How To Turn Off Predictive Text in Outlook

Predictive text is a convenient feature designed to help users type faster and more accurately, thanks to the software learning and adapting over time. However, not everyone likes using it because of how robotic emails can appear. Fortunately, Outlook users can turn it off and type without constant recommendations.

If you use Outlook often and are tired of the predictive text, you’re in luck. Outlook will let you turn the feature off, but you must navigate the settings first. Keep on reading for all the details.

How to Turn Off Predictive Text in Outlook on a Windows PC

Outlook is now included in the Microsoft 365 package, which you can download and install on Windows. The Windows client isn’t too different from the web-based version. We’ll cover the latter in a separate section.

Predictive text in Outlook will only recommend words that may fit the email you want to send. You can pick any suggestion you wish to as it appears onscreen by pressing the Tab and Right Arrow key. If you don’t see anything you like, you can ignore it and continue typing.

While the predictive text works well for many users, you can still turn it off. Here’s how:

1. Launch Outlook for Windows.
   
2. Start writing an email.
   
3. Go to File.
   
4. Select Options.
   
5. In the list, uncheck the Show Text Predictions While Typing box.
   
6. Type and see if the predictive text is still active.
   

Now, you can type your emails without the predictive text appearing.

There are several reasons why some users would prefer not to turn predictive text on. Microsoft employs machine learning to study your writing habits and characteristics. That’s why the predictive text feature can guess what you want to type quite accurately.

While Microsoft claims that the data their machines gather isn’t stored or seen by humans, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Thus, it’s one of several reasons why Outlook users will turn it off and compose emails without digital assistance.

How to Turn Off Predictive Text in Outlook on a Mac

Mac users can also install Microsoft 365, as it has been perfectly ported to macOS. While the primary functions are the same, the menus and options are sometimes labeled differently. Therefore, you can’t follow the exact steps you saw above for the Windows client.

On Mac, you can see that the predictive text functions as the client Windows, accepting or rejecting the suggestions you see fit.

These are the steps to disable the feature for Mac users:

1. Launch Outlook on your Mac.
   
2. Click on Preferences.
   
3. Go to Autocorrect.
   
4. Select Text Completion.
   
5. Uncheck the box that says Show Text Predictions While Typing.
   
6. Test and see if the feature has gone away.
   

The advantage of the Mac client is you don’t have to start a new email to turn the predictive text off the way you do on Windows.

How to Turn Off Predictive Text in Outlook Web Version

The web version of Microsoft Outlook has different controls than its desktop counterpart, but you can use it on any computer.

Like the Mac client, the web-based Outlook version doesn’t require a user to be in the middle of composing an email. They only have to locate the settings menu and look for the relevant sections.

Follow these steps to turn off predictive text on the web version of Outlook:

1. Go to Microsoft Outlook.
   
2. Sign in if needed.
   
3. Pick Settings from the top of the page.
   
4. Go to View All Outlook Settings.
   
5. Select Mail.
   
6. Click Compose And Reply.
   
7. Uncheck the Suggest Words Or Phrases As I Type box under the Text Predictions section.
   
8. Type and see if Outlook is still offering suggestions.

Once you disable the word or phrase suggestion setting, you shouldn’t see any words pop up on the screen anymore.

How to Turn Off Predictive Text in Outlook on an iPhone

If you prefer sending emails to others on the go, you can download Microsoft Outlook for the iPhone. It’s available for free from the App Store. While not as full-featured as the PC versions, the mobile app has everything you need to communicate.

In the case of mobile users, they swipe right to accept a suggestion. Continuing typing won’t select the predictive text, but the software will still suggest words and phrases.

Like on PC, by default, predictive text is enabled for Outlook when you install it. Thus, you must turn it off by going to the settings.

Here are the steps for iPhone users:

1. Open the Outlook app on your iPhone.
   
2. Go to “Account Settings.”
   
3. Toggle Text Predictions off. It’s below Suggested Replies and above Report Messages.

It only takes a few taps on an iPhone to enable and disable the feature, making it quite convenient.

How to Turn Off Predictive Text in Outlook on an Android Device

Unlike Outlook for all other platforms, the Android version didn’t come with predictive text, which means those who wanted its advantages had to rely on their phone keyboard. However, that changed in February 2021, when the feature was finally implemented for all platforms.

Nowadays, all users who like predictive text on Outlook for Android can enjoy its advantages. For those who aren’t fans, however, they’ll have to turn it off.

Here’s how you can do that on Android devices:

1. Launch the Outlook app on your Android device.
   
2. Tap on Account Settings.
   
3. Select Text Predictions to turn off the feature.

Now, the feature should be disabled. It’s that simple even on Android, as the app isn’t too different than the version on iOS.

Turning Off Other Predictive Text Functions

While you can disable Outlook’s predictive text feature, this won’t turn off your keyboard’s version of predictive text. When typing out an email on mobile, keyboards with this feature switched on will still suggest words.

You can easily navigate to your keyboard’s menus and turn off autocorrect and other functions if you wish.

Outlook’s machine learning word or phrase suggestion function won’t work outside it. Thus, if you’re worried about the AI recording your words outside of Outlook, those fears are unfounded.

I’ll Write This Email Myself

Some Outlook users prefer writing emails without digital assistance, which leads them to turn off any writing aids. Outlook also has other similar functions you can turn off, but most people find the features useful and choose to keep them on.

Do you use Outlook’s predictive text feature for writing your emails? What do you think about machine learning being used this way? Please tell us what you think in the comments section below.