Where to find the autocorrect setting

Autocorrect on iPhone lives in Settings, not in the keyboard itself. Open Settings, then go to General > Keyboard. You will see a toggle for "Auto-Correction" — turn it off and autocorrect stops changing your words as you type.

The setting applies to all keyboards on your phone, including the built-in Apple keyboard and any third-party keyboards you have installed. If you turn it off, it stays off across Messages, Mail, Notes, and every other app that uses the keyboard.

Key Takeaways

  • Autocorrect is controlled in Settings > General > Keyboard, not in individual apps or keyboard settings.
  • Turning off the Auto-Correction toggle disables autocorrect everywhere on your phone at once.
  • You can also disable autocorrect for a single keyboard by going to Settings > General > Keyboard > [Keyboard Name] if you use multiple keyboards.
  • If you want autocorrect on most of the time but need it off for specific words, you can add those words to your personal dictionary instead of disabling the feature entirely.

Why autocorrect might be fighting you

Autocorrect changes words because your iPhone is trying to match what you type against a dictionary of common words and phrases. When you type "teh" it changes it to "the" because that is statistically more likely to be what you meant. The problem is that autocorrect does not know your jargon, your name, or the slang you actually use.

If you type the same word repeatedly and autocorrect keeps changing it, your phone is not learning — it is overriding you. That is why many people who work with technical terms, brand names, or non-English words find autocorrect more frustrating than helpful. Turning it off entirely is often faster than fighting it word by word.

Adding words to your dictionary instead

If you only want autocorrect off for a few specific words, you can add them to your personal dictionary. When autocorrect tries to change a word you want to keep, press and hold on the suggestion that appears, then tap "Add to Dictionary" or "Keep" (the exact wording varies by iOS version). Your phone will stop changing that word.

This approach works well if you have a few proper nouns, technical terms, or names that autocorrect keeps mangling. It is slower than disabling autocorrect entirely, but it keeps the feature working for everything else. Over time, your dictionary builds up and autocorrect becomes less intrusive.

Turning autocorrect back on if you change your mind

If you disable autocorrect and later decide you want it back, go to Settings > General > Keyboard and toggle Auto-Correction back on. The setting is not permanent — you can switch it on and off as many times as you need.

Some people turn autocorrect off while typing code, technical documentation, or messages in another language, then turn it back on for everyday use. There is no penalty for toggling it, and your personal dictionary stays intact either way.

Other keyboard settings that affect typing

Autocorrect is not the only setting that changes what you type. In the same Settings > General > Keyboard menu, you will also find "Predictive Text," which shows word suggestions as you type. You can turn that off separately if you find it distracting. There is also "Smart Punctuation," which automatically converts straight quotes to curly quotes and dashes to em-dashes — useful for writing but annoying if you need exact punctuation.

If you use a third-party keyboard like Gboard or SwiftKey, those keyboards have their own autocorrect and prediction settings. You can control them separately from Apple's built-in keyboard by going to Settings > General > Keyboard > [Keyboard Name] and looking for autocorrect or suggestion toggles within that keyboard's settings.

Why your iPhone might still be changing words after you disable autocorrect

If you turned off Auto-Correction but your phone is still changing words, you might be seeing predictive text suggestions instead. Predictive text shows you word options as you type, and if you tap the space bar or a punctuation mark, your phone accepts the highlighted suggestion. This is different from autocorrect, which changes words without your input.

Turn off Predictive Text in the same menu if you want your phone to stop suggesting words entirely. You can also check whether a third-party keyboard is active — if you are using Gboard or another app's keyboard, its autocorrect might be on even if Apple's is off. Tap and hold the globe icon on your keyboard to see which keyboard is currently active.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off autocorrect affect spell check?

No. Autocorrect and spell check are separate. Spell check underlines misspelled words in red so you can fix them yourself. Autocorrect changes words automatically without asking. You can have spell check on and autocorrect off, or both on, or both off — they do not depend on each other.

Will autocorrect turn back on after an iOS update?

No. Your settings stay the same after an update. If you turn off autocorrect, it will still be off after you update to a new iOS version. Apple does not reset keyboard settings during updates.

Can I disable autocorrect for just one app?

Not directly. The autocorrect setting applies to all apps on your phone. However, if you use a third-party keyboard that supports per-app settings, you might be able to turn autocorrect off for that keyboard in specific apps. Check the keyboard's own settings to see if it offers that option.

What if I want autocorrect off but I keep accidentally turning it back on?

You cannot lock the setting, but you can make it harder to change by accident. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps and turn off Settings if you want to prevent anyone from accessing the keyboard menu. This is extreme and mostly useful if you are managing a device for someone else.

Does disabling autocorrect make typing slower?

For most people, no — it makes typing faster because you are not fighting corrections. However, if you rely on autocorrect to catch typos, you may notice more mistakes in your final text. The trade-off depends on whether you type accurately without autocorrect's help.