Google Chrome – How to stop searching IP addresses when entered in address bar

In Google Chrome, but default when you enter an the IP address (for example, 192.168.1.254) in the address bar it will turn into a search result instead of loading the device’s web page (for example your router).

This happens because Google Chrome is deeming ‘192.168.1.254’ to be an incorrect address – instead of adding ‘http://’ to the front and trying again they direct you to a Google search result.

The quickest way around this is to type the full address, complete with http:// – for example http://192.168.1.254

However, if you do this regularly having to type http:// gets tedious and annoying.

The steps below show how to stop this “feature” – you will still be able to search from the address bar – only addresses that it deems to be incorrect will not turn into a search result.

  1. With Google Chrome open, click on the menu bar at the top right of the window then ‘Settings’
  2. At the bottom of the settings window, click on ‘Show advanced settings’
  3. Under the ‘Privacy’ heading, un-tick ‘Use a web service to help resolve navigation errors’
  4. Close the settings tab
  5. Now when you enter in IP addresses into the address bar they will load – with no need to add http:// each time