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How to Turn Off Autofill or Predictive Text in Excel on iPad
Question details
The user wants to disable stacked text suggestions or previously used phrases that appear while typing in Excel on an iPad.
- Product
- Excel
- Device & OS
- iPadOS
- Scenario
- Typing text or entering formulas into spreadsheet cells on an iPad.
- Observed behavior
- Stacked suggestions with previously used words or predictive text pop up on the screen, interrupting the editing process.
Determine whether the text suggestions appear during general typing (which is controlled by iPadOS settings) or specifically when entering formulas (which is managed within Excel).
Disable iPadOS Predictive Text Settings
Most text prediction bubbles in Excel for iPad are actually generated by the system keyboard, not the app itself.
If you see stacked suggestions containing regular words or previously used phrases, this is a feature of the iPad's operating system designed to speed up typing. Disabling it will remove the suggestions across all apps, including Excel.
Go to your iPad's Home screen and open the Settings app.
Tap on 'General' in the left sidebar, then select 'Keyboard' on the right side of the screen.
Find the 'Predictive' toggle switch and tap it to turn it off (the switch will turn gray).
Reopen the Excel app and begin typing in a cell to confirm that the predictive text bubbles no longer appear.
Turn Off Formula AutoComplete in Excel
If the suggestions only appear when you type an equals sign (=) to start a formula, you need to disable Excel's built-in formula suggestions.
Try WPS Office for a Seamless Spreadsheet Experience on iPad
If you find Excel's mobile interface or system text suggestions disruptive, WPS Office provides a clean, user-friendly, and lightweight alternative for iPad. It fully supports Microsoft Excel formats and offers intuitive settings to customize your mobile editing experience.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Get WPS Office for free from the Apple App Store on your iPad.
- 2. Open your Excel files: Launch WPS Office and open your existing .xlsx or .xls files directly without losing formatting.
- 3. Edit with ease: Enjoy a distraction-free spreadsheet interface optimized for touch devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does predictive text still show up after I changed settings in Excel?
The predictive text you are seeing is likely controlled by your iPadOS system keyboard settings, not Excel. You must turn off the 'Predictive' toggle in your iPad's General Keyboard settings (Settings > General > Keyboard) to remove these suggestions.
Can I turn off predictive text for specific spreadsheets only?
No, disabling predictive text in your iPad settings applies globally to all text input on your device, meaning it will be turned off for all your spreadsheets and other applications.
Does turning off predictive text disable autocorrect on my iPad?
No, predictive text and autocorrect are separate settings in iPadOS. You can turn off predictive text while leaving the 'Auto-Correction' toggle enabled in the Keyboard settings menu.
How do I stop Excel from auto-filling cells when dragging down?
If you are referring to the Fill Handle feature copying data unexpectedly, you can tap the cell, select 'Fill' from the floating menu, and drag the handles manually rather than relying on automatic flash fill.
