Sometimes autocorrect can save us from embarrassing typos. Other times it can drive us crazy – like when it overzealously corrects the names of our friends with unusual spellings. And sometimes things go completely wrong, and we end up texting about the monkey-back guarantee we’re getting on a new purchase.
Luckily, if you don’t like using autocorrect, it’s easy to turn it off.
by Alyssa SchmittAnnoyed by autocorrect? Turn it off in just a few taps
For those days when the autocorrect on your phone is driving you nuts, here’s how to shut it down:
To turn off autocorrect, tap the button next to Auto-Correction, turning it from green to gray
To stop automatic changes to your capitalization as well, deactivate Auto-Capitalization in the same manner
This should deactivate autocorrect in the apps you use to write emails and texts on your phone. If you find you miss autocorrect after all, simply return to the Keyboard settings and reverse the process.
On your iPhone, go to the Keyboard settings to see your options
The steps for turning off autocorrect may vary on different devices. However, if you are using the Android Keyboard, you can use the following steps to deactivate it:
Go to the Settings menu of your phone or tablet
Tap Languages and input. On some phones, you may first need to tap General Management or System to see this option.
Select Android Keyboard
Select Text correction
Slide the toggle next to Auto-correction to deactivate
Another option on the list of your installed keyboards may be Gboard. This is the default keyboard for many apps, so if it appears on the Virtual keyboard list, you should deactivate autocorrection here:
Deactivating autocorrect on a Samsung phone can differ from the common Android settings. For example, to turn off autocorrect on a Samsung Galaxy phone:
Open Settings
Go to General Management
Tap Samsung Keyboard settings
Toggle off Predictive text (slider color will be gray instead of blue)
If you change your mind and would like to reactivate autocorrect, all you have to do is return to this setting and toggle Predictive text back on.
Untoggle “Predictive text” on your Samsung phone to deactivate autocorrect
You may have problems with autocorrect because you are typing in a language other than the default language of your phone. For example, if your phone’s default language is English but you want to write a message in French, autocorrect may change a phrase like “Je suis” to “Jet suit”. If you add additional language keyboards, however, the autocorrect will automatically adjust to the language you are typing in – plus any special characters like “é” will be available.
To add a keyboard on your iPhone, for example, go to Settings > General > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard to select the language you need. Once the keyboard has been added, you can toggle between keyboards by tapping the globe symbol that appears in the lower left corner of your virtual keyboard.
Did this post help you discover the autocorrect options on your phone? Leave us some feedback below!
This article first appeared on May 8, 2022, and was updated on July 11, 2024.
