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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteMicrosoft Edge’s AutoSuggest control is the address-bar setting that shows search and website suggestions while you type. To change it, open Settings and more (…) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected experiences > Address bar and search, then switch Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters on or off.
Turn the switch on when you want immediate suggestions from your default search provider. Turn it off when you do not want the characters entered in the address bar sent for that suggestion service. The switch controls suggestions as you type; it is not a command for deleting browsing history.
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What Microsoft Edge AutoSuggest controls
In Edge, “AutoSuggest” refers to the suggestions displayed beneath the address bar as you enter characters. Those suggestions can include likely search queries and website destinations. Edge obtains them from the search provider configured as the browser’s default provider so it can update the list while you type.
With the setting enabled, information typed in the address bar is sent to that default search provider to generate immediate suggestions. That data-flow consequence is the main privacy consideration. If you disable the setting, Edge stops using your typed characters for this address-bar suggestion feature. Microsoft’s instructions do not describe the switch as a browser-history eraser, a cookie remover, or a way to delete searches already submitted.
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Change AutoSuggest in three steps
1. Open Edge’s privacy and search settings
- Launch Microsoft Edge.
- Select Settings and more (…) in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
- Choose Settings from the menu.
- In the Settings sidebar, select Privacy, search, and services.
If the sidebar is collapsed, select the menu button in Settings to reveal the section names. You can also use the Settings page’s search field to look for “search suggestions” when the layout in your installed Edge release differs from the labels shown above.
2. Reach the address-bar suggestion control
- Within Privacy, search, and services, open Search and connected experiences.
- Select Address bar and search.
These sections group controls for how Edge connects search features with the browser. The relevant option is not the general search-page preference offered by a search website; it is specifically under Edge’s address-bar settings.
3. Switch typed-character suggestions on or off
- Find Search suggestions and filters.
- Locate Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters.
- Set the switch to On to enable AutoSuggest, or Off to disable it.
Edge normally applies this preference immediately, so there is no separate Save button. Open a new tab and type a few characters in the address bar to check the result. When the switch is on, suggestion entries can appear as you type; when it is off, Edge does not provide those typed-character suggestions through this control.
Choose the setting that fits your privacy and convenience needs
When leaving AutoSuggest on makes sense
- You routinely use the address bar for searches and want likely queries displayed before you finish typing.
- You use website suggestions to reach frequently searched destinations more quickly.
- You accept that the characters entered in the address bar are sent to your configured default search provider for this feature.
The benefit is immediate feedback: the provider can return suggestions before you submit a full search or address. The trade-off is that the provider receives the characters needed to create that list.
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When turning AutoSuggest off is preferable
- You do not need live suggestions while entering a search or site name.
- You want to limit the address-bar information transmitted for suggestion generation.
- You are using a shared computer and prefer not to have suggestion text appear during entry.
Disabling the switch changes this one address-bar behavior. It does not remove existing browsing data or undo a search that has already been sent. Use Edge’s separate history, cookies, or other privacy controls if your goal is data deletion rather than stopping live suggestions.
How the setting behaves in InPrivate and Guest mode
Microsoft says automatic suggestions are turned off in both InPrivate browsing and Guest mode. Consequently, the regular-profile switch is not a way to turn those modes’ automatic suggestions on. If you are testing the setting in an InPrivate or Guest window, the absence of suggestions is expected even when your normal Edge profile has the AutoSuggest switch enabled.
For a reliable test of the switch itself, return to a standard Edge profile, open a regular tab, and type into the address bar. Test InPrivate or Guest separately only if you need to confirm their built-in behavior.
Do not confuse Edge AutoSuggest with Bing’s search-page suggestions
Edge’s address-bar setting and Bing’s search-page setting operate in different places. The Edge procedure uses the browser path ending in Address bar and search. Bing has a separate control on its own search-settings page labeled See search suggestions as you type.
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Changing Bing’s page control does not substitute for changing Edge’s address-bar option. If suggestions appear when you type directly into a Bing page, adjust Bing’s control. If suggestions appear beneath Edge’s address bar before a page is submitted, use the three-step Edge path in this guide. A user can configure the two controls independently.
What to do if the switch is missing or locked
Some privacy and connected-experience settings can be managed by an organization. On a work or school computer, an administrator may remove the option, show it as unavailable, or prevent changes even when the surrounding settings are visible.
Signs that policy may be controlling the option
- The Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters switch is not present after you follow the path.
