QuickType is the older name for what Apple now calls predictive text: the row of three word suggestions that sits above the iPhone keyboard. To turn it off, open Settings > General > Keyboard and switch off Predictive Text. That one switch also stops the gray inline guesses, but it does not stop Auto-Correction, which is a separate setting on the same screen.
Three features that get mixed up
Before you change anything, it helps to know which feature is actually bothering you. They all live on the same Keyboard screen, and turning off the wrong one leaves the annoyance in place.
- Predictive Text (the old QuickType bar): suggested words appear above the keyboard as you type. You tap one to insert it, or ignore the bar. Nothing changes in your text unless you tap.
- Show Predictions Inline: on recent versions of iOS, a suggested finish for the word or phrase appears in gray right in the text field. Tap the Space bar to accept it, or just keep typing to reject it.
- Auto-Correction: the iPhone replaces a word it thinks is misspelled after you type a space or punctuation. If finished words are changing on their own, this is the feature at work, not predictive text.
Predictive typing and inline predictions may not be supported in every language, so if you type in more than one language you may only see suggestions on some keyboards.
Turn off predictive text in Settings
The steps don’t depend on which iPhone you have; only the iOS version changes the labels. The pictures come from a much older iOS version, so your screens will look different, but the path is the one Apple lists today.
- Open the Settings app.
Older iOS version shown; current screens look different. - Tap General.
The General row in an older version of Settings. - Tap Keyboard. You may need to scroll a little to find it.
Older iOS version shown; current screens look different. - In the list of typing switches (below All Keyboards), turn off Predictive Text. On older iOS versions the switch is labeled just Predictive. The switch is green when on and gray when off.
The Predictive switch turned off in an older iOS version; current versions call it Predictive Text.
Open Messages or Notes and type a few words to confirm. The suggestion row should be gone, and no gray text should appear ahead of your cursor. Apple documents both behaviors on its predictive text page in the iPhone User Guide.
Keep the bar, lose only the gray text
Some people like tapping suggestions but find the gray inline guesses distracting, especially when the Space bar accepts a guess they didn’t want. In that case, leave Predictive Text on and switch off Show Predictions Inline on the same Keyboard screen. The suggestion row stays; the gray text goes away.
It doesn’t work the other way around. Turning off Predictive Text turns off both the suggestion row and inline predictions, so you can’t keep the gray text while hiding the bar. If you don’t see Show Predictions Inline at all, your iPhone is probably on an older iOS version that doesn’t offer it.
Change it from the keyboard itself
You don’t have to leave the app you’re typing in. A shortcut on the keyboard opens the same switches:
- While the keyboard is open, touch and hold the globe key or the emoji key in the bottom-left corner.
- Tap Keyboard Settings.
- Turn Predictive Text or Show Predictions Inline off (or on), then go back to your app.
Older iOS version shown; current versions open Keyboard Settings from this key instead.
If you don’t see a globe or emoji key, check which keyboards are installed under Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards. The list and its order are covered in changing the order of keyboards on iPhone.
Older iOS versions also let you hide the suggestion row temporarily by swiping down on it, which left a small handle you could swipe up to bring it back. Apple doesn’t document that gesture for current iOS, so treat it as something that may not work on your iPhone.
Which switch to use
| What bothers you | Switch on the Keyboard screen | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| The row of three words above the keys | Predictive Text | Row and inline guesses both disappear |
| Gray words appearing in the text field | Show Predictions Inline | Gray text stops; the row stays |
| Words changing after you type them | Auto-Correction | Misspellings are no longer replaced for you |
| Shortcuts like “omw” expanding | Text Replacement (a list, not a switch) | Delete or edit the shortcut |
| A period appearing after a double space | A separate period shortcut switch (see the link below) | Two spaces stay as two spaces |
You may also see switches such as Check Spelling, Smart Punctuation and Slide to Type on the same screen, depending on your iOS version; they don’t affect the suggestion bar. For the autocorrect side, see turning off autocorrect on iPhone, and for stray periods, stopping the double-space period. Saved passwords and contact details that pop up above the keyboard come from a different feature again, explained in how to turn off AutoFill on iPhone.
Still seeing suggestions or odd words?
- Misspelled words still get corrected. You may keep seeing corrections for misspelled words after Predictive Text is off. Tap the “x” on a correction to reject it, or turn off Auto-Correction.
- The row is still there in one app. Close that app fully and open it again, or restart the iPhone, so it picks up the new setting.
- You use a third-party keyboard. Keyboards from other developers have their own suggestion settings, usually inside their own app. The Apple switch only controls Apple’s keyboard.
- One wrong word keeps coming back. If you reject the same suggestion a few times, the iPhone stops suggesting it.
- The suggestions are full of typos it learned. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary. According to Apple’s reset options page, this erases only the words you’ve added by rejecting suggestions. Don’t tap Reset All Settings or Erase All Content and Settings by mistake; both do much more. The wider keyboard reset options are covered in resetting the keyboard on iPhone.
Turn predictive text back on
To get it back, use the same path: Settings > General > Keyboard, then turn Predictive Text on. If you also want inline guesses, turn on Show Predictions Inline. One middle ground is the bar on, inline off, and Auto-Correction on, which gives suggestions without anything appearing in the text uninvited.
If you’d rather teach the keyboard your own words than turn suggestions off, adding a word to the iPhone dictionary with Text Replacement is another option.
Predictive text and QuickType: FAQ
Does turning off predictive text stop emoji suggestions?
Emoji suggestions usually appear in the suggestion row, so expect fewer or none with Predictive Text off. You can still pick emoji from the emoji keyboard; using emojis in text messages shows where they are.
Is QuickType a separate setting from predictive text?
No. QuickType was the name used for the suggestion bar in earlier iOS versions. Today the switch is called Predictive Text, or Predictive on older versions.
Does the setting apply to every app?
It applies wherever you use Apple’s keyboard, such as Messages, Mail, Notes and Safari. Third-party keyboards follow their own settings.
Can I turn off keyboard clicks at the same time?
Sounds and haptics are under a different menu. See turning off keyboard sounds and vibration.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.