- How to revert an autocorrection with a tap
- How grammar checking works
- How to use inline text predictions
Type an unfamiliar word – slang, an acronym, someone’s name – and Autocorrect will often swoop in to “fix” it. Helpful when it catches a genuine typo, less so when it turns your carefully chosen word into something else entirely. About ducking time it got better.
The good news: Apple has made some significant improvements to how Autocorrect works in recent years, meaning fewer false corrections and easier ways to recover when things go wrong.
Correcting Autocorrect
Autocorrected words are underlined as you type, so it’s easy to see what’s been changed. Tap the underlined word to revert to what you originally typed. In some cases you’ll also see alternative correction options you can select with a tap.
Under the hood, Apple uses a “transformer language model” to personalise Autocorrect over time – learning your preferred words and colloquialisms as you go. It’s more nuanced than older versions, and generally does a better job of leaving your intentional word choices alone.
Grammar checking
Grammatical mistakes get the underline treatment too. Tap to see suggestions – these most commonly flag things like using “their” instead of “there,” though you’ll notice them cropping up in other situations too.
Inline text predictions
As you type, iOS will offer grayed-out predictions inline with your text. Hit the space bar to accept a suggestion one word at a time – these can range from a single word to a full sentence, which adds up to a surprising amount of saved typing.
As with Autocorrect itself, predictions improve the more you use them. If a suggestion isn’t right, just keep typing and it’ll disappear.