GoKawiilResearcher uncovers 100,000+ phrases Apple blocks from iOS autocomplete
Researcher Derik Kauffman discovered a hidden list of over 100,000 words and phrases blocked from iOS autocomplete and swipe-typing across major languages, and published it online. The list includes slurs, sexual and drug terms, but also political phrases like 'dictator Trump,' 'sleepy Joe,' and 'covid was a hoax,' plus inconsistencies such as blocking 'bad girl' but not 'bad boy.' Kauffman extracted the list from a hash table buried in iOS using AI coding tools, and another researcher independently verified the findings; Apple told Reuters the keyboard avoids suggesting potentially offensive terms but doesn't stop users from typing them manually.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The discovery raises questions about how tech companies make opaque editorial choices embedded in everyday software, particularly around politically charged language, without public disclosure. The inconsistencies found suggest the list may reflect ad hoc or inconsistent moderation decisions rather than a clearly principled policy, though Apple has not detailed how the list was compiled. This could renew scrutiny of how much influence platform defaults have on shaping casual communication at scale.
- Over 100,000 blocked words/phrases found hidden in iOS autocomplete systems across languages
- List includes political phrases like 'dictator Trump' and 'covid was a hoax' alongside slurs and offensive terms
- Users can still manually type blocked phrases; only autosuggest and swipe-type are affected
Source: theverge.com — Stevie Bonifield, 2026-11-06
Published there as: “Apple has a secret list of banned autocomplete phrases including ‘dictator Trump’ and ‘covid is a hoax’”
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