How to Delete & Clear Autofill Suggestions in Your Browser

Autofill — also known as autocomplete — is a feature of modern internet browsers that makes filling out forms easier by saving information that you've used in the past. For example, autofill can keep track of the name you use, then fill that name in for you so you don't have to type it out when you fill out the next form.

But what do you do when the information your browser suggests is out of date, misspelled, or just plain wrong? Here's how to clear and delete autofill suggestions.

Why Should You Clear Autofill Suggestions?

If you enter sweepstakes or otherwise fill out forms on websites, autofill can save you time by reducing the amount of typing you need to do. It can replace the need for a form-filling program like Roboform.

The problem is that unwanted autofill suggestions can build up over time. For example, if you make a typo when you enter your name, move and have a new address, or fill out a form for a friend or relative, your browser never lets you forget and keeps that suggestion in your autocomplete list.

Those useless autofill suggestions will keep appearing when you fill out new forms. Even worse, the list gets longer over time, making it harder for you to find the right suggestion to use and easier to pick the wrong suggestion by mistake. You could miss out on a win if you misclick and send your prize to the wrong address.

Luckily, it's simple to remove unwanted autofill suggestions. Follow these tips to clear your autofill and prevent unneeded suggestions from appearing when you fill out forms:

How to Delete Autofill Suggestions in Chrome

To get rid of unwanted autofill suggestions in Chrome, highlight the suggestion you want to clear by hovering your mouse over it, then press the "shift" and "delete" keys at the same time.

You can also see the information you've saved and delete any entries that are no longer needed by taking the following steps:

1. Click the hamburger button, which looks like three dots stacked on top of each other, at the top right-hand side of your screen.
2. Click the "Settings" option.
3. Under the "Autofill" section, click "Addresses and more".
4. Click the hamburger button next to any entry you want to delete, then select "Remove".

Clearing Autofill Entries in Internet Explorer

To delete individual autofill suggestions in Internet Explorer:

1. Double-click the text field so the drop-down box containing the autofill suggestions appears.
2. Hold your mouse over the option that you want to remove from autofill to highlight it. Don't click on it.
3. Press the "delete" key on your keyboard.

This will clear the unwanted suggestion from your autofill results.

If you'd like to remove all your autofill suggestions, click the "Tools" icon at the top right-hand side of your screen, then select "Internet Options" and pick the "Content" tab.

Look for the AutoComplete section and click on "Settings." At the bottom of that section, there's an option to "Delete AutoComplete History."

You can choose whether you want to delete forms, passwords, or both.

Removing Autofill Options in Microsoft Edge

To clear individual autocomplete suggestions in Microsoft Edge:

1. Click "Settings" at the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
2. Choose "Passwords & autofill".
3. Under the "Autofill" section, select "Manage forms."
4. Click the "X" button next to any entry you want to delete.

If you want to remove all your autofill suggestions from Microsoft Edge:

1. Open "Settings" by clicking on the three dots icon and selecting it from the menu.
2. Select the "Privacy & Security" tab on the left side of the page.
3. Scroll down to "Clear Browsing Data" and select "Choose What to Clear."
4. Select "Autofill data (includes forms and cards)" and click the "Clear" button.
5. If you don't want your browser to store your autofill data at all, you can also select the option on the same page to clear autocomplete data every time you close your browser.
   

Deleting Autofill Entries in Firefox

As with Chrome, delete individual autofill suggestions in Firefox by highlighting the suggestion you don't want to receive any more and pressing the "shift" and "delete" keys at the same time.

If you want to delete all of your autocomplete information in Firefox:

1. Click the hamburger button.
2. Select "History" and then "Clear Recent History."
3. Make sure that the option for "Form & Search History" has been selected and that the time range is set to "Everything."
4. Confirm to clear the data.

Clearing Autofill Suggestions in Opera

Opera has an easy way to remove either individual or bulk autofill suggestions. To access it:

1. Open the Settings gear icon at the left of the screen.
2. Click "Advanced". 
3. Look for the "Autofill" section and select "Addresses and more".
4. From there, you can choose to edit individual entries or disable the autocomplete option altogether.

Don't Stop After Clearing Your Auto-Fill Suggestions!

If you enter sweepstakes, there are a few bits of maintenance that you should do to keep things from getting overwhelming. Keeping your autofill suggestions up-to-date and accurate is one of them.

Another thing that you should do regularly is removing likes from Facebook contests that you don't need anymore. While you're at it, you can also remove unneeded Facebook sweepstakes apps.

And you can also keep your sweepstake email under control by unsubscribing from unwanted sweepstakes newsletters. Also, be sure to delete emails right away to make it easier to find

These things take only a few minutes to do, but they make entering sweepstakes more efficient and more enjoyable.