How to Remove Annoying Autocomplete Entries in the Browser Address Bar
It is very frustrating to make a typo when you first try to visit a website. Then, because your browser hates you, he will try to automatically enter an incorrect website – for example, netflux or faceboik – whenever you start to enter a valid address in the address bar.
I used to solve this problem with a nuclear approach: clearing all browsing history, cookies and all. While this meant I would have to go through a re-authentication process on all my websites (using various 2-step and 2-factor codes), at least Chrome won’t automatically fill in the wrong site whenever I start typing something into the omnibox. …
Little did I know that solving this problem is easier than you think if you have the right web browser. Here’s how to remove address bar autocomplete suggestions in the Big Four browsers.
Chromium
Start typing the website address. When your browser starts to auto-fill in the wrong address in Chrome’s address bar, hold down the Shift and Function keys on a Mac, or just Shift on Windows and press the Delete key. Once you see a highlighted website, you can also press the up and down arrows on your keyboard to bring up any suggested result and delete it. It’s that simple – and much more convenient than clearing the entire history.
However, you can also selectively remove an entire site from your browsing history. Open your Chrome history, find the domain and site extension (like netflix.com), click the top checkbox, scroll to the bottom, hold down the Shift key, and click the last checkbox. Then click “Delete” in the upper right corner.
Fire fox
In Firefox, you will use the same trick as in Chrome. To delete an AutoComplete entry, simply press the Delete key on Windows or Shift + Delete on the Mac. You can move up and down to highlight other entries using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Delete whatever you want. It’s fun.
To selectively remove specific sites from your browsing history, open history, right-click the domain you want to remove, and select Forget About This Site.
Microsoft Edge
You can use the “remove autocomplete entries” technique in Internet Explorer, but this doesn’t seem to be the case for Microsoft Edge. No click on the delete button will delete any browser suggestions in the address bar.
Instead, you’ll have to completely clear your browser history via the three-dot menu > Settings > Privacy & Security . Click “Choose what to clear” under “Clear browsing data”, select “Browsing history” and get rid of it all. This is an inelegant solution to a common problem, and Edge users have already voiced it at Microsoft . Will Microsoft make any changes? Don’t hold your breath.
Safari
As with Edge, you need to clear your browser history to remove any erroneous autocomplete entries. Sorry! (And you might have to get a little more creative if deleting your history through the browser doesn’t work.)
To clear your browser history, simply click “Safari” in the upper left corner of your screen and select “Clear History”. Choose how much history you want to delete – most likely all – and hit Clear History.