Several years ago, after launching Google Instant, a way of showing search results as you type them, has been removed from search effective July 26.
The Google Instant feature was launched in back in 2010 when Marissa Mayer had the mantle of leadership. Mayer called this change a “fundamental shift in search” and the news was covered across major media when it was launched.
Because 50% of all searchers are now using mobile Google has finally decided to put down the feature. A spokesperson for the company had this to say:
We launched Google Instant back in 2010 with the goal to provide users with the information they need as quickly as possible, even as they typed their searches on desktop devices. Since then, many more of our searches happen on mobile, with very different input and interaction and screen constraints. With this in mind, we have decided to remove Google Instant, so we can focus on ways to make Search even faster and more fluid on all devices.
Now, as you type, users will see only search suggestions, allowing them to be able to click on these suggestions to see the results. The search results won’t load any result pages without clicking on a search suggestion or clicking enter.
Google says that this change is to make search “more fluid on all devices.”