Apple predictive text will not autocomplete or swipe-type an undisclosed multilingual gray list of tens of thousands of words and phrases, Reuters reported on November 6, 2026, citing researcher Derik Kauffman. A conservative estimate puts the file at about 100,000 entries, not including Chinese characters. It is not a ban: users can still type the terms, but they are not suggested via autocomplete or swipe-typing in most cases.
Updated November 6, 2026
Key Takeaways
- An undisclosed iOS gray list skips autocomplete and swipe-typing for many phrases.
- Kauffman’s conservative count is about 100,000 entries, excluding Chinese characters.
- The list is not a ban; users can still type the words themselves.
- Greene said users should be aware and have some ability to customize.
What is on the Apple predictive text gray list?
Kauffman, founder of Blacklight, said he found the list in September after swipe-typing stuttered on some phrases and not others. Using OpenAI’s Codex and Anthropic’s Claude Code, he found a compendium stored deep in Apple’s operating system. Apple has not publicly disclosed the list, he said.
The flagged words and phrases are overwhelmingly vulgar or offensive or related to drugs, sex, or violence, according to Kauffman. Other phrases are politically salient, such as “dictator Trump” and “sleepy Joe.” He said there were different ways to count the entries and their permutations, but a conservative estimate would put them at about 100,000, not including Chinese characters. Reuters also described tens of thousands of multilingual entries.
- English phrases include “dictator Trump,” “sleepy Joe,” “right wing conspiracy,” “Tibetan independence,” and “United Ireland.”
- In Hindi, the keyboard does not allow swipe-typing “Modi braggart” or “Rahul is Pappu,” Kauffman said.
- He said French speakers could not swipe-type the French phrase “immigration too high,” and Hebrew speakers could not swipe-type “occupied territories.”
“Every major language has some version of this,” Kauffman said. He said it was understandable that Apple wanted to keep users from accidentally sending obscene messages or inflammatory slogans, but he also noted inconsistencies. “Read smut” could be swipe-typed, while “read gay smut” could not. Swipe-typing stuttered for him on “bad boy” and “white man,” but not on “bad girl” and “black man.”
How does the filter change everyday messages?
Reuters tested a small subset of the phrases Kauffman identified on an iPhone. It found they were difficult to enter through swipe-typing or were not suggested via autocomplete. Hundreds of millions of people use iPhones, Reuters noted, so which words the keyboard suggests could quietly shape how they communicate.
| Phrase tested | What Reuters observed |
|---|---|
| United Ireland | Often yielded “United Iceland” |
| Tibetan independence | Often yielded “Tibetan independences” |
| white man | Yielded “white mean”; “red man” and “blue man” worked |
| Sleepy Joe | Yielded “Sleepy hope” |
| Dictator Trump | Swipe worked, but “trump” was lowercase; autocomplete suggested “dictator trumps” |
| read gay smut | Yielded “Read gay Smit”; “Read smut” worked |
Kauffman said, “It’s a very light-touch form of censorship,” adding, “But at the scale that Apple is operating, it only takes a light touch to have a big impact.” Matt Suiche, an engineer at Tolmo, said he independently recovered the same gray list, cross-referenced Kauffman’s findings against Apple’s internal data, and got a near-perfect match. Suiche said the list had been hidden in plain sight for years. The only words Reuters quotes from him are that “human communication has been potentially influenced and filtered for years inside messaging apps.”
How does Apple compare with Google?
In an email, Apple did not comment directly on Kauffman’s findings, including the size or composition of its list, or its reasons for flagging certain political terms, Reuters reported. It said users can always type specific words or phrases and override suggestions, and that the keyboard is set up to avoid suggestions that might be inappropriate or offensive.
The comparison in the reporting is Google search autocomplete, not a rival phone keyboard. Alphabet-owned Google’s autocomplete has regularly attracted criticism, and sometimes litigation, over suggested search terms, Reuters noted. Last year, dictating “racist” briefly flashed “Trump” on iPhones; Apple said at the time that the problem was an error and had been fixed.
David Greene, senior counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said a part of him found the word list “creepy” and wondered about Apple’s judgment calls. He could also see an argument for curbing unwanted or inflammatory suggestions.
“But if they are going to do it, this is something users should be really well aware of and have some ability to customize,” Greene said. “This is something that should not be secret.”
Earlier this week, a Norwegian systems administrator independently found terms on the gray list including “al-Qaeda,” “Auschwitz,” and “Hooters.” Reuters said the wider list of sensitive phrases was being reported for the first time. Over the years, social media users have also wondered why they could not swipe-type certain phrases.
What can you change in Keyboard Settings?
Nothing in these sources lets you view or edit the gray list. Apple’s predictive text guide shows how to turn Predictive Text and inline predictions off or on from Keyboard Settings.
- Type the words yourself. Apple said manual typing and overrides always remain available.
- Tap the Space bar to accept an inline prediction, or keep typing to reject it.
- To dismiss a suggestion above the keyboard, tap your original word, shown in quotation marks, or continue typing.
- Turn Predictive Text off. Apple says that also turns off inline predictions.
- Turn Show Predictions Inline off alone if you still want suggestions above the keyboard.
Apple also notes that predictive typing and inline predictions may not be supported in every language. When Predictive Text is off, corrections for misspelled words may still appear.
Frequently asked questions
Does the gray list stop you from typing a word?
No. Users can still type the terms. They are not suggested via autocomplete or swipe-typing in most cases, Reuters reported.
How large is Apple’s predictive text gray list?
Kauffman’s conservative estimate is about 100,000 words and phrases, not including Chinese characters. Reuters also described tens of thousands of multilingual entries.
How do you turn off iPhone predictive text?
Open Keyboard Settings from the keyboard and turn Predictive Text off. Apple says that also turns off inline predictions.
Did Apple confirm the political phrases?
Apple did not comment directly on the list’s size, composition, or its reasons for flagging certain political terms. It said the keyboard avoids inappropriate or offensive suggestions.
