When searching from the Google home page, “Instant Predictions”–by default–automatically moves the search field from the center of the browser window to the upper left corner, with suggested links immediately appearing below, as search text is entered. This feature, according to Google, saves a whopping 2-5 seconds per search. While a second saved is a second gained, some consider this to be more confusing than convenient. If you’re annoyed or distracted by the deluge of links, Instant Predictions can be disabled.
Note: How Google Instant works–and how it’s accessed–may be different than described here, depending on the browser (Firefox, Chrome, etc,) or the OS (XP, Vista, Windows 7).
Go to http://www.google.com/, click the gear icon in the upper right corner of the browser window, and select Search settings.
Under Search results, click the On button to turn it off.
Scroll to the bottom and click Save.
Cookies must be enabled (the default setting in most browsers) for this change to take effect. If, like me, you frequently clean out cookies, this will have to be reset each time.
~Kevin
Tags: google, instant predictions, Search
Your tip for disabling google instant prediction is great for chrome, but what about showing how its done if you are using i.e.9?
Thank you
Some readers indicated that this tip didn’t work for them, so I took another look. As it turns out, since this article was written (last week), Google changed the settings. They were, in fact, in the middle of making a different change as the article was being written. I wish they’d make up their mind.
Anyway–for today at least–the instructions are the same, until you reach Search Results. At that point, scroll down to Google Instant predictions, and you’ll find 3 options from which to choose. I tried this in Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer, and they all worked the same.
I apologize for the confusion, and hope Google will manage to hang on these new settings for more than 10 minutes.
Doesn’t work for latest ver of Firefox I have. There is no option to turn cookies on are off in Firefox; just to weed out unwanted ones or clean out all of them.
I truly get more and more “pissed off” about GOOGLE’S WHOLE SYSTEM !
Here is not any sense anymore and so I read many other peoples anger about there “stuff” now.. I suggest..I am not the only one who feel this way ….!
GOOGLE ! PLEASE LET ME THINKING BY MYSELF AND DECIDING FOR MYSELF IN FUTURE !!
STOP… TO TRY THINKING FOR ME….. !!!
I GOT A BRAIN AND LOVE TO USE THIS THING FOR MYSELF !!!
this GOOGLE-System drive me NUTS !!
.. and also that they try to force people now in YouTube to open with every “specific channel” a new damn gmail-account and on top of this…
being forced to this set up a separate G+ account when want sharing my videos in G+ ..
WHAT THE HE… IS THIS ABOUT ????
WHAT DO THEY THINKING THERE THE GOOGLE’S “:HEAD-PEOPLE” ???
… PLEASE start there to using your brains again SIMPLE AND USEFUL for as all here
OR Google will make NO more friends online in Future !!
THIS INTERNET CIRCUS IS ALREADY OVER-COMPLICATED !
go back to “SIMPLICITY” for all of as on the planet !
this whole BS started with the FIGHT of Google & Facebook -
Q: how BIG are this EGOS of BOTH ????
Sorry… BUT I had to let this out here !!