3.17.2014

Turn off auto-spell in iMessage (Mavericks)

Mavericks's aggressive auto-correct could become annoying especially if you use iMessage. Here's how to turn it off for iMessage. After that, I'll show how to turn it off in general using System Preferences.

To turn off auto correct in iMessage: 


  1. Open iMessage and click on any existing chat thread.
  2. On the iMessage menu, click Edit > Spelling and Grammar.
  3. Uncheck "Check Spelling While Typing".
  4. Uncheck "Correct Spelling Automatically".


Somehow, Apple decided not to make auto spelling universally controlled in System Preferences. But you may have to turn that off, too. Here's how.


    To turn off auto correct in System Preferences: 

    1. Click the Apple icon and select System Preferences.
    2. Click Language and Region.
    3. Click the Keyboard Preferences button.
    4. Click the Text tab.
    5. Uncheck the "Correct spelling automatically" box.

    12 comments:

    1. can't believe nobody has thanked you for this. as for how i feel about auto correct?? duck that shot.

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    2. Thanks for this -- the option to out-out was a bit hidden (why not in the app preferences?). Thanks also to Apple for assuming I would like to forego my 25 years of unassisted qwerty typing with arbitrary autocorrections!

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    3. Fantastically useful, thanks so much.

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    4. Thank you! Super useful, hard to find.

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    5. Enormously helpful. Thank you so much for this!

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    6. Thanks for posting this. I can add that in System Preferences>Keyboard>Text you also have to deselect every language in the drop-down menu (Automatic by Language); languages are on by default and they will over-ride the already-unchecked "correct spelling automatically" in System and also applications. (System demands that at least one language be checked; suggest you choose one you never use, and uncheck the remainders.)

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    7. Thank you so much...very helpful...

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    8. I agree, thanks a lot for this -- love how 'google it' so often works. It wouldn't without guys like you.

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    9. Thanks man. Mine was turn off everywhere else except in iMessage. This guide helped me fix it.

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    10. Gold. Another randomly hidden option that should be in the app preferences. Thanks for the heads up!

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