How to Disable Predictive Text Feature When Composing Emails in Microsoft Outlook Mail?

Question

Hi,

Just recently while I've been making emails in outlook I'll get some grey text that appears in front of the characters I've actually typed out and there is a little tab key icon at the end of the greyed text that completes the sentence with the greyed out suggested text included if I press tab. I was wondering how to turn off this predictive text feature when typing? I think an odd sign-out situation occurred recently where my original settings for outlook were returned to the default, which then started this annoying phrase guessing feature. I've disabled text suggestions on my laptop settings but I still have get the text suggestions on outlook mail. Settings for outlook itself hasn't shown anything that might control predictive text either, so I'm not sure how to turn the feature off.

Thanks

Answer 1

Hi, Rashane. Thanks for reaching out! I'm an Independent Advisor and a Microsoft user like you, and I am here to work with you on this issue.

Here's how you can disable it, Rashane:

Settings > Mail > Compose and reply > Offer suggestion based on keywords in my messages

I hope this helps! Please let me know if that works for you, ok?

Answer 2

Hi PaddyBowen,

Found the right setting to turn off. Make your way to "Text predictions" and remove the tick in the box on the left (as in the screenshot below). I tested and it seems to work (I typed a few lines and no suggestions were forthcoming).

[I didn't read the whole thread before my reply, someone mentioned this on the first page! and like you, I didn't have the option to select these settings after r/clicking]  :-)

Answer 3

Thanks for that - I have done that numerous times, and it does work for the duration of the session, but as soon as I shut down the computer and restart, the text predictions box is turned on again! I don't see why I should have to turn it off again manually every time I start my machine.

Answer 4

Sorry to read that Paddy.

If you "Save" the change before exiting that window it should stay that way for every session after that; even after rebooting etc.

You can't even exit (X-ing) out of that window without either selecting "Save" or "Discard". I tried and another prompt appeared:

After clicking on this "Save" I closed Outlook and rebooted. I re-opened Outlook, started a new email and found Predictive text was still honouring my choice. I hope you eventually find the answer for your predicament!

Answer 5

Sadly still doesn't work for me. I have always saved the change before leaving settings, and for that session it stays "off", but as soon as I shut down or restart my machine it gets turned on again.

Two factors that may influence the problem:

1. My machine is a Lenovo one - is there some default setting in their set-up that refuses to accept changes to the settings?
2. I use Outlook through the web - not as a stand alone app - and I access the web through Chrome. Is there some setting in Chrome that is over-riding my choice?