How to train your autocorrect to actually work
I bet you’re frustrated with how often autocorrect is auto-wrong. That’s why I wanted to walk you through a few steps to make yours work more accurately.
Even with some new AI features in the latest updates, autocorrect is still “ducking” annoying. Let’s fix that together.
Go cold turkey
Yes, you can just turn it off — no more bad guesses or awkward corrections. Just type what you mean letter by letter, like in the early days. (Note: Depending on your Android make, model and OS, your steps may vary. There are just too many variations for me to cover all of them.)
- On iOS: Tap Settings > General > Keyboard, then toggle Auto-Correction to Off. Follow the same steps to turn it back on later if you need it.
- On Android: Go to Settings > System > Languages and input > On-screen keyboard > Gboard >Text correction. Here, you can turn off Auto-correction and Show suggestion strip, which displays predictive text.
Team Apple: In iOS, misspellings are underlined. To turn it off, head to Settings > General > Keyboard again and turn off Check Spelling.
Team Android: Under your keyboard settings, flip the switches next to “Predictive Text” and “Show Predictions Inline.”
Add your own slang
If you’re feeling ambitious, program your phone to replace a phrase with your shorthand. Think turning “brt” into “be right there” or “1234” into “Four Score and Seven Years Ago.” Pretty slick!
- On iOS: Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement > Tap the + (plus sign), then add your word or phrase to the Phrase field (i.e., “On my way”). In the Shortcut field, type your slang of choice (i.e., “OMW”).
- On Android: Goto Settings > System > Languages and input > On-screen keyboard > Gboard > Dictionary > Personal dictionary > English and then tap the + (plus sign) in the top right to add a custom word. Put your own slang in the Shortcut box to trigger that word.
Pro tip: In iOS and Android, if you leave the Shortcut field blank, autocorrect will stop bugging you with alternate spellings.
Those are the big ones, but I’ve got a few extra tips for iOS and Android.
Hidden iPhone features everyone should know
No matter how long you’ve owned your smartphone, there’s always more to learn about it. There are features you will never use, and some you won’t know you need until you find them.
Your iPhone and Apple Watch track various health metrics, from your heart rate to your breathing pattern. Here are five important health indicators to keep an eye on.
10 smart tech tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner
Developers put all kinds of secrets, shortcuts and hidden tricks into the gadgets you use every day. Here’s one I bet you didn’t know before now.
Grab any USB cable sitting around your house. That symbol on one side isn’t just branding or decoration. It will point up if you’re plugging in horizontally; if you’re plugging a cable vertically, the USB symbol will face right. Nice.
10 tech tricks you're not using now but you should
How well do you know the phone in your pocket? How about the computer you’re using or the browser you’re reading this article with? Despite the best efforts, many people don’t know the gadgets and software they use half as well as they should.
Why autocorrect makes so many mistakes on iPhone and iPad and how to correct it
Autocorrect is everyone’s best friend and worst enemy. Yet, it can be frustrating, especially when it misses things it should have caught and when it corrects things it shouldn’t — we’ve all experienced that. Apple has simple solutions to help fix the small bugs of autocorrect.