Google Docs Turn Off Autocorrect (A Simple 5 Step Guide)

Some people love features that will correct their mistake by accident, while others find them to be disruptive. if you fall into that latter category then our Google Docs turn off autocorrect guide can point you to the setting you want to change.

Word processing applications like Microsoft Word and Google Docs offer a number of tools that can help you write better, more quickly, and generally just be more efficient when creating content.

One such tool will autocorrect spelling and grammar mistakes that you make while writing. These spelling checkers have been around for a while and have gotten better and better at trying to determine the word you wanted to use.

But these tools aren’t perfect, and you might find that you need to keep a close eye on the autocorrect changes that the application makes to ensure that it isn’t causing problems.

If you find that you are having more trouble with the autocorrect tool in Google Docs than the benefit that you are gaining from its usage then you can follow our guide below and turn off autocorrect in the Google Apps word processor.

How to Disable Google Docs Autocorrect

1. Open Google Docs.
2. Click the Tools tab.
3. Select Preferences.
4. Uncheck Automatically correct spelling.
5. Click OK.

Our guide continues below with more information on disabling Google Drive autocorrect, including pictures of these steps.

Find out how to change paper size in Google Docs if you are working on a legal document but it keeps printing in letter size.

How to Stop Autocorrect in Google Docs (Guide with Pictures)

The steps in this tutorial were performed in the desktop version of the Google Chrome Web browser but will also work in other desktop browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Apple’s Safari, or Microsoft Edge.

Step 1: Sign in to Google Docs and open a document.

Step 2: Select the Tools tab at the top of the window.

Step 3: Choose Preferences from the bottom of the drop down menu.

Step 4: Click the box to the left of Automatically correct spelling to remove the check mark.

Step 5: Click OK at the bottom of the window to apply the change.

Keep reading below for more information on disabling Google Docs autocorrect and other settings and tools that you may want to disable or activate in the application.

Is it tough to read data in your spreadsheets because it’s all so close together? This resizing a column in Google Sheets article can help you fix that.

How Do I Turn on Autocorrect on Google Docs?

If you are working in Google Docs and you find that it isn’t fixing your spelling mistakes then it’s likely that the tool has been turned off previously. Perhaps even by someone that used our Google Docs turn off autocorrect steps above.

Fortunately, you can re-enable autocorrect in Google Docs the same way that you disabled it.

Tools > Preferences > Check the box next to Automatically check spelling. Then be sure to click the OK button to save your changes.

How Does the Spell Checker Identify Misspelled Words?

If you are just getting started in Google Docs then you may be wondering what happens when the program finds spelling mistakes.

If you have autocorrect enabled, then Google Docs is going to try and correct any misspelled word found as you type.

However, if the auto correction feature is turned off and Google Docs is not configured to autocorrect misspelled words, then it’s not going to do anything. You will need to run the spelling checker manually by clicking Tools at the top of the window, then click Spelling & Grammar, followed by Spelling and grammar check.

How Do I Turn Off Spell Check in Google Docs App?

If you are working with the Google Docs app on your mobile device, such as an iPhone, then you might be wondering if you can disable autocorrect in the app, too.

Unfortunately, you aren’t able to use the autocorrect feature in the Google Docs app, and you can’t change its setting. It also won’t transfer over based on the current setting in the desktop version of Google Docs.

More Information on How to Turn Off Autocorrect on Google Docs

If you are using spell check then you might be wondering how to run the spell checker rather than letting Google do it as you type.

At the top-left corner of the document window there is a capital A with a check mark next to it. When you hover over this button it says Spelling and grammar check. When you click that button Google Docs will scan the document for any spelling or grammar mistakes that might exist.

As it encounters these errors it will show them in a pop up window at the top-right of the window. There you can elect to Accept or Ignore these mistakes. There is also a button with three vertical dots that you can click which will give you these options:

• Accept all
• Ignore all
• Add “xx” to dictionary
• View personal dictionary

When you open the Preferences menu there are two tabs at the top of the window. One is the “General” tab, which contains the spell checking option that we have been working with in this article. There is also a “Substitutions” tab. If you click that tab you will see some automatic substitutions that Google Docs can make. You will note that many of them are symbols and fractions, but you can add your own automatic substitutions into the fields at the top of the list as well.

At the top of the Tools menu in Google Docs is a Spelling & grammar option. If you choose that option from the menu you will see the following submenu:

• Spelling and grammar check
• Show spelling suggestions
• Show grammar suggestions
• Personal dictionary

You will also note that there is a keyboard shortcut to run the spelling and grammar checker, which is Ctrl + Alt + X.

Some of the other options in the Preferences dialog box that you can change, aside from choosing to disable spell check, include:

• Automatically capitalize words
• Use smart quotes
• Automatically detect links
• Automatically detect links
• Automatically correct spelling
• Show Smart Reply suggestions
• Show link details

Which of these advanced settings you choose to turn off will vary depending on how you use the application. However, I personally find that certain auto corrections like automatic capitalization and link detection can be problematic, so I will usually turn those off.

You can do a surprising amount of image editing in Google Docs. This article on flipping Google Docs pictures can show you one of the options available to you.