Editing Autocomplete (section)

{{Short description|Computing feature predicting ending to a word a user is typing}}
{{redirect|Word prediction|word prediction in psycholinguistics|Prediction in language comprehension}}
[[File:Autocomplete.png|thumb|Example of the partially typed search term <code>baby st</code> being autocompleted to various options]]
'''Autocomplete''', or '''word completion''', is a feature in which an [[application software|application]] predicts the rest of a word a user is typing. In [[Android (operating system)|Android]] and [[iOS]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207525 |title = How to use Auto-Correction and predictive text on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch |work=Apple Support |publisher=Apple}}</ref> [[smartphone]]s, this is called '''predictive text'''. In [[graphical user interface]]s, users can typically press the [[tab key]] to accept a suggestion or the down [[arrow key]] to accept one of several.

Autocomplete speeds up [[human-computer interaction]]s when it correctly predicts the word a user intends to enter after only a few characters have been typed into a text input field. It works best in domains with a limited number of possible words (such as in [[command line interpreter]]s), when some words are much more common (such as when addressing an [[e-mail]]), or writing structured and predictable text (as in [[source code editor]]s).

Many autocomplete [[algorithm]]s learn new words after the user has written them a few times, and can suggest alternatives based on the learned habits of the individual user.