At the top of your Google Chrome browser window, there's a combined web address and search bar. When you focus or type in the address bar, it shows suggestions for web addresses and search queries based on your device's browsing history and data from your default search engine. You can manage default search engine-provided suggestions in Chrome's search engine settings.
How the address bar worksTo provide suggestions and search results more quickly, Chrome may preconnect to your default search engine in the background.
If the 'Autocomplete searches and URLs' setting is enabled, when you focus or type in the address bar, Chrome sends data to your default search engine. As you type, the text is sent to provide suggestions to autocomplete your search queries. In addition, your IP address, search information stored on your computer as 'cookies' and the current URL, if Google is your default search engine and you sync your history to your Google Account, are all sent to find the most relevant suggestions.
If the 'Help improve Chrome's features and performance' setting is enabled, Chrome also sends data back to Google to improve the suggestion feature. When you select a suggestion, Chrome sends information about the selected suggestion such as whether it was a search or a URL, how many characters you typed before you selected it and its position in the list of results. The data sent doesn't include exactly what you type or the URL that you select.
If your default search engine isn't Google, your requests for suggestions and search queries are logged under that search engine's privacy policy.
If you enter certain types of sensitive information in the address bar like passwords, local filenames or HTTPS URLs with paths, Chrome detects this. If Chrome determines that what you entered may contain sensitive information, it doesn't send the entered text for autocomplete suggestions.
If you sync your browsing history to your Google Account, Google uses your browsing history to provide relevant search suggestions to Chrome. If you delete a URL from your browsing history, it doesn't influence your personalised suggestions anymore. If you don't delete items in your browsing history, they're stored in your Google Account for up to one year based on your Google Account settings.
In Incognito mode, Chrome doesn't send any information to your search engine until you select a suggestion.
Change suggested web address and search settings
To control whether what you type is sent to your default search engine:
Computer
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, select More
Settings
- Select Sync and Google services.
- Turn on or off Improve search suggestions.
Settings Android
- On your Android device, open Chrome
.
- Tap More
- Turn on or off Improve search suggestions.
.
iOS
- On your iPhone or iPad, open Chrome
- At the bottom right, tap More
- Turn on or off Improve search suggestions.
Tip: Even when this setting is disabled, Chrome may still offer suggestions based on your local search and browsing history. You can manage your search history in your search engine's settings. Learn how to manage your Chrome browsing history settings.
Manage Google Drive search suggestion settings
If you sync your history to your Google Account, you may get suggestions from your Google Drive files.
Computer
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- Select More
- Select Sync and Google services.
- Turn on or off Show Google Drive suggestions.