Why Is Your iPhone Capitalizing Everything? How to Turn Off Auto Caps on iPhone

By AirTalk Team
4-minute read
In This Article

Your iPhone capitalizes the start of every sentence, and sometimes a whole word, which is annoying when you text in lowercase or fill in a form. How to turn off auto caps on iPhone depends on which feature is acting up, because automatic capital letters and Caps Lock are separate settings.

This guide separates the two, shows the steps in Settings and from the keyboard itself, covers Caps Lock, and explains what to check when letters still come out capitalized.

1. Two Different Things Called “Auto Caps”

Before changing anything, work out which feature you mean, because “how to turn off auto caps on iPhone” is a different job for each one.

  • Auto-Capitalization makes the keyboard capitalize the first letter of a sentence, and the word “I” when it stands alone.
  • Caps Lock is the Shift key lock that keeps every letter uppercase until you release it.
FeatureWhat it doesSetting name
Auto-CapitalizationCapitalizes the first letter of sentences and a stand-alone IAuto-Capitalization
Caps LockLets a double-tap on Shift lock uppercaseEnable Caps Lock

Apple’s guide says a double-tap on Shift turns Caps Lock on, and that is the gesture people trigger by accident.

Both switches sit in the same place, so you can change one without touching the other.

If you were looking for how to turn Auto Caps off on iPhone, start with the first row. If whole words come out in capitals, the second row is the likelier cause.

2. How to Turn Off Auto Caps on iPhone in Settings?

Most people want the sentence-starting capitals gone, and this is where that happens. Use the Settings path first, then the keyboard shortcut if you would rather not dig through menus.

how-to-turn-auto-caps-off-on-iphone
Auto-Capitalization and Enable Caps Lock sit in the same Keyboard settings. (Image by Unsplash)

Turn Off Auto-Capitalization

  • Open Settings and tap General.
  • Tap Keyboard.
  • Under All Keyboards, find Auto-Capitalization.
  • Switch it off so the toggle turns gray.

Open Messages or Notes and type a new sentence to test it. The first letter should now stay lowercase unless you tap Shift yourself.

That completes how to turn off auto caps on iPhone for the on-screen keyboard, and you can turn the switch back on at any time.

Open Keyboard Settings From the Keyboard Itself

You do not have to leave the app you are typing in.

While the keyboard is open, touch and hold the emoji key or the globe key at the bottom, then tap Keyboard Settings. This takes you straight to the same Keyboard screen, where Auto-Capitalization is listed.

The steps for how to turn off auto caps on iPhone 16 are the same as on other models, because the setting belongs to iOS and not to the hardware. Newer iOS versions can arrange menus a little differently, so if you do not see the list, scroll the Keyboard screen or use the search field at the top of Settings.

>>> Read more: How to Turn Off 5G on iPhone, Samsung, and Pixel in a Few Taps

3. How to Turn Off Auto Caps Lock on iPhone?

If a double-tap on Shift keeps locking your keyboard into capitals, the fix is a separate switch. This is “how to turn off auto caps lock on iPhone”, and it has two parts: stop it from engaging and release it when it already has.

Turn Off Enable Caps Lock

  • Open Settings, tap General, then tap Keyboard.
  • Find Enable Caps Lock.
  • Switch it off.

With the setting off, a double-tap on Shift no longer locks the keyboard into capitals. When the setting is off, you cannot engage Caps Lock from the Shift key.

Release Caps Lock Mid-Sentence

When Caps Lock is already on and you want out, you do not need to open Settings. Tap the Shift key once and the lock releases, so the next letters return to lowercase. Delete the capitals you just typed if they are wrong, then keep going.

If you find yourself doing this often, it is easier to switch off Enable Caps Lock, as shown above, so the double-tap stops doing anything.

4. When Letters Still Come Out Capitalized?

Sometimes you have followed how to turn off auto caps on iPhone and the capitals keep appearing.

Start with the Shift key, because a locked Shift looks different from a normal one, and a single tap releases it.

Then reopen Settings, General, Keyboard, and confirm that the switch you changed is still off, since a second keyboard or a restored setting can make it look as if nothing changed.

Some apps and website fields set their own rules, such as capitalizing every word in a name field. In that case the app is responsible, not your iPhone, and how to turn off auto caps on iPhone will not change it.

A third-party keyboard also has its own options, so check the keyboard app’s settings if the problem only appears there. If capitals still appear everywhere, restart the iPhone and test again in Notes.

>>> Read more: How to Turn Off Location Without Notifying Someone in Only Simple Steps

5. FAQs

Does turning off Auto-Capitalization also turn off Caps Lock?

No. They are separate switches in the same Keyboard screen. Switching off Auto-Capitalization stops the automatic capital at the start of sentences, while Caps Lock still works if Enable Caps Lock is on. To stop the lock too, turn off Enable Caps Lock as well.

Where is Auto-Capitalization on iPhone?

Open Settings, tap General, tap Keyboard, and look under All Keyboards. Auto-Capitalization is in that list. You can also touch and hold the emoji or globe key on the keyboard and tap Keyboard Settings to land on the same screen.

How do I turn Caps Lock on again?

Go back to Settings, General, Keyboard, and switch Enable Caps Lock on. After that, double-tap the Shift key while typing to lock capitals, and tap Shift once to release them. This simply reverses the steps for how to turn off auto caps on iPhone.

Will this change affect every app?

It applies to the iPhone keyboard, so it affects the apps that use it, such as Messages, Mail, and Notes. An app that sets its own capitalization in a field, or a third-party keyboard with its own options, can still behave differently.

Can I turn off auto caps only for one app?

I did not find a per-app switch in the iPhone’s keyboard settings, so the change covers the keyboard in general. If one app keeps capitalizing, look in that app’s own settings or try another keyboard for it.

Final Thoughts

For automatic capitals, open Settings, tap General, tap Keyboard, and switch off Auto-Capitalization. For the lock, switch off Enable Caps Lock, and tap Shift once if it is already on. You are finished when a new sentence stays lowercase and a double-tap on Shift does nothing.

If capitals still appear, check the Shift key, the app, and any third-party keyboard. With those steps, how to turn off auto caps on iPhone takes about a minute.

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