Predictive text on Android keyboards suggests words as you type to speed up the process. Sometimes, it misses the mark, offering words that don’t fit what you want to say. It’s distracting as the constant stream of incorrect suggestions breaks your focus and slows your typing. You might even accidentally insert them into your text without realizing it.
Whether you’re switching from Samsung Keyboard to Gboard, the suggestions are still there. But they’re not something you’re stuck with. Turning them off is easy, and you’ll never see them again until you want to. Here’s how.
What is predictive text on Android?
Predictive text, or suggestions, is an input feature on your smartphone or tablet that recommends words or phrases while you type on the keyboard. It makes composing messages faster.
First, it analyzes the letters you type and the words you commonly use to guess what you might want to say next. It also takes into account the context of your sentence. As you continue typing, suggestions appear above the keyboard, allowing you to tap a word and quickly add it to your message.
Predictive text is built into most keyboard apps. The default choice for Google Pixel phones is Gboard. If you own a Samsung phone, you’ll use your favorite keyboard app with the option to switch to others at any time. Likewise, third-party manufacturers may integrate their keyboards into their phones.
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How to disable predictive text on Android keyboards
Sometimes, your phone has storage issues and is running low on space. Predictive text can add to the lag, and you’ll notice a delay between when you type a letter and when it appears on the screen. That’s your device straining to use processing power and memory to suggest words and corrections.
Other times, you may find the feature annoying and want it gone. Turning off the feature is easy, no matter the reasons. However, the methods vary across different keyboards.
When you turn off predictive text, this setting applies only to the keyboard app you’re using. It doesn’t apply to other keyboard apps on the device. Switch keyboards to your preferred choice before turning off its predictive capabilities.
Follow the steps to turn off suggestions or predictive text on your device.
Turn off suggestions on the Gboard keyboard
- Open any app where typing is supported to make your keyboard appear.
- Tap the settings icon. If you don’t see it, tap the menu icon in the keyboard’s upper-left corner to find it.
- In the Settings menu, select Text correction.
- Tap the Show suggestion strip toggle to turn off the feature.
You’ll no longer see suggestions from your keyboard as you type. That also means your keyboard becomes basic. Every advanced feature tied to the strip (the bar above your keyboard) disappears, including Emoji, One-handed mode, Resize, and others.
Reactivate the suggestion strip from your phone’s settings menu to see them again. Navigate to the Languages or keyboard and input menu. Then select Gboard, go to Text correction, and turn on the Show suggestion strip toggle.
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Turn off predictive text on Samsung Keyboard
- Open any document where typing is supported to make your keyboard appear.
- Tap the settings icon.
- Tap the Predictive text toggle to turn off the feature.
Unlike Gboard, turning off predictive text on the Samsung keyboard doesn’t turn off other advanced features like emojis. You can still access those extra tools without the distraction of unwanted word suggestions.
You can reactivate the feature from the keyboard or use your phone’s settings menu. From the settings menu, go to General management > Samsung Keyboard settings. Then, turn on the Predictive text toggle.
Predictive text, or suggestions, differs from autocorrect, which fixes spelling mistakes after typing a word. You can
turn off your keyboard’s corrections
if you don’t want to use the feature.
Make your keyboard work smarter
Predictive text won’t bother you after you turn it off. You can always bring it back if you change your mind. Also, you can personalize your keyboard to work the way you want. For instance, you can add words to your personal dictionary so it doesn’t mistake them for typos. You can also assign shortcuts that enter full words or phrases without typing everything. That way, your keyboard becomes intuitive and tailored to your needs.
