How to disable T9 mode on your Android mobile: how you can remove it

The mobile phone is a universal means of communication. It can be used to communicate both by making calls and sending messages. When typing, speed and comfort play an important role. For some users, T9 mode is very useful, while others find it very annoying. Here’s how to disable T9 on your Android phone, and why it’s usually more inconvenience than benefit.

What is T9?

T9 mode is a predictive typing system. Simply put, it predicts the word the user is trying to type and automatically substitutes it in the text.

The abbreviation T9 comes from the English “Text on 9 keys” or “Typing with nine keys”. A person used to using a mobile phone may not know which buttons he is referring to. But anyone who has ever held a push-button phone in their hands understands what “9-Key Text” means.

In the 1990s, the vast majority of devices had 9 physical buttons. They were used to dial numbers, but also to write text. To do this, each button was assigned 3 or 4 letters. Choosing the correct letter when writing a message was a challenge, so the predictive T9 mode made it much easier.

On Mobile Phones, typing is different, as a virtual keyboard appears when the input line is touched. However, the T9 predictive mode has not gone anywhere and has continued to predict the words that the owner of the device is typing. However, if you think T9 is exceptionally useful, here are some reasons why users might want to remove it.

What it does to users

Word prediction when writing messages is done using the keyboard’s built-in vocabulary, as well as based on previously entered word forms. It can be said that the T9 in its modern form uses artificial intelligence that guesses the text entered by the user.

However, even now, the predictive mode has not been perfected, which causes mishaps when writing text. Sometimes the mobile phone substitutes a different word than the one the user intended, and the final message loses its original meaning. To avoid these problems, it is recommended to disable T9.

Algorithm to disable the function

T9 mode can be disabled in several ways. The operation is performed both during direct typing and before the owner of the mobile phone decides to display the virtual keyboard.

We suggest that all forms be examined to choose the most suitable option.

via settings

When talking about how to disable the T9, the first thing to look at is the option to disable it through the device settings. This is a basic method that works on any mobile phone. To disable predictive dialing you will need

• Open the phone settings.

• Go to “Language and input”.
• Check which “keyboard” appears in the “Default keyboard” tab.
• Select the keyboard to use.

• Open your settings.
• Disable the “T9 mode” slider.

It is important. Depending on the keyboard used, the mobile phone manufacturer and the firmware version, the names of the menu items may vary.

If done correctly, the next time you decide to type, the keyboard won’t anticipate the words. If you are having difficulty disabling it, it is advisable to consider alternatives to disable predictive mode.

through the keyboard

Since even the first method of disabling the feature uses the keyboard settings, it is possible to bypass the phone settings. The following scenario is suggested:

• Call up the virtual keyboard by touching the input line.
• Press the gear button to open its settings.
• Disable the “T9” slider.

As a side note. Often the “T9” function in the keyboard settings is called “Text Correction”.

Once you save the settings, the changes will take effect immediately and you will write a message without predictive mode. If for some reason the settings remain the same, use alternate ways to disable T9.

Through third-party applications

If you use a third-party keyboard to type, you can use its settings without clicking the input line:

• Launch an app that acts as a keyboard (for example, SwiftKey).

• Open the settings.
• Turn off the “T9” or “Text Correction” option.

This option works exactly the same as the previous methods. So you shouldn’t have a problem deactivating the predictive mode so that the mobile phone stops guessing the words you write.

Characteristics of the different models

The exact location of the T9 disable option directly depends on the keyboard and device manufacturer. If you use a standard “keyboard”, you must take into account the particularities of deactivating the option on different mobile phones.

On Xiaomi devices, for example, the feature is called “Text Correction” and its settings are hidden in the “Current Keyboard” settings section. On Huawei and Honor, the option is called “Autocorrect”. It is disabled via the “Automatic Typing and Correction” section of the keyboard settings. Lastly, in the Samsung Keyboard settings, you have to open the “Patch Options” tab and then select “Don’t suggest”.

How to reactivate the T9

The reactivation of the T9 is done exactly the same as the deactivation. Therefore, you can use the following options:

• through phone settings;
• through the keyboard settings;
• via the keyboard app.

Unlike deactivation, when it is turned back on, the slider in front of “T9” or “Text Correction” should move to the right.