How to Turn Off Word Suggestions: Quick Fix for Distraction-Free Typing

I spent years fighting my keyboard over red squiggles. ✨ Distraction-free typing is possible in 60 seconds across most apps, but each platform hides the toggle in a different menu.

Microsoft Word buries it under File > Options > Proofing. Outlook wants you to dig through Settings > Mail > Compose. The mobile versions? Even more hidden, but the fix is always permanent once you find it.

I’ve tested this on Windows 10/11, macOS, and mobile. The procedure works the same whether you’re typing emails or drafting documents. No special tools, just knowing where to look.

You’ll get clean text fields without the software second-guessing your spelling. And yes, you can always turn it back on later if you change your mind.

What Youll Need

Instructions

Here’s the procedure I follow to disable those pesky text suggestions quickly and reliably.

Open Settings on your device. On Windows, press Win + I and select Devices, then Typing. On macOS, go to System Preferences and choose Keyboard, then Text.

I always double-check I’m in the right menu—Windows hides this under Typing rather than Language. On mobile, you’ll find it under the keyboard app’s specific settings.

In Windows, scroll to Hardware keyboard and toggle off Show text suggestions as I type. For on-screen keyboards, look for Text suggestions and disable it there too.

On macOS, uncheck Correct spelling automatically and Capitalize words automatically. For iOS, go to Settings > General > Keyboard and toggle off Predictive and Auto-Correction.

To completely remove stored suggestions, clear your personal dictionary. In Windows, go to Typing > Advanced keyboard settings > Language bar options and reset the dictionary.

On Android, open your keyboard app (like Gboard) and find Dictionary > Personal dictionary. Here’s the thing—this step ensures old typos and custom words won’t reappear as suggestions later.

Open a text editor or word processor and test typing. You should no longer see gray text suggestions appearing as you type. If they persist, some apps have their own suggestion systems.

For Office apps, check File > Options > Proofing and disable Show readability statistics and Check spelling as you type. Real talk: some Microsoft apps override system settings.

In Chrome, go to Settings > Sync and Google services and turn off Enhance spelling and grammar. Firefox hides this under General > Language.

For Google Docs, click Tools > Spelling and grammar and uncheck Show spelling suggestions and Show grammar suggestions. This prevents the red and blue underlines from appearing.

Tips and Common Mistakes

These practical insights will save you time and frustration when silencing those text suggestions.

Navigation Pro Tip: Confession: I wasted 20 minutes once looking in Windows Language settings before realizing text suggestions live under Devices > Typing. On macOS, don’t overlook that System Preferences > Keyboard > Text path—it’s buried deeper than you’d expect.

Mobile Shortcut: Here’s what nobody tells you—most Android phones let you disable suggestions directly from the keyboard while typing. Just tap the gear icon on your keyboard and toggle off Text suggestions without digging through settings menus.

The Verification Hack: Between us, I’ve learned that some apps (especially Microsoft Office) have their own suggestion systems. After following Steps 1-3, always test in File > Options > Proofing to catch these overrides before you think you’ve failed.

Browser Blind Spot: Don’t make my mistake: Chrome’s Enhance spelling and grammar setting (Step 5) is separate from your keyboard settings. I’ve seen users disable keyboard suggestions only to wonder why Chrome still underlines everything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now you’re all set to type without those pesky pop-ups! 🎯 Turning off word suggestions is a simple but powerful way to streamline your workflow. Try it out and enjoy a cleaner, distraction-free writing experience. If you ever change your mind, re-enabling them is just as easy!