Autocorrect was designed to help Android users easily fix spelling mistakes, typo errors, and simple grammar lapses. This feature prevents users from sending out humiliating messages or emails from your mobile device. It also suggests words as you type, making the composition a lot faster and efficient.
Autocorrect is a system that adapts to your mobile device use and keeps learning as you go. Android devices use Google’s standard keyboard, called Gboard, which is equipped with a built-in dictionary and adds to it as you use your device. It means that Autocorrect should get better the longer you use your phone.
But most of the time, Autocorrect causes more harm than good. Instead of being a life-saver, Android users found that autocorrect has made texts and emails more embarrassing because of autocorrect fails. Some autocorrect fails are funny, but others are just downright frustrating and embarrassing.
Autocorrect is also a persistent little beast. It will stubbornly correct words, even if you don’t want them corrected. This problem arises if you’re typing in a language other than English. So, if you’re sending a message with Spanish or French words, expect Autocorrect to be in full on mode. It will not stop autocorrect spelling Android and won’t let you type the words that you want.
If this setup is not working for you, it would be better to disable autocorrect on Android.
How to Turn Off Autocorrect on Your Android Device
If Autocorrect is making things more difficult for you instead, you can choose to simply disable autocorrect on Android. This is the simplest and easiest way to deal with autocorrect problems. Switching off this feature prevents awkward and embarrassing moments from happening.
The method of turning off the autocorrect function is almost the same for all Android devices, except for minor differences.
To disable autocorrect on Android, follow the steps below:
- Tap the Settings app, then go to Language & input > Google Keyboard. Alternatively, you can press and hold the comma button on your keyboard, then tap the gear icon that appears and choose Google Keyboard Settings to get to your keyboard menu.
- Tap on Text correction to see a list of customization options for your device’s autocorrect feature.
- Scroll down to the Corrections section and toggle the switch for Auto-correction to turn it off.
Take note that turning off the autocorrect function does not mean that the spell check feature will also be disabled. If you want to switch off spell check , you can do so on the same page where the autocorrect setting is located.
If you want to disable to autocorrect but want to keep checking for misspellings, you can leave the spell check feature turned on.
In case you have a change of heart and want to bring back autocorrect, just follow the steps above and toggle the switch to On.
Here’s a tip: To make sure your autocorrect feature works smoothly and efficiently, optimize your device using a tool such as android cleaning app.
Other Autocorrect Options
Aside from turning off autocorrect, there are also other options you can explore if you don’t want to totally disable autocorrect on Android.
Auto-correction on Android comes in different levels of severity. To check what auto-correction level your device is using, tap Auto-correction under Text Correction. You should see three different levels there, namely:
- Modest
- Aggressive
- Very aggressive
If you’re having difficulty with autocorrect, check if Aggressive or Very aggressive is ticked off. The Modest level should be good enough for most people.
If your device is set to Moderate and you’re still having problems with autocorrect, try exploring and tweaking the other settings in the menu.
Personal Dictionary
Your default keyboard comes with a personal dictionary that saves all the words you have typed on your device. So, if your phone keeps suggesting weird and misspelled words, you’ve probably saved that word accidentally in your personal dictionary.
Your personal dictionary depends on the keyboard input language your device is using. If you have multiple languages set up, each of them will have a corresponding dictionary, plus the default global dictionary.
To see which words you have saved on your device, just tap Personal Dictionary under the Text Correction menu. From here, you can edit the entries, add new words, or delete those that are misspelled. To delete an entry, tap on the word to select it, then tap the trash icon in the top right corner of the screen.
To add words, just click the (+) button at the top. You can even add your physical address, phone number, or email and assign a word shortcut for each. This makes filling out forms a lot easier. You can also add words to your dictionary as you type. For example, when you see a word underlined in red when typing, tap on that word and choose Add to dictionary. It will be automatically added to your dictionary.
Summary
Autocorrect is not a perfect feature. It all depends on how you use your device and the level of severity you have set up on your device. If you find autocorrect more annoying than useful, you can tweak the autocorrect and spell check settings to suit your needs or you can turn it off completely to avoid further frustrations.