- The switch is visible but cannot be changed.
- A notice indicates that an organization manages the browser or its connected experiences.
These symptoms do not establish a local Edge malfunction. They can indicate a policy applied to the device, account, or browser configuration.
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- Confirm that you are in the Edge profile and Settings page supplied by your organization, rather than a personal profile.
- Check whether the device displays an organization-management notice.
- Ask your workplace or school administrator whether the policy permits changing address-bar search suggestions.
Do not install a cleanup utility, edit unrelated system settings, or use a supposed repair workaround to bypass an administrator’s policy. The supported resolution for a managed setting is to work with the administrator who controls it.
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Troubleshooting when suggestions do not match the switch
The switch is on, but no suggestions appear
- Make sure you are testing in a regular Edge window, not InPrivate or Guest mode, where automatic suggestions are off.
- Recheck the exact toggle under Search suggestions and filters; a similarly worded Bing preference controls a different location.
- Confirm that you are typing in Edge’s address bar rather than a search box on an already opened website.
- Look again after an Edge update. Microsoft can adjust navigation labels in later releases, so follow the matching labels in the installed version.
Suggestions still appear after switching the option off
- Identify where the list appears. Address-bar suggestions and suggestions rendered inside a search website are controlled separately.
- If the list is on a Bing results page or Bing home page, change Bing’s See search suggestions as you type preference instead of the Edge toggle.
- Test in a new regular tab after the change so an already loaded page’s own search box does not confuse the result.
The settings route looks different
Edge’s interface can change between releases. Start from Settings and more (…) > Settings, then use the Settings search field for “address bar,” “search suggestions,” or “typed characters.” Select the result that leads to the address-bar suggestion control. The wording to look for is Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters.
The option is unavailable on a personal-looking device
If the control is absent or locked and the device is connected to a work or school account, management may still apply even if the computer appears to be yours. Check for organization-management messages in Edge and contact the responsible administrator. Microsoft’s guidance does not provide a local bypass for an administrator-controlled privacy setting.
What disabling AutoSuggest does—and does not do
It stops this live suggestion request
The off position addresses the exchange in which Edge uses characters entered in the address bar to request search and site suggestions from the default search provider. It is therefore a focused way to reduce that particular disclosure while typing.
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It does not erase previously stored information
The control is not presented as a history-deletion feature. Turning it off does not by itself clear browsing history, remove cookies, delete downloads, or erase searches that were submitted before the change. Those actions require their own Edge privacy controls and, where applicable, controls provided by the search provider.
It does not change every search interface
A search box embedded in a website can have its own suggestion behavior. The Bing page setting is one documented example. If your concern is suggestions in an on-page field, inspect that service’s settings rather than assuming the Edge address-bar switch governs it.
A practical decision checklist
Use this checklist before changing the option:
- Where are the suggestions? Beneath Edge’s address bar means the Edge control; inside a website means that site’s own control may apply.
- Do you want live help while typing? Leave the switch on if immediate query and site suggestions are useful.
- Do you want to limit typed-character sharing? Turn the switch off to stop this address-bar suggestion exchange.
- Are you in InPrivate or Guest mode? Automatic suggestions are already off there.
- Is this a managed work or school device? An administrator may control the option; request a policy change instead of trying to bypass it.
Quick reference
| Goal | Control or location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Edge address-bar suggestions | Edge Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected experiences > Address bar and search > Search suggestions and filters; turn on Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters | Edge can send typed address-bar characters to the default search provider for immediate search and website suggestions. |
| Disable Edge address-bar suggestions | The same Edge path; turn off Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters | This typed-character suggestion feature is disabled; the action is not a general browsing-history deletion. |
| Control suggestions on a Bing search page | Bing Search settings; clear or select See search suggestions as you type | Changes Bing’s page-level suggestions, not Edge’s address-bar setting. |
| Use automatic suggestions in InPrivate or Guest | InPrivate and Guest behavior | Microsoft says automatic suggestions are turned off in these modes. |
| Change a setting controlled by an organization | Work or school administrator | The administrator must determine whether the option can be changed. |
Bottom line
For Edge’s address-bar AutoSuggest, use the exact typed-character toggle under Search suggestions and filters. On enables faster live suggestions and sends the entered characters to the default search provider for that purpose; Off limits that exchange without deleting your existing browsing history. Remember that InPrivate and Guest disable automatic suggestions, Bing’s page has a separate preference, and an organization may control the Edge option on managed devices.
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