iOS 5 hides an Android-like autocorrect keyboard bar, here’s how to enable it

Edit
Delete
Tags
Autopost

iOS 5 hides an Android-like autocorrect keyboard bar, here’s how to enable it

iOS 5 hides another secret feature: an Android-like autocorrect keyboard bar. As you can see in the screenshot above, courtesy of Sonny Dickson, the bar lets users pick from a series of word choices.

1. Download iBackupBot

2. Backup your iPhone/iPod in iTunes

3. Open iBackupBot and find the backup, then load it.

4. Find Library/Preferences/com.apple.keyboard.plist and open the file. (if your software isn’t registered you’ll have to press cancel and then it will open)

5. Add in the following code: <key>KeyboardAutocorrectionLists</key><string>YES</string>

6. Save your modifications, and then restore from backup from within iBackupbot.

Don't Forget Follow me on Twitter @SonnyDickson

Thank You!

Tags Apple Hacking Mac Sonny Dickson iOS iOS 5 iPad iPad 2 iPhone
December, 11, 2011
Permalink
Tweet

45 responses
Like
Comment

4 months ago Chris responded:

My iPhone does not have com.apple.keyboard.plist in the backup or using iFile. iPhone 4 on iOS 5.0

4 months ago Amaan responded:

The actual path is /private/var/mobile/Library/Preferences

4 months ago Chris responded:

Not showing there or anywhere else only ref to it was in the cache folder and it wasn't a plist

4 months ago infinitelevi (Twitter) responded:

found plist in preferences, but ibackupBOT will not actually "save" the edit. Do I replace <string>KeyboardAutocorrectionLists</string> with the one provided? I tried to do this and got an error msg. Please advise. Any screenshots of your work in iBackupBot?

4 months ago ___Awesome___ (Twitter) responded:

I didn't actually do this because I don't want to bother. I just check if the plist was there for me. It was, but in a different place than the article said.

4 months ago jimmy88 responded:

works completely fine if you do the same procedure without the backup process.
Did the plist modification within iFile on my iPhone 4 and worked completely fine after the Respring process.Don't bother with backing up and restoring the device.

4 months ago Jeff responded:

I don't see the file Library/Preferences/com.apple.keyboard.plist in any of my backups (iPad or iPhone 4S) - all running iOs 5.0.1

4 months ago GolemdX (Twitter) responded:

this is enabled automatically for keyboards of some foreign languages. it's a huge improvement over the older one.

4 months ago Anthony responded:

I cant see the com.apple.keyboard.plist in my backup either. Running iOS5.0 and iPhone 4S

4 months ago sofinx (Twitter) responded:

iBackupBot 3.1.6 FULL VERSION available here :

http://www.multiupload.com/TW0LYVJSI1

4 months ago kilyman (Twitter) responded:

Works on my iPhone4 but what makes the Arrow up at the End? Pressing it makes the Springboard crash.

4 months ago lakki2 responded:

freeze up keyboard iPhone4 iOS 5, don't know why maybe my iPhone4.

really like it

4 months ago Richard responded:

I cant find com.applekeyboar.plist I do recall seeing this AGES ago browsing w/ iFile. 4s 5.01 beta 2 and can not find it on 4s or 4 or iPAD 2.

4 months ago Tim Griskus (Facebook) responded:

It's a cool feature however, it makes me confirm each word I want to type in, there is no ability to just type a regular sentence. Anyone else have this issue? I have to disable it. Maybe that's why Apple didn't activate it yet cause it's not fully completed? Future feature for release? That's what I'm guessing.

4 months ago Bill responded:

Yeah, I have to confirm each word too, so typing is WAY slower with this turned on. Nice idea (it's the only thing I miss from my droid), but this one isn't ready for prime time.

4 months ago mk responded:

as tim and bill said...this isn't ready for prime time. reverted back to how it was...

4 months ago robsonjamie (Twitter) responded:

Found the file, opened and added code but still when I restored it didn’t work? Anyone know what I’m doing wrong?

4 months ago FaIsaL responded:

I had the same problem I followed every steps but after restore it didn't work. mine is iOS5 Iphone4. Jailbreak has been done on it. Any one knows why it is not working.

4 months ago Arob_83 (Twitter) responded:

@infinitelevi: add the code after the </true> tag and it will save. I had the same issue when placing before it (just after the existing <key>)

I just restored and am trying it out and its far from being close to usable. Have to confirm each word by touching the word (which moves the cursor sometimes). If you type a word correctly most the time it doesn't show in the list so you can't even hit the 'confirm' button. It should auto select the first word unless you touch an alternate. It does fix typos well but the confirm process is just not useable.

The default auto correct in iPhones is already far superior to any other as it has a hidden button resizer to make the next highly likely buttons larger (Andriod has apps to do this but its visually increases the size which actually throws you off and doesn't work) and the logic is much better; it will guess the correct word with a much higher accuracy.

