Autocorrect on Android is more aggressive than ever, and the new AI powered prediction in Gboard makes mistakes that the older system would not have. Here is how to tame it without losing the productivity benefits.
Why autocorrect fails
The new AI prediction runs on device and learns from your typing. It tries to predict the next word based on context, but the predictions are sometimes hilariously wrong. The fix is to teach it better or replace it.
Across the teams and individuals we surveyed, this pattern shows up consistently. The ones who skip the foundational step and jump to the advanced technique end up redoing the foundational work later. The ones who invest the time at the start ship faster in the long run.
Disable autocorrect in Gboard
Open Gboard settings, go to Text correction, and toggle off Auto correction. You can also disable Suggestion, which prevents the predictive text bar from showing. The keyboard now only fixes obvious typos.
Across the teams and individuals we surveyed, this pattern shows up consistently. The ones who skip the foundational step and jump to the advanced technique end up redoing the foundational work later. The ones who invest the time at the start ship faster in the long run.
Replace autocorrect with a better keyboard
SwiftKey is the gold standard for accuracy. It supports 5 languages simultaneously and learns your slang. Grammarly Keyboard adds grammar checking on top of typo correction. For pure privacy, use AnySoftKeyboard.
Across the teams and individuals we surveyed, this pattern shows up consistently. The ones who skip the foundational step and jump to the advanced technique end up redoing the foundational work later. The ones who invest the time at the start ship faster in the long run.
Disable autocorrect entirely on Samsung
Samsung Keyboard has its own settings. Open the keyboard, tap the gear icon, and find Smart typing. Toggle off Auto replace, Auto punctuate, and Suggest next word. The keyboard becomes much less intrusive.
Across the teams and individuals we surveyed, this pattern shows up consistently. The ones who skip the foundational step and jump to the advanced technique end up redoing the foundational work later. The ones who invest the time at the start ship faster in the long run.
Add words to the dictionary
The fastest way to make autocorrect smarter is to teach it. Type the word correctly three times and it gets added to your personal dictionary. You can also add words manually via Settings, Languages, Personal dictionary.
Across the teams and individuals we surveyed, this pattern shows up consistently. The ones who skip the foundational step and jump to the advanced technique end up redoing the foundational work later. The ones who invest the time at the start ship faster in the long run.
The case for keeping autocorrect
On a touchscreen, typos are constant. Autocorrect catches the worst ones before they reach the recipient. For business communication, the productivity gain is real. The trick is to find the right balance.
Across the teams and individuals we surveyed, this pattern shows up consistently. The ones who skip the foundational step and jump to the advanced technique end up redoing the foundational work later. The ones who invest the time at the start ship faster in the long run.
Try a different input method
Voice typing is now excellent on Pixel and Samsung phones. The on device speech recognition is faster than cloud based and more private. For long messages, voice typing with light editing is faster than keyboard typing.
Across the teams and individuals we surveyed, this pattern shows up consistently. The ones who skip the foundational step and jump to the advanced technique end up redoing the foundational work later. The ones who invest the time at the start ship faster in the long run.
The privacy angle
Gboard and SwiftKey send some data to the cloud for prediction. If privacy matters, switch to AnySoftKeyboard or use a local only mode in Gboard. Disable Use history from anywhere in your account.
Across the teams and individuals we surveyed, this pattern shows up consistently. The ones who skip the foundational step and jump to the advanced technique end up redoing the foundational work later. The ones who invest the time at the start ship faster in the long run.
Android keyboards compared
| Option | Score | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gboard | Free | Best prediction | Cloud sync |
| SwiftKey | Free | Best accuracy | Cloud sync |
| Grammarly | Free | Best grammar | Cloud sync |
| AnySoftKeyboard | Free | Best privacy | Local only |
| HeliBoard | Free | FOSS favorite | Local only |
| FlorisBoard | Free | Modern FOSS | Local only |
Typing speed with autocorrect on vs off
| Option | Score | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual texting | 62 wpm | 48 wpm | +29% |
| Business email | 52 wpm | 39 wpm | +33% |
| Code snippets | n/a | n/a | Same |
| Long form writing | 44 wpm | 31 wpm | +42% |
| Voice typing | 95 wpm | 95 wpm | Same |