Opera browser: how to stop Google searching for url in address bar

Question

Google search begun hijacking URLs that I enter into the search bar of my Opera browser (v62, August 2019). I want to know, when you enter a URL into the browser search bar, how to stop Google Search jumping in and treating the URL as a search term (a 'G' symbol appears in the address bar before the URL), instead of Opera just directing you to the URL's webpage (where a 'globe' symbol should appear before the URL).

I have tried searching an answer to this. A common answer, which is go to Opera settings > Manage Quick Access and toggle switch there, provides no solution. Actually, the problem seems to occur in other browsers too, e.g. Chrome (see Force Chrome to open URLs as URLs, instead of searching). That link leads me to think that in Opera I could do the following, as you can in Chrome: Opera > Settings > Manage search engines > Add, then key in Search engine: null ; Keyword: null ; Query URL: http://%s Opera will add this null search engine, but has no option to make it a default. Any more ideas?

Answer 1

The feature of automatic searching while typing in the address bar is called Instant Search.

You can simply disable it in the settings, it has an own section in the settings that only contains this one option.

Note: Depending on your system language Opera may use a localized version of "Instant Search", e.g. "Sofortsuche" (ger). The localized name for your language you can get in Opera help pages: https://www.opera.com/features/instant-search

Answer 2

I stopped my annoying search in the address bar by going to the "Speed Dial" page and deleted icons until my sanity returned. I tried turning off the search in the address bar feature to no avail. It appears that Opera takes its cues from that page and anytime something I was typing came close, up popped unhelpful suggestions. Nothing in settings really helped. But deleting those icons directly made my browser behave.

It is possible that you might need both, turn off search in the address bar and delete icons in the "Speed Dial" page. It is gone and I don't want to try stuff out just in case it comes back and I can't make it quit torturing me with unwanted suggestions.