Of course it doesn't have the suggested words like andriod but don't think its needed. Android needs the suggestion list because its often wrong on the 1st suggestion. I've tried to give Android a shot many times (Nexus One, HTC Sensation, Galaxy II) but have sold all of them only because I can type 5x faster on iPhones due to the better auto correct logic and the touch screen response is still far from being matched by any other phone. I even went back to my iPhone 4 over Galaxy SII as the dual core was useless if I am hitting backspace all the time.

Sonny thanks for posting this, glad to see they are at least continuing to improve. However, am reverting back now until they develop this feature more.

4 months ago Drew responded:

It's in /private/var/mobile/Library/Preferences, did the author even try this?

4 months ago Arob_83 (Twitter) responded:

For me it was exactly where he said it is:
>>Library/Preferences/com.apple.keyboard.plist

And after adding the new code it should read:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<plist>
<dict>
<key>BuddySetupDone</key>
<true />
<key>KeyboardAutocorrectionLists</key>
<string>YES</string>
</dict>
</plist>

4 months ago __arock__ (Twitter) responded:

Can anyone tell me what the code was originally?? I decided to give it a go and dont like it and didnt save the code i deleted first :/

4 months ago mk responded:

here you go...

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<plist>
<dict>
<key>BuddySetupDone</key>
<true />
</dict>
</plist>

4 months ago __arock__ (Twitter) responded:

Thank You!!!

4 months ago mk responded:

not sure why that got screwed up...here's a screenshot:

http://i.imgur.com/4xYAn.jpg

4 months ago Austrian responded:

Should I update to 5.0.1 first or has this nothing to do with?

4 months ago Drew responded:

Works fine on 5.0.0

4 months ago Austrian responded:

Can I update after I have done this or is everything gone if I update?

4 months ago TheBigNoob (Twitter) responded:

@mk it's </true> not <true />

4 months ago mk responded:

i didn't touch any of the code with the exception of what was added. when i reverted back i simply removed:

<key>KeyboardAutocorrectionLists</key><string>YES</string>

4 months ago Outsanity responded:

I made a video so people can see how it works and where to find the plist file if people are still having trouble with that still.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFYs26aMMMk

4 months ago sticktron (Twitter) responded:

@TheBigNoob: why would you leave that comment when you have no fucking clue what you're on about?

In XML a self-delimiting tag is written: <example />.

4 months ago dossolini responded:

Ryan Petrich released "Autocorrection Bar" in cydia... which gives you the option under Settings to enable it or disable it. at least this way, you can try it and then if you don't like it then just disable it without having to go through all this process of backingup/restoring/etc. and using the cydia option (for JBroken devices), the up-arrow doesn't crash.

4 months ago mattr responded:

This feature has been on Android for ever. Apple is probably checking with its lawyers if there is no patent infringement to release it to everyone.

4 months ago Luckey responded:

Anyone know how to keep it from checking everyword

4 months ago dossolini responded:

@mattr: yeah, that's very likely. also, it could also be a cheeky strategy to keep this code in there for hackers to find it, so that Apple won't have to pay their own programmers to fully develop/test/debug this feature... and just let others perfect it (via cydia and other users) before they fine tune it and release it on their major release... like bunch of other cydia apps that always end up in the actual ios. hahaha.

@Luckey: yeah, i wish it would just let you continue to type away! but i'm sure there will be tweaks on cydia at some point! hope hope!

4 months ago mattr responded:

The Android version is much easier to use, I think Apple just tried to see how well the system would work, then was waiting for people to find it, and get comments to improve it. Apple is known to steal ideas and make them way more intuitive so that could be it.

4 months ago dude responded:

Just buy a android phone dummies

4 months ago FRED responded:

Why doesn't the author respond to any of the questions directed to him? He is speaking as an official for Apple, and so his failures to respond demonstrate poor customer service on Apple's part.

4 months ago Greg Walsh (Facebook) responded:

Yeah...this update is no good. Previous posters comments regarding confirmation of every word required absolutely true...useless in execution.

4 months ago Lorne MacDougall (Facebook) responded:

Didn't work for me either. Remember the article in today's Daily News was an interview of Sonny Dickson, a Hacker from Australia. Jus barely restored my software. Until he responds, i'm considering it junk.

4 months ago Dale Dietrich (Facebook) responded:

Is there a way to activate this on a Windows-based system?

4 months ago Victor Britto (Facebook) responded:

thank you MK, followed ur instructions and worked like a dream, all back to normal... Phewww, was gettting on my nerves that autocorect keyboard bar, bloody useless. thanks once again MK. anybody having trouble removing this annoying tweak follow MK thread, worked on my iphone4 ios 5.0.1

ur a life saving star

thumbs up fella

3 months ago Serge Hipontoise responded:

I tried it on my 3GS with ios 5.0.1 Works fine when you know where to insert the line. IT IS NOT AT THE END... But well. This is totally buggy, useless, uneasy to use, user unfriendly... It removes the other way of typing. Save your time it's totally useless

2 months ago Julian Fernandez liked this post.

Sonny Dickson

Sites I Like

iOS 5 hides an Android-like autocorrect keyboard bar, here’s how to enable it