How to Turn Off Autocorrect on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Autocorrect is one such iPhone feature that looks very useful on paper, but in reality, it quickly turns into a headache. It is why your “Yes bro” becomes “Yes brp”, your friend’s name changes to something random, and your perfectly fine Hinglish sentence turns into a grammatical crime scene.

And the worst part is that it sometimes even replaces correct words and brand names. So if you are tired of fighting your keyboard every day, it’s time to switch autocorrect off. This post details how to disable autocorrect on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

What Autocorrect Actually Does on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

First things first, autocorrect on iPhone and iPad is referred to as Auto-Correction. It comes enabled by default on iPhone and iPad and tries to:

• Fix spelling mistakes automatically.
• Replace “incorrect” words with what it thinks you meant.
• Sometimes, change words after you finish typing or even after you hit send.

In short, autocorrect is not just a typing helper. It can literally rewrite parts of your message without warning.

On Mac, Apple labels autocorrect a little differently. Instead of Auto-Correction, you’ll usually see the toggle labeled “Correct spelling automatically. This is the macOS version of autocorrect, and it works across most Apple apps (and many third-party apps, too).

Difference Between Auto-Correction and Predictive Text

This is where many people get confused because both features are related to typing, but they behave very differently.

Feature	Auto Correction (Autocorrect)	Predictive Text
What it does	Automatically corrects or replaces words while you type	Shows suggested words/phrases as you type
Main behavior	Edits your text without asking	Suggests options, you choose manually
Where you see it	Changes happen inside the typed sentence	Suggestions appear above the keyboard
Example	You type: definately → iPhone changes it to: definitely	You type: I’m going to → suggests work, the gym, sleep
Control	iPhone decides the correction automatically	You decide by tapping a suggestion
Best for	Fixing spelling errors and obvious typos	Faster typing, phrase completion
Common downside	Can change names, slang, Hinglish, or brand terms incorrectly	Can feel distracting if you don’t like suggestions
Can it change words after typing?	Yes, it can change a word even after you finish typing it	No, it doesn’t change text unless you tap a suggestion
Setting name on iPhone	Auto Correction	Predictive Text
Toggle location	Settings → General → Keyboard → Auto Correction	Settings → General → Keyboard → Predictive Text

How to Turn Off Auto-Correction on iPhone

Turning off Auto-Correction on iPhone is pretty straightforward and can be done in two ways:

Via Settings

This is the most reliable method and works across all apps.

1. Open Settings and tap General.
2. Here, locate and tap Keyboard.
3. Next, toggle off Auto-Correction under All Keyboards.
   

Once done, your iPhone will stop replacing your words automatically.

Directly via Keyboard

While turning off Auto-Correction in Settings is pretty quick, it’s inconvenient when you are already typing in an app and have to close it because of it. In that case, you can quickly jump to keyboard settings directly from the keyboard. Here is how:

1. Open any app that uses the keyboard.
2. Tap and hold the Globe (Emoji) icon at the bottom-left corner of the keyboard.
3. Tap Keyboard Settings on the pop-up menu that appears.
4. Toggle off Auto-Correction under All keyboards.
   
   

How to Turn Off Auto-Correction on Mac

Mac keyboard settings do not automatically mirror your iPhone keyboard settings, even if both devices are signed in with the same Apple ID. So turning off autocorrect on iPhone won’t turn it off on your Mac, and vice versa.

1. Open the Settings app and select Keyboard in the sidebar.
2. Here, click the Edit button next to Input Sources under Text Input.
   
3. Toggle off “Correct spelling automatically.”
   

How to Turn Off Auto-Correction for Certain Words on iPhone

If you don’t want to turn off Auto-Correction entirely, you do have a smarter option. You can stop your iPhone from “fixing” specific words (like your name, your city, brand names, slang, or Hinglish phrases) by adding them to the keyboard dictionary using Text Replacement.

1. Open Settings → General → Keyboard.
2. Tap Text Replace ment.
   
3. Tap the + button at the top right corner.
4. In the Phrase field, type the word you want iPhone to accept (example: Vikhyat, iGeeksBlog, Hinglish)
5. In the Shortcut field, type the same word again
6. Tap Save.
   

Once done, your iPhone will not auto-correct the exact word, even with Auto-Correction enabled.

Does Turning Off Auto-Correction Affect All Apps?

Yes, the Auto-Correction toggle on iPhone and Mac applies system-wide. When you switch off Auto Correction, autocorrect will stop working in:

• iMessage and WhatsApp.
• Instagram captions and DMs.
• Notes.
• Safari search.
• Gmail and other mail apps.
• Any third-party app that uses the keyboard.

Apple currently does not offer a per-app or per-keyboard autocorrect toggle.

Autocorrect is Off, But iPhone Still Changes Words? Try These Fixes

Even after you disable Auto Correction, iOS can still interfere with typing through other “smart” features. These settings are worth checking.

Fix	What to change	Why it helps	Path
Turn off Check Spelling (optional)	Disable Check Spelling	Removes spell underlines and reduces iOS pushing “corrections” or distractions while typing	Settings → General → Keyboard → Check Spelling (Off)
Turn off Smart Punctuation	Disable Smart Punctuation	Stops iPhone from automatically changing punctuation, quotes, and formatting while you type	Settings → General → Keyboard → Smart Punctuation (Off)
Turn off Auto Capitalization	Disable Auto Capitalization	Prevents iOS from forcing capital letters at the beginning of sentences and some words	Settings → General → Keyboard → Auto Capitalization (Off)
Reset Keyboard Dictionary	Reset Keyboard Dictionary	Fixes stubborn word replacements caused by “learned” typing habits or incorrect keyboard memory	Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Keyboard Dictionary
Remove unwanted Text Replacements	Delete incorrect Text Replacement entries	Sometimes, iPhone changes words because you previously saved a replacement by mistake	Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement → Delete the entry

Summing Up…

And that’s it; this is how you turn off autocorrect on your Apple devices and make typing feel faster, cleaner, and more in your control. Remember, you do not need to turn off autocorrect completely if the issues are with specific words, such as names, slang, or brand terms. In such cases, Text Replacement is a better solution.

Did turning off autocorrect fix the issue for you? Share your experience in the comments and tell us which iPhone or Mac keyboard setting annoys you the most