How to Disable Search Engine Suggestions in Safari

By default, the Safari web browser sends the text you type into the address bar directly to your default search engine to generate live autocomplete suggestions. While this feature is designed to speed up your browsing experience, it can compromise your privacy by transmitting your keystrokes before you even execute a search. This article provides step-by-step instructions on how to disable search engine suggestions in Safari across Mac, iPhone, and iPad devices to keep your uncommitted search queries private.

Disabling Search Suggestions on macOS

To stop Safari on your Mac from sending your address bar keystrokes to your default search engine, you need to adjust the browser's search settings.

  1. Open the Safari browser on your Mac.
  2. Click on Safari in the top-left menu bar on your screen.
  3. Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions of macOS) from the drop-down menu.
  4. Click on the Search tab at the top of the window.
  5. Locate the checkbox labeled Include search engine suggestions and uncheck it.

Once unchecked, Safari will immediately stop communicating your live typing data to your configured search engine.

Disabling Search Suggestions on iPhone and iPad

On iOS and iPadOS devices, Safari's settings are managed through the main system settings application rather than inside the browser itself.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Scroll down and tap on Safari (in iOS 18 and later, scroll to the bottom, tap Apps, and then select Safari).
  3. Scroll down to the Search section.
  4. Locate the Search Engine Suggestions option and toggle the switch to the Off (gray) position.

What Happens After Disabling This Feature

Turning off search engine suggestions does not disable your ability to use the address bar as a search bar. You can still type a query and press Enter or Go to search the web using your default search engine. Furthermore, Safari will still provide local autocomplete suggestions based on your personal browsing history, bookmarks, and open tabs, as this data is processed entirely on your device without being sent to external servers.