iOS 8 came with a few new keyboard features including support for predictive text suggestions when you are using the built-in iOS keyboard. This is pretty neat if you’re into it, but if you’re like me, it’s more annoying than useful. This features takes up valuable screen space on my tiny iPhone 5 (tiny when compared to the new 6 Plus), and I’d rather it not be there. If you too find this more irritating than helpful, than here’s a simple way to disable this feature:
Temporarily:
When you have the iOS keyboard up, tap and hold on one of the text suggestions and drag downward, toward the top row of the keyboard. This will leave you with a little gray line, but you won’t see the predictive suggestions any more.
Permanently:
To permanently diable QuickType suggestions, you can simply long press on the keyboard selector icon and slide the “Predictive” toggle off.
Alternatively, you can make a trip into your iPhone or iPad’s Settings app. Navigate to Settings > General > Keyboard and turn off the “Predictive” switch.
How does it work? Based on your past conversations and writing style you’ll see words and phrases iOS thinks you’d probably type next. These predictions may change over time to better fit how you do your typing. It will adjust to a more casual style in Messages, and suggest more formal options when you’re writing email, if that’s how you usually roll. It may even adjust to whomever you’re communicating with. Yes a bit creepy, but don’t worry the data your iPhone uses to perform these feats of prediction is kept on your iPhone. And you thought some employee at Apple was hired to suggest your next word in a sentence?