Symptoms
- Autocorrect changes words incorrectly and often
- Autocorrect stopped suggesting words at all
- Suggestions are in the wrong language
- Corrections seem to ignore recently added custom words
Likely causes
- CommonAutocorrect or predictive text toggled off in settingsThis can happen accidentally while adjusting other keyboard settings.
- CommonWrong keyboard language selectedA mismatched language setting causes poor or irrelevant suggestions.
- PossiblePersonal dictionary needs resettingA corrupted or overly large learned dictionary can cause erratic corrections.
- PossibleThird-party keyboard app bugCustom keyboards can have their own autocorrect quirks or bugs.
- PossibleOutdated keyboard app versionCorrection accuracy is a common target of keyboard app updates.
What to do
- Check keyboard settings and confirm autocorrect/predictive text is turned on.
- Confirm the correct language is selected for your keyboard.
- Reset the keyboard dictionary in settings if the option is available.
- Update your keyboard app to the latest version.
- Switch to the default keyboard temporarily to see if a third-party keyboard is the cause.
- Restart the phone.
- Manually add frequently used words to the personal dictionary if they keep getting autocorrected.
When to call a pro
No professional help needed; this is entirely a software setting issue.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.