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I use Debian Linux with firefox 54.0.1 and ibus-anthy to input Japanese text. Let's say I want to search ケーキを食べる. I go to the google home page(https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl) and I try to type ケーキ. Upon typing the first character google goes into predictive search and deletes the first character leaving me with えーき as the search term.

I correct this and get as far as ケーキを. Now when I try to type た for 食べる it starts to make predictions and deletes た　from the entry box. Once it's made the predictions I can type 食べる again and all is well. If I type fast enough then I can get it to not delete the text.

I only noticed it happening this week and I'm not sure whether it always used to happen. I can't find anything on google about this phenomenon. I don't know if it's a bug with ibus, firefox or google.

So this is a desperate hope that one of you has seen the problem and/or knows how to fix it.

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    I can confirm this with Firefox 54 and fcitx-mozc and after some testing it didn't happen with Chromium. Most likely something with the new Firefox (together with Google changes) maybe? Some possible fixes: 1. disable Google Instant 2. use address bar for Google search instead 3. use another browser 4. report this to Mozilla/Google and wait for it to get fixed if you don't want to let go of Firefox and Google Instant
    – siikamiika
    Jul 3, 2017 at 23:01
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    @siikamiika Thanks for the confirmation. Strangely, if I go to google.co.**jp** it doesn't do predictive search anyway. I can live without it.
    – user3856370
    Jul 5, 2017 at 15:51
  • You're right! Interestingly, when I tested google.co.jp on my chromium, Google Instant was working while Firefox didn't even try to use it although it was enabled in settings. This is a good sign; my guess is that Google is aware and currently working on a fix because they have disabled Instant (for Firefox users) for a site where people primarily use IME to input text.
    – siikamiika
    Jul 5, 2017 at 16:07

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Well, I would have never expected this but guess what...

Google has dropped Google Instant Search

Several years after Google launched Google Instant, they are killing the default search feature to bring search more inline with mobile devices

Barry Schwartz on July 26, 2017 at 10:31 am

After launching Google Instant — Google’s method of showing search results as you type them — several years ago, Google has removed the feature from search effective today.

(...)

Now as you type, you will only see search suggestions and then be able to click on those suggestions to see the results. The search results will not load any result pages without clicking on a search suggestion or clicking enter.

In other words, the problem should be gone for good unless there are enough people who demand Google to restore this feature.

I still wonder why there was a period when it was disabled for Firefox users of google.co.jp but enabled for google.com, though.

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