If you swear profusely in text messages and emails, you might be happy to know about Apple’s plans for an F-word autocorrect issue.
I actually didn’t realize that Apple even had an F-word autocorrect problem. I suppose that’s because I choose not to drop the F-bomb at every possible opportunity in print, even in a text message.
I’m not saying that this makes me better than anyone who texts like a sailor. But I imagine there are times when using such “colorful” language could leave a poor impression, particularly among people who don’t know you well. It turns out, apparently, that when people have set out to use the F-word, the iPhone’s autocorrect will change the F to a D.
Well isn’t that a ducking surprise? What the duck, Apple?
This doesn’t seem to be an isolated problem, at least according to NPR, which led their story with this:
Any iPhone user with their autocorrect function turned on knows that a certain four-letter expletive will be replaced immediately by the rhyming name of a species of waterfowl — but not for much longer
I’ve used iPhones for almost as long as they’ve been out. That’s probably about 15 years now.
Either my autocorrect, which I often have to go behind and correct, never had this curious problem or I’ve just never tried to text the F-word to someone.
The end of the F-word autocorrect is near
Apple announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month that the G-rated autocorrection will come to an end with its newest update.
“In those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well the keyboard will learn it,” Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said, CBS News reported.
The new update will also allow users to revert to the word they originally spelled out. On top of that, predictive text will let users finish words and sentences by clicking on the space bar.
(I note that the CBS News article used the unfortunate and incorrect phrase “revert back,” which is redundant: to revert means “to go back.”)
The Washington Post, meanwhile, reported that the coming update, which will be part of iOS 17 iPhone software, prompted responses of “duck yeah” on social media.
In any case, should I consider using more profanity in my texts? I don’t think so. But if you prefer it, once you’ve downloaded iOS 17, which is set to come out later this year, you do you.
