How to turn off the auto-capitalization tool on your Android's Gboard keyboard

• The on-screen keyboards of Android devices will capitalize the first letter of a sentence by default thanks to a built-in "Text correction" tool.
• Gboard, the default keyboard app for Android devices, allows you to change this feature through the gear icon located at the top of the keyboard.
• To turn off auto-capitalization on an Android device's Gboard keyboard, access the "Text Correction" menu in the keyboard's settings.
• Non-Gboard users can disable auto-capitalization by tapping the System icon in the Settings app, accessing the Language & input menu, and making changes through the "Virtual Keyboard" options.

Whether you're browsing the internet or sending an email or text, you're relying on your Android's keyboard. That means you're relying on its settings, too.

The on-screen keyboard is set to capitalize the first letter of each sentence by default, regardless of whether you want it to or not. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Some on-screen keyboard apps offer you the ability to turn off the auto-capitalization feature. Android's native keyboard, Gboard, does, and the process for deactivating this tool is pretty straightforward.

Here's how to do it with Gboard, which works across Android devices.

How to turn off auto-capitalization on Android

1. Open the messaging app of your choice.

2. On the on-screen keyboard, tap the gear icon.

3. In the Settings menu, select "Text correction."

4. Swipe up on the Text Correction menu until you locate "Auto-capitalization."

5. Tap the slider next to "Auto-capitalization" so that it appears gray instead of blue.

6. To turn auto-capitalization back on, tap on the slider so that it appears blue instead of gray.

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