Does anyone else’s phone change the words they type in surreptitiously?

[Zeke]

My iPhone is downright sneaky about changing words that I’ve typed in. The auto suggest will try to anticipate what I’m typing, but often when I don’t choose any of its suggestions it will randomly substitute the word it thought I wanted. It’s sneaky and conniving to the point where I have to proofread at least twice if I want to verify the text is what I typed. A habit that I had when attending college, but have lost long ago. The auto suggest is handy, especially for the spelling of words not used very often, but I wish it wouldn’t substitute words that I haven’t selected. This ends my rant about my sneaky iPhone, but probably not my problems with it.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

And that's why mine is turned off. Tech doesn't speak for me.

 

[Moo]

Just turn that feature off.
It is probably called "predictive text" or similar, and can probably be changed in your phone's settings.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Just turn that feature off.
It is probably called "predictive text" or similar, and can probably be changed in your phone's settings.

It is. And it's gotta be the biggest bane in tech, IMHO.

 

[Zeke]

I understand that it can be shut off it’s just that as the years have gone by since I regularly had to write and spell words that I don’t often use it’s nice to have a program that spell checks. In the ‘90s when I was in college MS Word would underline words that were misspelled which I found extremely useful after having been out of school for nearly 20 years. Years of driving semi weren’t exactly conducive to maintaining my vocabulary and spelling abilities. If my iPhone would just suggest spellings and not supplant the words that I type I would be happy, but its downright sneakiness is distressing.

 

[MaxxH]

Android isn't much different in that regard. I like the concept, and when it's working well, it's a terrific time saver. Sometimes, if I'm undercaffeinated or afflicted with the occasional bout of OMSF (Old Man Shaky Finger), it's awful.

IMHO, it's really awful for the people it's intended to help, ie, those who can't spell to save their life. My wife and sister (not the same person) are two examples. Both are dyslexic, can't spell, and have awful written composition skills. Once they get something wrong more than a couple times, the AI assumes that's what they wanted to write and feeds them the wrong answer forever after.

It's a bigger problem for my sister because I have to help her communicate with doctors, lawyers and bureaucrats regarding my mom's affairs. Too many times, I can't begin to decipher what she's trying to tell me via text. If it's an important issue, I have to resort to a form of 20 questions to work out the definition of some non-word she's thrown at me without context. Often as not, it ends up in a phone call, or even a video chat so she can show me what she's looking at on the computer.

For casual conversations, my sister uses emojis almost exclusively. I have a new-found appreciation for ancient Egyptians.

I've convinced both of them to make more use of screen shots and pictures.

Mrs. Maxx, if I'm out shopping: Get me one of those things we talked about...

Me: What things?

Mrs. Maxx: You know, the thing on TV. They said it was good for weeds.

Me: Who are 'they'?

Mrs. Maxx: Pinterest

Me: I never look at Pinterest

Mrs Maxx, angrily: Oh never mind!

With picture or screenshot + google lens, I've got a reasonable chance of figuring it out.

 

[Zeke]

Android isn't much different in that regard. I like the concept, and when it's working well, it's a terrific time saver. Sometimes, if I'm undercaffeinated or afflicted with the occasional bout of OMSF (Old Man Shaky Finger), it's awful.

IMHO, it's really awful for the people it's intended to help, ie, those who can't spell to save their life. My wife and sister (not the same person) are two examples. Both are dyslexic, can't spell, and have awful written composition skills. Once they get something wrong more than a couple times, the AI assumes that's what they wanted to write and feeds them the wrong answer forever after.

It's a bigger problem for my sister because I have to help her communicate with doctors, lawyers and bureaucrats regarding my mom's affairs. Too many times, I can't begin to decipher what she's trying to tell me via text. If it's an important issue, I have to resort to a form of 20 questions to work out the definition of some non-word she's thrown at me without context. Often as not, it ends up in a phone call, or even a video chat so she can show me what she's looking at on the computer.

For casual conversations, my sister uses emojis almost exclusively. I have a new-found appreciation for ancient Egyptians.

I've convinced both of them to make more use of screen shots and pictures.

Mrs. Maxx, if I'm out shopping: Get me one of those things we talked about...

Me: What things?

Mrs. Maxx: You know, the thing on TV. They said it was good for weeds.

Me: Who are 'they'?

Mrs. Maxx: Pinterest

Me: I never look at Pinterest

Mrs Maxx, angrily: Oh never mind!

With picture or screenshot + google lens, I've got a reasonable chance of figuring it out.

I’m familiar with deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics as my father wrote overhand left handed and even he often couldn’t read his own scribbling let alone mom and me doing so. I’m emoji illiterate so I wouldn’t be able to communicate with your sister or anyone who uses them more than occasionally. If it hadn’t been for my returning to college at 37 to train for another profession after an injury in Alaska I would probably be as inept at composition, grammar, and spelling as anyone you know. I also benefited from a post cervical fusion surgery rehab exercise program a year and a half before attending college or I probably would’ve been in such poor physical condition that I’d never have made it this long. Unfortunately I’m returning to that poor physical condition, but I’m blaming it on aging not my total lack of physical exercise.