Key Takeaways (TL;DR): Apple's iOS keyboard contains a hidden blacklist of over 100,000 phrases, including profanity, slurs, and even political terms like "dictator Trump." While you can still type these words manually, the autocorrect and predictive text features will never suggest them. For unrestricted communication and bypassing ISP-level censorship, consider a private anti-DPI multi-key available in the Telegram bot @yavpn_robot.

An independent researcher has reverse-engineered the iOS keyboard and uncovered a massive hidden blacklist containing over 100,000 phrases. The list includes not only obvious profanity and racial slurs but also politically charged terms like "dictator Trump" and various drug-related slang. Apple has never officially acknowledged this list, but it has been present in iOS for years, silently preventing the keyboard from suggesting these words during typing.

How the Blacklist Works

The blacklist is embedded deep within the iOS keyboard's language model. When you type a word or phrase, the predictive text engine checks it against this list. If there's a match, the keyboard simply won't offer it as a suggestion β€” even if the word is perfectly valid English. For example, typing "dictator" followed by "Trump" will not trigger the autocorrect to complete the phrase. However, you can still type each letter manually; the restriction only applies to the suggestion feature.

What's on the List?

The researcher published a partial breakdown of the categories:

  • Profanity and slurs: Thousands of swear words and hate speech terms.
  • Political figures: "Dictator Trump," "President Xi," and other controversial names.
  • Drug references: Slang for illegal substances and drug paraphernalia.
  • Sexual content: Explicit terms and phrases.
  • Violent language: Threats and aggressive expressions.

The list is not static β€” Apple updates it with each iOS release, adding new terms as needed. The researcher notes that the list is likely curated by a combination of automated filters and human reviewers.

Why This Matters for Users

This discovery raises important questions about censorship and user autonomy. While Apple has every right to filter offensive content, the lack of transparency is concerning. Users who rely on predictive text for accessibility or speed may find their communication artificially limited. Moreover, the inclusion of political terms suggests a broader agenda beyond simple profanity filtering.

What You Can Do

If you want to bypass these restrictions, you can disable predictive text entirely in Settings > General > Keyboard. However, this also disables useful features like autocorrect. For a more fundamental solution to online censorship β€” whether from Apple's keyboard or your ISP β€” consider using a private anti-DPI multi-key. It bypasses white lists and ISP-level traffic shaping, giving you full control over your digital experience. Get yours from the Telegram bot @yavpn_robot starting at 5 RUB per day.