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The trending searches on Google can be a source of distraction. The purpose of this tutorial is to demonstrate how to disable Google Trending Searches on Any Device as well as the Google App on desktop computers and mobile devices like smartphones. You must be getting sick of Google recommending a whole bunch of different search queries, right? Utilising general user data, these searches are referred to as trending searches, and they make suggestions regarding current trends that you might be interested in.
The thing is, they are frequently a source of distraction, and we have found that they are not very helpful at all. You will immediately see the most popular searches and search suggestions for your region underneath the Search box when you launch Google Search on your browser or open the Google App. This will be the case regardless of whether you are using browser or app. They can be about anything, including celeb gossip, sports, politics, or anything else you can think of. We mentioned below are the steps how to disable Google Trending Searches on Any Device.
How to disable Google Trending Searches on Any Device
On Android
- Open the Google app on your Android phone or tablet.
- Tap your Profile picture or initial in the top right corner.
- Select Settings from the menu.
- Go to General.
- Toggle off the Autocomplete with trending searches switch.
On iPhone
- Open a web browser like Chrome or Safari on your iPhone or iPad.
- Go to google.com.
- Tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner.
- Select Settings.
- Under Autocomplete with trending searches, choose Do not show popular searches.
On Windows PC
- Open your web browser and go to google.com.
- Click on the Settings icon in the bottom right corner of the page (three dots).
- Select Search settings from the menu.
- Click on Other settings in the left sidebar.
- Scroll down until you see the Auto-complete with trending searches switch.
- Toggle the switch off to disable trending searches.
- Click Save to apply your changes.
On Mac
- Open your web browser and go to google.com.
- Click on the Google Settings icon in the top right corner of the page (three dots).
- Select Search settings from the menu.
- Click on Desktop preferences in the left sidebar.
- Scroll down until you see the Auto-complete with trending searches checkbox.
- Uncheck the box to disable trending searches.
- Click Save to apply your changes.
Why you might want to disable Google Trending Searches?
- Concerns about privacy: Google Trending Searches can show you what’s popular right now, which could include your interests or search patterns. Turning it off protects your privacy online.
- Less Distractions: Trending searches can be annoying and take you away from the purpose of your search. You can stay focused on your work if you turn them off.
- Customised Search Experience: Turning off trending searches makes your search experience cleaner and more tailored to your needs, rather than being affected by what’s popular or trending.
- Minimised Influence: Trending searches can change how people act by promoting certain topics. By turning them off, you can be sure that the search results are only based on how relevant they are to your query.
- Data Use: If you have a limited data plan or slow internet speeds, turning off trending searches can help you save data that you don’t need because the feature needs to be updated all the time.
- If you don’t do trending searches when you’re doing research or schoolwork, you can be sure that the results you get will come from scholarly sources instead of popular or current opinions.
- Simplified Interface: Some users like an interface that is cleaner and has fewer things in it. By turning off trending searches, you can make the search engine look simpler.
Benefits of Disabling Google Trending Searches
- When you turn off trending searches, you get rid of a real-time source of distractions. This lets users focus on their intended searches without being tempted by popular or trending topics.
- Better privacy: Turning off trending searches can help you have a more private online experience by stopping Google from collecting and showing data about what users are currently interested in or searching for.
- Customised Search Results: Users may get more relevant and customised search results based only on their search queries and preferences if trending searches don’t affect the results.
- Better Search Efficiency: Getting rid of the visual clutter of popular searches can clean up the search interface and make it easier for people to find and understand the information they need.
- Less Bandwidth Used: Turning off trending searches might lower the amount of data loaded during a search session, which could make load times faster and use less bandwidth.
- Minimised Filter Bubbles: By focusing only on user input and not trending searches, there is less chance of getting stuck in a “filter bubble,” where popular or trending topics have too much of an impact on search results.
Privacy Concerns with Trending Searches
Privacy Concern | Description |
---|---|
Search History | Trending Searches often involve monitoring and storing user search histories, raising concerns about data privacy. |
Profiling | Users may be profiled based on their participation in trending searches, leading to targeted advertising and potential privacy intrusion. |
Data Security | Inadequate measures to secure trending search data may expose sensitive information, posing a risk to user privacy. |
Consent Issues | Users may not explicitly consent to having their searches included in trending lists, creating potential privacy violations. |
User Identification | Trending searches may inadvertently reveal individual identities or preferences, compromising user anonymity. |
Third-party Access | Sharing trending search data with third parties for analytics or other purposes may expose user information to external entities. |
Algorithmic Bias | Trending searches can reflect and perpetuate biases, potentially influencing user perceptions and infringing on privacy rights. |
Questions and Answers
Google may also show you popular searches among people who like the same things you do. That’s because they want to give you information that fits with what you’re interested in. Start up your favourite browser and go to google.com. In the bottom right corner of your screen, click Settings.
Today, Taylor Swift is the person Google users look up the most. (Taylor Swift, the American pop star, is still in the news for her Eras Tour and her new relationship with NFL player Travis Kelce.)
People are usually more interested in topics that are popular and important than in topics that are strange or unusual. But Google says that “Elvis has left the building,” “Who is buried in Grant’s tomb?” and “Are there penguins in North America?” are the least-searched words on the internet.