gives the link to, the dropdowns do not stop. The suggestions still keep coming.

I've added dogpile and Yahoo! to my menu bar and am testing them both. Mr H needs Google Maps, and Images for his work and he hates instant more than I and can't use the Fudd or permission denied work-around.

Have I made a clear enough muddle of this for you? 😉
Mrs H

Sep 10, 2010 2:14 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

Hi Carolyn,

Thanks for the link.

Unfortunately, I already found those instructions elsewhere and tried them. They don't work.

In my Google Search prefs I have the button "Do not use Google Instant" checked off. Does not change things in the least. I've clicked it on and clicked it off all day - the results don't change.

The second option, the little x on the search result page is too late; by the time you get there you've already run into the dropdown and it reappears on the next search anyway.

The Google employee I quoted above saying "As Autocomplete quality has improved, we felt it was appropriate to have it +always on+ for all of our users." (my italics) seems, unfortunately, to be right.

I don't think NoScript is getting in the way here - in fact, by disabling Java it may be helping me. And certainly, my workaround by denying permission to Google (see my reply to Klaus above) works it just makes Images and Maps an issue.

I have seen lots of other forums - tech mags and the like - where folks are complaining, I must not be the only one with a problem,

I should add I do not have a Google account, so am not "signing in" to Google. I don't think this matters since one set of instructions I read said it was specifically for those without accounts.

sigh 😟
Mrs H

Sep 10, 2010 6:50 PM in response to Klaus1

I have Google Instant turned OFF, both in my Google Search settings and on the search page where the x is within the search box.
The suggestions keep coming.
But perhaps, that's query suggestions, as andyBall says, which formerly could be turned off, but no more - and, perhaps, instant is something else. Autocomplete is now instant? And that can't be turned off according to the Google guy.

If only it was that easy - my Google pages do NOT include that text, instant is always on - but I don't mind the extra speed!

You, in the UK perhaps are not yet blessed with Google Instant.
To quote Google Instant FAQ, which I accessed by clicking this link below the word Google on the main Google search page (I can't copy it as a link for you, sorry):
"Fast just became faster. Learn about Google Instant now."

In the depths of FAQ is the following:
"Q:Where is Google Instant available?

"A:Google Instant is starting to roll-out to users on Google domains in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia who use the following browsers: Chrome v5/6, Firefox v3, Safari v5 for Mac and Internet Explorer v8. Please note, users on domains other than Google.com can only access Google Instant if they are signed in to a Google Account. We will continue to add new domains and languages over the next several months."

So, the drop down menu may be query suggestions and not Google Instant; in any case, Google no longer lets me shut that off and that's what I want to get rid of - as well as Google instant which I guess I have ditched since things don't appear to finish typing in suggestions for me before I finish typing a word! I have Google permissions in NoScript denied on my computer and that seems to work; Mr H is still suffering since, as I said above he need Images and Maps. We both have the button for Turn off Google Instant selected, but those confounded drop downs still appear for him (unless he denies permissions, aka turns off javascript, and then Images doesn't work well...)

Mrs H

Sep 10, 2010 6:57 PM in response to andyBall_uk

andyBall_uk wrote:
There's two features here, Instant - which provides the results as you type; and Query Predictions - which does the autofill/suggestion thing like the toolbar google box.


the predictions can be disabled at http://www.google.com/preferences?hl=en or the equivalent.

I answered Klaus, but I suspect I should be talking to you.

Again, since you are in the UK, you may not be seeing Instant yet - google is pretty vague on this.
Perhaps I have successfully turned off Instant, since Google doesn't fill in the search bar before I finish typing. The drop down feature, which I think is part of Instant I can't get rid of. The predictions that you say can be disabled by going to prefs for search ("Search Settings" on my Google page) just do not shut off the drop downs for us. We both have "Do not use Google Instant" button clicked and that is the only button we now have to adjust search features. We +used to have+ an option to shut off autocomplete.

Mrs H

Sep 12, 2010 7:43 AM in response to Mrs H

I'm marking this as answered.

What I've learned is that I can and have shut off Google Instant.
I can not - nor can anyone else - shut off Autocomplete/Query Suggestions. Once the Google version offered to you includes Google Instant, the button to turn off Autocomplete is NO LONGER available from Google, period.

By disabling Javascript (via NoScript), I do not get the annoying (to me) drop down Query Suggestions but have to accept a different version of Google Images and have to grant permission for Javascript again via NoScript to view Google Maps. I guess this is my best solution if Google doesn't come to its senses and give us back disable Autocomplete/Query suggestions.

Sep 14, 2010 11:53 AM in response to Mrs H

With you all the way, Mrs H. Somehow it hasn't occurred to them that a category of people exists that want their browser do the auto-filling, instead of google. Besides that, I think it's pretty inefficient to have servers start searching for something before it is known what that something actually is.

Anyway, I got this link from someone at google's forums

http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0

Seems to work for now.

Google Instant -has anyone successfully disabled it?

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