How to Fix Google Search Autocomplete Not Working in Chrome

Quick Tips

• Open Google search in Chrome > Settings > Search settings > Other settings > turn on the Autocomplete with trending searches toggle.
• Open Chrome > three-dot icon > Extensions > Manage Extensions > go to the relevant extensions > turn toggle off.
• Click the three-dot icon in Chrome > your profile > Sync is on > Turn off > check the box and confirm > turn sync on > check.

Basic Fixes:

• Restart Google Chrome: Temporary browser glitches can cause autocomplete to not work properly in Chrome. When this happens, close the browser and restart it. This can help do away with such glitches.
• Clear Chrome cache: While browser caches can help speed up the process, they might also be one of the reasons why certain browser functions are not working properly. So, if you’ve been having issues using autocomplete, clear the cache for Chrome and try again.
• Check for software updates: Regular software updates can help provide your browser with the latest bug fixes and feature updates. So, if your browser is currently out of date, certain issues might occur. In this case, check and ensure Chrome is updated.

Fix 1: Enable Autocomplete in Google Search

When using Google search in Chrome, you get the option to enable or disable the autocomplete feature for trending searches. If this is turned off, autocomplete might not work for you. So, follow the below steps and ensure autocomplete is enabled in Google search settings.

Step 1: Open the Google search page in Chrome and click on Settings. Click on Search settings.

Step 2: Go to Other settings from the side menu.

Step 3: Scroll down and turn on the Autocomplete with trending searches toggle.

Also Read: How to get Google search results by date

Fix 2: Check Google Services Settings

Chrome search settings might get in the way of Google search settings. This can also result in autocomplete not working properly or not working at all. To fix this, open the Google services settings in Chrome and enable the settings using the below steps.

Step 1: Open Chrome and click the three-dot icon. Click on Settings.

Step 2: Click on Sync and Google services.

Step 3: Turn on the Improve search suggestions toggle.

Fix 3: Disable Chrome Extensions

Certain extensions can hijack your browser’s features, causing certain functions, like autocomplete, to not work properly. When this happens, disable any newly added extensions in Chrome and see if this fixes the issue. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open Chrome and click the three-dot icon. Go to Extensions and click on Manage Extensions.

Step 2: Go to the relevant extension and turn the toggle off.

Fix 4: Turn Sync off and On

You can sync your data across devices as long as you’re using the same Google account. However, sync issues can cause certain browser features to not work properly. When this happens, disable Chrome sync. Wait a while and turn it back on to resync the current data. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open Chrome and click the three-dot icon → your profile information. Click on Sync is on.

Step 2: Click on Turn off.

Step 3: Check the box and click on Turn off to confirm.

Once done, restart Google Chrome and use the above steps to enable sync on Chrome. Then, try using the autocomplete feature to check.

Fix 5: Reset Google Chrome

While Chrome settings don’t usually affect Google search functions, certain settings might end up interfering. This can cause the autocomplete feature to not work properly when using Google search. To fix this, reset all Chrome settings to default using the below steps.

Step 1: Open Chrome and click the three-dot icon. Click on Settings.

Step 2: Go to Reset settings and click on Restore settings to their original defaults.

Step 3: Click on Reset settings to confirm.

Wait for Chrome settings to reset. Once done, restart Chrome and try using autocomplete in Google search to check if the issue is fixed.