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Researcher Derik Kauffman says he found an iOS list of about 100,000 words and phrases that the keyboard will not enter through swipe typing or suggest predictively. The list spans nearly 30 languages and includes profanity, offensive terms and some political phrases; users can still type the entries by tapping letters. Apple declined to explain specific entries, saying its keyboard is designed to avoid potentially inappropriate or offensive suggestions.
Researcher Derik Kauffman has published a list of about 100,000 words and phrases that Apple’s iOS keyboard does not enter through swipe typing or offer in predictive text, according to a report by Meduza. The restrictions apply to keyboard suggestions and swipe input—not to typing the words letter by letter—and the list includes entries in nearly 30 languages, among them political phrases as well as vulgar and offensive language.
Kauffman posted the list on swipeblocked.com after investigating why swipe typing appeared to stop when he tried particular phrases. He said the list covers terms related to subjects including drugs, sex and violence, alongside political or otherwise sensitive wording. Examples in the English-language entries include “Dictator Trump,” “Sleepy Joe,” “right wing conspiracy,” “Tibetan independence” and “United Ireland.”
Meduza reported that entries in other languages include “Modi braggart” in Hindi, a phrase referring to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi; “occupied territories” in Hebrew; and “immigration too high” in French. Reuters was the first to report on the list, according to Meduza.
The published Russian-language portion contains 637 entries, most of them crude expressions, Meduza reported. Some refer to military matters, including “send in troops” and “wars with Georgia.” Meduza also identified “Putin drove out,” a phrase mentioning Russian President Vladimir Putin, but said its intended meaning is unclear. The presence of an entry does not establish why Apple’s system restricts it.
How the Keyboard Restrictions Work
The list matters because it indicates that keyboard behavior may differ by phrase and language, even when users are not trying to send or publish anything. People who rely on swipe typing or predictive text may find that certain terms do not appear as expected, while the same words remain available through manual typing. This distinction is central: the report describes a restriction on input methods and suggestions, not a ban on using the phrases on an iPhone.
The political entries have drawn attention because they sit alongside large numbers of vulgar or offensive terms. Their inclusion may prompt questions about how the list is assembled, whether restrictions are applied consistently across languages, and how Apple defines potentially inappropriate suggestions. The published list alone does not answer those questions or show that every entry was selected for the same reason.
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How Kauffman Found the List
Kauffman said he discovered the issue in September 2026, after iOS froze during swipe typing for phrases such as “bad boy” and “white man.” He said similar phrases, including “bad girl” and “black man,” could be entered. To investigate, he used programming tools from OpenAI and Anthropic and located what he described as a list within the iOS operating system.
Cybersecurity engineer Matt Suiche of Tolmo told Meduza he independently reconstructed the same “gray list” and compared it with Apple’s internal data. Users had previously complained on social media about phrases that could not be swipe-typed, Meduza reported; the new finding is the reported identification and publication of a separate, extensive list.
Apple has faced scrutiny over automated text features before. In 2025, a speech-recognition bug briefly displayed “Trump” when some users said “racist.” Apple attributed that incident to phonetic similarity in its speech-recognition models. That was a separate feature and incident; it does not establish the reason for entries on the swipe-typing list.
“The keyboard is designed not to suggest options that could be inappropriate or offensive.”
— Apple, in a statement reported by Meduza
Why Specific Phrases Are Listed
Apple has not explained why individual entries are restricted or how the list is created, reviewed or updated. It is also unclear whether the reported list is identical across iOS versions, regions or keyboard settings, and whether all entries behave the same way in every supported language. Meduza said the meaning of the Russian phrase “Putin drove out” is unclear.
The findings are based on Kauffman’s published list and Suiche’s reported reconstruction. Apple did not comment on the findings themselves, according to Meduza. The available reporting does not establish that the political phrases were added because of their political content, or that the list represents a policy to prevent users from expressing those views.
Further Explanation From Apple
Apple has not announced a review of the list or provided a timetable for further comment. The company’s reported statement addresses manual typing and its general approach to avoiding offensive suggestions, but leaves the selection process and specific entries unexplained.
Further reporting or analysis of the list could clarify whether entries vary by language or iOS release and whether Apple plans to revise them. For now, the reported practical distinction is clear: swipe typing and predictive suggestions may omit listed phrases, while users can enter them by tapping each letter.
Key Questions
Did Apple ban these words from iPhones?
No. The reported restriction applies to swipe typing and predictive suggestions. Users can still enter the words by tapping each letter.
How many words and phrases are on the list?
Kauffman says the list contains about 100,000 words and phrases across nearly 30 languages. The Russian-language portion published on his site has 637 entries, according to Meduza.
Why are political phrases included?
Apple has not explained why specific political phrases appear. The published list shows their inclusion but does not establish the reason for each restriction.
Can iPhone users still type the phrase “Dictator Trump”?
According to Apple’s statement reported by Meduza, users can type specific words and phrases manually. The reported limitation is on entering them by swipe or receiving them as predictive suggestions.
Has Apple confirmed Kauffman’s list?
Apple declined to comment on Kauffman’s findings, Meduza reported. Tolmo engineer Matt Suiche said he independently reconstructed the list and compared it with Apple’s internal data, but Apple has not publicly explained or confirmed individual entries.
Source: meduza.io
