What Is Autocapitalize?

Frustrated by your phone or laptop suddenly capitalizing every word when you don’t want it to? You’re definitely not the only one. Autocapitalization can be helpful for quick texts, but honestly, it’s more annoying than useful when you’re trying to write code, fill out forms, or keep things professional. The good news? You can turn it off—whether you're on an iPhone, Android, Mac, or Windows PC. And if you're using a browser or app, there are even more targeted ways to fix it.

What's going on here?

You’ll see it happen when you type “new york” and it magically becomes “New York.” It’s great for casual writing, but it’s a real pain when you're coding, filling out forms, or trying to keep things professional. This behavior is controlled by the autocapitalize HTML attribute in mobile browsers and by internal keyboard settings on your devices.

How do I actually turn this off?

Settings paths might shift slightly depending on your software version as of 2026.

On iPhone (iOS 17.4 or later)

1. Open the Settings app from your Home Screen.
2. Scroll down and tap General.
3. Tap Keyboard.
4. Under "Keyboards," tap All Keyboards.
5. Toggle Auto-Capitalization to off (it’ll turn gray).
6. Restart the app you were typing in to make sure the change sticks.

On Android (Android 14 or later)

1. Open Settings from the app drawer or notification shade.
2. Tap System > Languages & input.
3. Tap Virtual keyboard > Gboard (or whatever keyboard app you use).
4. Tap Text correction.
5. Scroll down and toggle Auto-capitalization to off (gray).
6. Restart your keyboard or the app you’re using.

On Windows 11 (Build 23H2 or later)

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Time & Language > Language & Region.
3. Under “Keyboards,” click Advanced keyboard settings.
4. Click Input language hotkeys.
5. Select your input language, then click Change Key Sequence.
6. Uncheck Turn off Caps Lock key and Turn on Caps Lock key if those options are there.
7. Restart your computer or the app to apply the changes.

On macOS Sonoma (14.4 or later)

1. Click the Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Go to Keyboard > Text Input > Edit.
3. Turn off Capitalize words automatically.
4. Restart your Mac or the app you’re using.

If you're typing in a web app using Chrome or Firefox, you can also control autocapitalization by adding autocapitalize="off" to form inputs. For example:

<input type="text" autocapitalize="off">

Why is autocapitalization still happening after I turned it off?

• Check for third-party keyboards: Apps like SwiftKey, Grammarly, or some email clients have their own autocapitalization rules. Turn off autocapitalize in their settings.
• Update your OS: Older versions of iOS, Android, or Windows might not support the latest keyboard controls. Head to Settings > System > Software Update and install any available updates.
• Use a different keyboard layout: On Windows and macOS, switching to a different layout (like US International instead of US) can sometimes reset text behavior.

How do I keep autocapitalization off permanently?

• Lock your settings: On shared devices, set a screen lock and avoid giving others admin access to prevent unwanted changes.
• Use a password manager: Apps like Bitwarden or 1Password can store custom autocapitalization preferences for specific websites or apps. They can even automatically inject autocapitalize="off" into login fields.
• Test before you type: After changing settings, open a new note or email and type “hello world” to confirm the first letters stay lowercase.
• Bookmark keyboard settings: Create a browser bookmark to your device’s keyboard settings page or save a screenshot of the correct toggle state for quick reference.

Autocapitalization isn’t going anywhere—it’s baked into how most devices and browsers handle text input. But with a few taps or clicks, you can take back control of how your words appear.