If you’re an iPhone user, your sexts and angry texts are about to get a major upgrade: Apple is going to make it possible for users to actually type “fuck” in texts without being autocorrected.
Apple’s software chief, Craig Federighi, announced the big change on Tuesday at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California.
“In those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well, the keyboard will learn it, too,” Federighi told the crowd.
Granted, the tech company’s biggest announcement at the conference was the introduction of its futuristic, expensive mixed reality headset called Vision Pro.
But if you’ve ever sent an awkward “ducking” text mid-argument or mid-sext, you know this is seismic news, too. (In the latter case, there’s no way your sext could’ve been as bad as Jeff Bezo’s sexts, and his didn’t even involve birds!)
The texting tweak is expected to be part of the new iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, which will be available to everyone else this fall as a free software update for iPhone X and later.
Until then, autocorrect and its static dictionary will continue to insist you wash your potty mouth and change that expletive to “duck.”
If you’re impatient for the fix and want to avoid any ducking texts in the meantime, go into your phone settings, and make sure your phone knows your colorful personal vocabulary:
- Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement.
- Then, add your words or phrases to both the Phrase and Shortcut fields, which will add them to the dynamic dictionary.
Personally, though, we’re going to miss all those ducking “duck” texts. Before they’re gone for good, we’ve rounded up some of the funniest tweets about iPhone’s distaste for fowl language.
Dear Autocorrect: Why in God’s name would I EVER use the word DUCKING?! Read the room.
— Meghan 🩷💜💙| The Pursuing Life (@thepursuinglife) April 8, 2021
— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) June 4, 2023
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, I was probably sexting you about fucking you but ducking autocorrect ducked me
— truth'n soul is dead (@mrtruthandsoul) November 20, 2013
The other day I actually was trying to type “ducking” and autocorrect changed it to “fucking,” so I’m fairly sure that at this point my phone is just tucking with me.
— Arianna Bradford (@thearibradford) May 8, 2020
I just realized when your phone autocorrects to “ducking” it means crouching down and has nothing to do with ducks. How did I forget that was a real word
— Jordy (@JordoKT) December 16, 2018
me: i am so fucked
— Jill Gutowitz (@jillboard) December 19, 2017
autocorrect: feel like u meant to say "ducked"
me: haoppy bjrghday
autocorrect: yeah that tracks
I am pleased to report that autocorrect changed “duck” to “fuck” multiple times and tbh, I feel like for the first time my phone understands me.
— 🤌🏾 Imani Gandy 👆🏾 (@AngryBlackLady) November 24, 2018
Autocorrect better define "cluster duck" for me if it's gonna keep changing my words.
— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) April 22, 2015
— G 🐐 (@Gtoowavyy) August 10, 2022
Autocorrect be ruining sexting. “I’m gonna sick the soul out your duck” just kills the mood.
— Thots n Prayers (@cecefromdaburgh) April 15, 2022
My phone autocorrected to "duck dick pics" & I now need a lawyer.
— smartass_moms (@smartass_moms) September 23, 2019
Having the word "fuck" getting autocorrected to "duck" or "guck" is double-infuriating because it only happens when you are already furious enough to say "fuck" in the first place
— David Morris (@thedavidmo) May 1, 2018
Even if fuck is autocorrected to duck, it's still fowl language
— Jen Gentleman 🌺 (@JenMsft) November 22, 2022
"I don't give a duck" is basically the sentence that ended all of my arguments , Thanks autocorrect for your efforts in spreading peace.
— Roma (@marium_k) March 27, 2018
I love how Apple made a middle finger emoji but my texts still get autocorrected to duck, shot, and butch every time I try to cuss
— K (@KristineKreusch) March 20, 2017
Ya gotta feel sorry, in the end, for ducks. What with autocorrect involving them in all these arguments they never asked to be a part of.
— Angela Cobb (@angelacobb) August 28, 2018
