This Simple Hack Fixes That Annoying “I” Bug On Your iPhone For Good

The new Apple iOS 11.1 update has blessed us with a flurry of new emojis — (finally, gender neutral representation and a pie!) but, it's also succumbed to a bug that has been confusing and frustrating for iPhone and iPad users trying to express themselves. For some users attempting to type a capital "I," the device automatically corrects the pronoun to "A ?", obviously getting in the way of what you're trying to communicate. A few fixes have been discussed amongst the Apple community, one of which is deactivating predictive text all together so the "I" doesn't autocorrect into the "A?" — but does turning off predictive text fix the "I" bug on your iPhone? I hope so, because for a minute I thought maybe I missed something in that emoji upgrade.

While my phone hasn't caught the bug inflicting iPhone keyboards, and has only made me confused as to what people were trying to say, it's driving others up the wall. But just because I — or you — have been teased with a seemingly flawless iOS update, that doesn't mean we're in the clear. According to Bustle writer Brandi Neal on Nov. 5, the "I" to "A ?" bug is rolling out across iPhones at different times: While her iPhone was just affected on Sun., her roommate's iPhone had caught the bug the day before. You unfortunately can't just take an Advil to make this tech headache fade away, either — and there's no definite "cure" from Apple yet.

But, don't panic. There are ways to make it stop. Some users report turning off predictive text has helped them go back to expressing themselves coherently across their social media channels.

Using "I" doesn't seem to be limited when it comes to text messaging. It happens across applications like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This rude bug that seems sort of like a prank is getting iPhone users on Twitter riled up. But stay calm dear users! In a unanimous decision amongst iPhone users, this bug that's rolling out across iPhones of all generations and getting in the way of celebrities Instagram captions (not you too, Lady GaGa!), has got to go. And temporary fixes have been shared.

One way to get on the path to enlightenment and using the pronoun "I" again without question is to turn off predictive text, as suggested by MacRumors. But first, what is predictive text? The answer is in the question. Predictive text is what happens when you're typing a text or post and your keyboard suggests what word should come next in your sentence. While often times bizarre yet poetic, turning off this feature could save you from your bug woe. At least until a more secure and long-term solution is found for the issue.

MacRumors also reports that this bug could be related to predictive text, though no direct cause has been targeted as the catalyst. This is because when some users type "I", they're automatically corrected to the "A ?" text. MacRumors states that, "turning off predictive text is a reliable way of putting an end to the issue, as is using a third-party keyboard, but neither of these options are long term solutions for customers who want to use the full-featured built-in keyboard." If you're looking for instant refuge from the issue, it's easy to achieve.

All that needs to be done is going to Settings > General > Keyboard > Swipe Auto-Correction and Predictive text from on to off. You should start being able to express yourself more easily from there! Some users reported this fixing their issue altogether.

But if, as Apple sites warn, this does not provide permanent solace, Apple Support has suggested another route to sanity. And it's just as easy as turning off predictive text. All you have to do is switch up your Text Replacement:

Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.

Tap +

For Phrase, type in an upper case "I". For Shortcut, type a lower-case "i".

This should settle your bug, at least until a future software update permanently cures it. Which we all hope, ahem, is soon.