TECHNOMALIST
If you've ever typed a ChatGPT prompt on an iPhone, you know the frustration of watching your words get mangled by the keyboard. According to Graham Barlow, Senior Editor for AI at TechRadar, the culprit is often Apple's Predictive Text feature. In a recent article, Barlow shares his discovery that disabling Predictive Text, resetting the keyboard dictionary, and setting up text replacements can transform your typing experience.
The Problem with Predictive Text
Barlow explains that Predictive Text and Auto-Correction are separate features. Predictive Text attempts to guess your next word based on context and your typing patterns, offering suggestions above the keyboard. While this can be handy for casual texts, it becomes a hindrance when writing specific, unusual prompts for ChatGPT. The keyboard constantly fights you, inserting words you didn't intend.
Turning off Predictive Text is simple: go to Settings > General > Keyboard and toggle off Predictive Text. Barlow noticed an immediate improvement—the keyboard felt calmer, and his prompts were no longer littered with bizarre words. Crucially, Auto-Correction still works, so obvious spelling mistakes get fixed without the visual noise of predictions.
Reset Your Keyboard Dictionary
Another tip from Barlow is to reset your keyboard dictionary. Over time, your iPhone learns your typos, jargon, and accidentally accepted corrections, which can lead to poor suggestions. To reset, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary. This wipes all learned words and returns the dictionary to its default state. Just be careful not to reset the entire iPhone!
Text Replacement for AI Power Users
Barlow also recommends using Text Replacement for frequently used phrases in ChatGPT. For example, you could set up a shortcut like ";short" to expand to "Keep your answer concise and don't repeat my question." To set this up, navigate to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, tap the + button, and enter the full phrase and a shortcut. This can save time and reduce typos.
Master the Spacebar Cursor
Finally, Barlow reminds us of the spacebar cursor trick: hold down the spacebar to turn the keyboard into a trackpad, allowing precise cursor placement. This is especially useful when editing long prompts.
Barlow concludes that turning off Predictive Text was the best change he made to his iPhone for AI typing. While the feature may have been designed with good intentions, it doesn't hold up in the age of AI where prompts require precision and individuality.
For more details, you can read Barlow's full article on TechRadar.
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