Autocorrect is a double-edged sword. It can be really useful when it works perfectly, but things can get equally awkward when it goes wrong. We've all had those autocorrect mishaps from our beloved keyboard apps that completely changed the meaning of what we were trying to say, haven't we? Thankfully, we can modify the autocorrect settings or even disable it entirely on both Android and iOS. In this guide, we’ll detail the steps you need to follow to enable or disable autocorrect on both mobile platforms.

Change autocorrect settings on Android

Method 1: Change autocorrect status via the settings menu on Android

Pretty much all modern Android phones allow you to change the autocorrect settings for each keyboard. If you have multiple keyboard apps installed, you can change each one individually.

  1. To disable or enable autocorrect on your Android phone, head over to Languages & input under System in Settings. Languages & input may have a different name, like Language & keyboard, on your device.
  2. Under Languages & input, you’ll see the Virtual Keyboard (or On-screen keyboard/ Manage keyboards) option.
  3. Under the Virtual keyboard, Android will list all the keyboard apps installed on your phone.
  4. Tap on your default keyboard or any other keyboard for which you want to change the autocorrect setting.
  5. Now, tap on the Text correction option, and you’ll get to the Auto-correction setting. Some keyboard apps may not have the Text correction option and directly show you the Auto-correction setting. In any case, enable or disable it as per your choice, and you’re done. On Samsung phones, the auto-correction setting is called Auto replace, and it can be found under Smart Typing.

Method 2: Change Autocorrect settings via the keyboard on Android

Gboard settings icon on keyboard

If you already have the keyboard open, you can jump directly into the keyboard settings without having to go all the way from the settings menu. Just look for the gear icon on top of the keyboard and tap on it to enter the keyboard settings. Once you’re in the keyboard settings, follow step 5 from the previous method to enable or disable autocorrect.

Change autocorrect settings on iOS

Apple's iOS lets you enable or disable the autocorrect for the default keyboard via settings. For third-party keyboards, however, you'll have to change the setting by opening its app. For instance, if you're using Gboard as your default keyboard, then you'll have to open the Gboard app to modify its autocorrect settings.

Method 1: Change autocorrect setting in the default iOS keyboard

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap General > Keyboard.
  3. You can now turn auto-correction on or off.

Method 2: Change autocorrect setting in Gboard or another third-party keyboard

  1. Open Gboard or another keyboard app.
  2. Tap on Keyboard settings.
  3. Enable or disable the auto-correction function.

And that's how you modify the autocorrect settings on both Android and iOS. The steps, as you can see, are fairly straightforward on both platforms, so you should be able to tweak them fairly easily. So, do you rely on autocorrect to fix your typos, or do you take care of them manually? Let us know by dropping a line in the comments below. Also, If you’re looking for a new Android phone or an iPhone, make sure to check our latest guides on the best Android phones and the best iPhones on the market.