Earlier in 2010, Google announced a new feature called “Google Instant” which was applicable to both “search” and “previews”. The “Google Instant Search” feature suggested different search results as soon as the keyword (search term) was keyed in, enabling you to research on your keyword more quickly. But this feature slowed down the search results, if you intended to have a particular keyword in your mind. However, this feature could be switched off using the gear icon on the top right hand side corner of your search results.
But the more “annoying” feature is the “Google Instant Previews”/ “Live Page Preview” feature in Google search results. Earlier in 2010, there used to be a “magnifying glass” icon beside search results. So, when you click it, a page preview of the search result used to display in a pop-up mode. This was possible to disable by clicking anywhere on the search results page again.
Welcome, Oct-2011. The “new” Google Instant Previews or Live Page Preview feature has been “forcibly” enabled in your Google search results. When you hover your mouse to the right of the search results, you see a double-arrow icon displaying a pop-up of the page preview of the search result.
There is No direct option from Google on how to switch off this live page preview feature. The Google forums are full of complaints regarding this feature.
How to Hide/Disable “Google Instant Previews/ Live Page Preview” in Internet Explorer.
- Open Internet Explorer.
- Open Tools > Internet Options > Security > Trusted Sites.
- Add www.google.com to the trusted sites list, by clicking “Sites” button. (You need to un-check the box which says “Require server verification (https: ) for all sites in this zone.”)
You can add any other domain like www.google.co.uk (or) www.google.com.au (or) www.google.co.in to hide/disable “Google Instant Previews/Live Page Preview” in the country specific Google search results of Australia, UK or India.
Regardless of the security level for this zone, click on “Custom level” button. Set the option Scripting > Active Scripting to “Disable”.
Set the option Miscellaneous > Websites in less privileged web content zone can navigate into this zone to “Enable”.
This will permanently and completely disable “Google Instant” feature in Internet Explorer, which applies to both “search” and “previews”, since these are background scripts that run continuously and make your search slow.
Warning : The above settings will work for any other sites added under Trusted sites. Also if you’re a fan of “Autocomplete” or “Google Instant Search” and “keyword suggestions” features, this will disable these features as well in addition to the “Google Instant Previews”.
How to Hide/Disable “Google Instant Previews/ Live Page Preview” in Firefox.
- Install the GreaseMonkey add-on.
- Install the following script from userscripts.org.
This will ONLY disable “Google Instant Previews/ Live page preview” feature in Google search results in Firefox.
Note: If this doesn’t work, clear your cookies, cache etc and restart Firefox.
How to Hide/Disable “Google Instant Previews/ Live Page Preview” in Google Chrome.
Install the following Google Chrome extension.
This will ONLY disable “Google Instant Previews/ Live page preview” feature in Google search results in Google Chrome.
Note: If this doesn’t work, clear your cookies, cache etc and restart Chrome.
Some other methods to disable “Google Instant Previews/ Live page preview” feature in Google search results.
- Use some other browser like Opera other than Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome.
- Use a custom Google search engine such as Scroogle.
Whatever method you follow, finally the google search results without “Google Instant Previews/Live Page Preview” in Google search results look like this.
Similar topics:
1. Enable Google Instant Search in Google Chrome.
2. Create Google Real Time Search Bookmarklet.
Thanks for sharing a very useful information, please do keep posting….
Nice Tutorial sir, like it,.
Thanks for the article. Unfortunately, it hasn’t helped me.
I use Firefox and I tried the fix you suggested. However, userscripts.org won’t open. Has the site gone away or is it only me that has the problem?
Also, does this disable Instant Preview in Google search results? It’s most annoying for me on other websites.
Do you think going back to the old Google instead of Google+ would help?
I meant to say “Google search results ONLY.”