Apple’s secret list of banned autocomplete phrases includes dictator Trump and covid hoax
How the list was uncovered
Researcher Derik Kauffman found more than 100,000 blocked words and phrases in what he described as “every major language,” Reuters reported. He published the full list online, including separate lists for different languages.
Kauffman said the phrases were stored in a hash table that he converted back into text. He used OpenAI’s Codex and Anthropic’s Claude Code to help locate the list within iOS. Another researcher independently obtained the same list, Reuters reported.
What the keyboard blocks
Most entries are offensive terms, slurs, or words associated with sex and drugs. The list also includes political phrases such as “illegal immigrant,” “sleepy Joe,” and “left wing conspiracy,” along with “Santa isn’t real” and “iMessage isn’t working.” Kauffman found cases where similar phrases were treated differently: “bad girl” is blocked, while “bad boy” is not. Users can type blocked words one letter at a time, but they will not appear as predictive suggestions.
Apple describes keyboard safeguards
When a blocked phrase is entered through swipe-typing, iOS may change it. For example, “left wing conspiracy” may become “left wrong conspiracy.” Apple did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
Key points
- Kauffman found more than 100,000 blocked words and phrases across major languages.
- The list includes political phrases, insults, slurs, and references to sex and drugs.
- Users can type blocked terms manually, but swipe-typing may alter them.
- Some similar phrases receive different treatment, including “bad girl” and “bad boy.”