How to Use Chrome Autofill & Autocomplete in 2023
Many people use Google Chrome to surf the web, check emails, and get their work done. One way to be more productive on Chrome is to use automation tools.
According to Kissflow, Automation has improved jobs for 90% of knowledge workers and boosted productivity for 66% of them.
Chrome's autofill and autocomplete features are tools you can use to help speed up your work on Chrome. These features help you fill out forms and autocomplete text to help you work faster and get more done.
In this article, we will talk about Chrome's Autofill & autocomplete features, why you should use them, their pros and cons, and how to use autofill to shortcut work anywhere.
What Are Chrome's Autofill & Autocomplete Features?
Chrome Autofill and Autocomplete are two built-in features that make your browsing experience smoother and more efficient. Here's how they work:
Autofill is all about remembering and automatically filling out form fields for you. Once you enter your name, address, or credit card details in a form, Chrome remembers this information. The next time you encounter a similar form, Chrome will fill in those details automatically. You just have to click on the field and choose the correct information from the dropdown that appears.
Autocomplete, on the other hand, is part of Gmail but aims for the same goal: making your life easier. As you start typing in the search bar or a form field, Chrome predicts what you're going to type and helps you quickly fill in text.
Why Use Chrome's Autofill & Autocomplete Features?
Google Chrome's Autofill and Autocomplete features are real time-savers for anyone who uses the browser for a variety of tasks. With Autofill, Chrome remembers details such as your name, email, and even payment information.
The next time you need to fill out a form, Chrome Autofill jumps in and completes the fields for you. It's as simple as clicking the field and picking the right saved information from a dropdown list.
Autocomplete for Gmail works slightly differently but is just as handy. As you begin to type into the search bar or a website's form, Chrome predicts what you might be typing and offers suggestions.
This feature speeds up the process, especially if you're doing a web search or entering a long website URL. It not only boosts productivity, but also reduces the chance of errors, helping you get to the correct webpage or complete your search faster.
Here are a few examples of what Chrome autofill helps with:
Common Phrases: If you find yourself typing the same phrases over and over again, Autofill can remember them and fill them in for you.
Repetitive Sentences in Emails: If your emails often start or end the same way, like "Dear Customer" or "Best regards," Autofill can make sending those emails faster.
Frequently Typed Messages: If you often send similar messages, maybe status updates in work chats or frequent replies in social media, Autofill can help you type these out quickly.
Form Filling: With Autofill, you can quickly populate entire forms, such as those for online surveys or applications, using your saved information.
Auto-Add Personal/Payment Info: Autofill also offers the convenience of automatically inputting your personal and payment information when making online purchases, ensuring a faster and more accurate checkout process.
Pros & Cons of the Chrome Autofill Feature
Chrome's Autofill and Autocomplete are handy, but they have their ups and downs. Autofill saves time by remembering details like your name, email, and payment info. Autocomplete speeds up web searches and helps you find URLs faster. But there are also downsides, like privacy risks and limited scope.
Here are some pros and cons of each:
Pros
Autofill:
- reduces the time spent on filling out forms.
- minimizes the chance of mistakes in form filling.
- helps you quickly fill in information so you don't have to do it manually.
Autocomplete for Gmail:
- helps you type things faster.
- makes it easier to type out emails/messages.
- eliminates repetitive typing.
Cons
Autofill:
- stores sensitive data that could be compromised.
- doesn't work as well outside of the Chrome browser.
Autocomplete:
- can only be used within Gmail.
- doesn't help you automate full emails.
- can't be customized.
How to Use Google Autofill & Autocomplete in Chrome
How to Enable Chrome Autofill Settings
Enabling Chrome Autofill is easy. Here's how it works:
Open your Chrome browser and click on the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner.
Go to "Settings," then scroll down to "Autofill."
Here, you can choose what info Chrome should remember, like passwords, payment methods, and addresses.
Now, you can use Chrome autofill to quickly fill out forms and personal information.
How to Disable Chrome Autofill Settings
If you decide you don't want to use Chrome Autofill, you can turn it off. Here's how:
Just go back to the "Autofill" section in Chrome Settings.
You can turn off Autofill for passwords, payment methods, and addresses individually.
Do this by going to each section and turning off autofill/removing the information you no longer want stored.
How to Enable Autocomplete in Chrome
Enabling Autocomplete in Gmail is a straightforward process that can make email composition faster and more efficient. Here's how it works:
To enable this feature, you'll need to go into the Gmail settings.
Log into your Gmail account and click on the gear icon at the top right corner to go to "Settings."
From there, find the "See all settings" button and click it.
Navigate to the "General" tab and scroll down until you see "Smart Compose."
Make sure to check the box that says "Writing suggestions on" to enable the feature.
After making the change, scroll down to the bottom and click "Save Changes."
This Autocomplete feature in Gmail works alongside the Chrome Autocomplete, helping you type faster not just in forms and search bars, but also in your emails. It's another step towards making your online tasks more streamlined and efficient.
Note: To disable Autocomplete, follow the same steps above, and just toggle the "Writing suggestions" box to off.
Chrome Autofill Alternative That Works Anywhere
If you like Chrome's autofill & autocomplete features but wish they worked in other places, you are going to love Text Blaze.
Text Blaze helps you create powerful text templates to autcomplete text anywhere online using keyboard shortcuts. Using Text Blaze, you can create templates for common phrases, messages, and even full emails.
Don't worry about a subscription: Text Blaze is free forever, which means you can use it to automate repetitive typing without ever needing to pay for a subscription.
Text Blaze allows you to autofill text on ANY website or app!
Plus, With Text Blaze, you can use fill-in-the-blank placeholders, dynamic logic, and formulas to create powerful templates to help you streamline workflows, boost productivity, and get more done.
Wrapping Up
Chrome's Autofill and Autocomplete features, along with Gmail's Smart Compose, offer a variety of benefits to make your online experience smoother. They save you time by filling in forms and predicting text, reduce errors, and add convenience to tasks like web searching and email writing.
However, it's essential to weigh these advantages against potential privacy concerns and the limitation of these features primarily to the Chrome environment. Overall, using these features can significantly improve your efficiency and streamline your online tasks.
Use Text Blaze to automate repetitive typing, boost productivity, and autofill text on absolutely any site!
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