Keyboard and input
Predictive Text
Most people call this the suggested words above the keyboard.
Predictive Text offers word suggestions above the keyboard, and Inline Predictions suggests the rest of a sentence in grey as you type.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 13 and later
- Settings
- General
- Keyboard
- Predictive
What it does
Predictions come from an on device model trained partly on how you write. Inline Predictions, added later, completes phrases inline and is accepted with a swipe or space.
What changes
When it is on
Suggestions appear above and inside the text field.
When it is off
You type every word yourself and the suggestion bar disappears.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Faster for repetitive messages.
- Suggestions adapt to how you actually write.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Grey inline text is distracting for many people.
- The suggestion bar takes vertical space.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
No real change
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: On.
Questions people actually ask
- What is the grey text appearing as I type?
- Inline Predictions. Turn it off under Settings, then General, then Keyboard.
If it is not working
- Inline Predictions is its own switch and can be turned off while keeping the suggestion bar.
- Predictions are generated on the device and are not sent anywhere.