How to completely clear T9 history on Android: instructions for all keyboards

Keyboard T9 (or Text on 9 keys) is an autocomplete technology that remembers your frequently used words and phrases. Over time, it accumulates a lot of unnecessary data: from typos to confidential information. If you notice that the keyboard is suggesting irrelevant or unwanted options, it's time to clear its history.

On Android T9 history is stored in the keyboard settings, but not all users know where exactly to look for it. In this article we will analyze 5 ways to clear it —from standard to radical—that work on Samsung Galaxy, Xiaomi Redmi/POCO, Huawei/Honor, Google Pixel and other devices. You will also learn how to reset your keyboard to factory settings and what to do if the history is not cleared.

Why you need to clear your T9 history

Input history is not just a convenient function. It can become a source of several problems:

• 🔍 Leakage of confidential data. The keyboard remembers passwords, card numbers, addresses and other sensitive information, which it can then prompt to outsiders.
• 🗑️ Memory clogging. Over time, the T9 database grows, taking up excess space in the system storage (up to 50–200 MB on some devices).
• ⚡ Slowdown. The more data is accumulated, the longer the keyboard analyzes the context and loads hints.
• 🤖 Incorrect suggestions. If you once entered a misspelled word, the keyboard will stubbornly suggest it again, even after correction.

In addition, T9 history can saved in cloud services (for example, in Google Account or Samsung Cloud)if synchronization is enabled. This means that the data can be available on your other devices or even after resetting the phone.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (for example MIUI or EMUI) T9 history may be duplicated in system logs. Clearing only the keyboard settings does not guarantee complete removal.

Method 1: Clearing history through the keyboard settings

The simplest method is to use the built-in keyboard options. The instructions are suitable for standard keyboards (Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, SwiftKey) and most third-party ones.

Steps for Gboard (keyboard from Google):

1. Open any application with an input field (for example, Messages or Notes).
2. Tap the icon gears (⚙️) on the keyboard to open its settings.
3. Go to section Dictionary → Personal dictionary.
4. Click Clear input history or Delete learned words.
5. Confirm the action (You may need to enter a password or fingerprint).

For Samsung Keyboard:

1. Hold spacebar on the keyboard and select Settings (⚙️ icon).
2. Go to Input management → Reset settings.
3. Select Clear personal data.

On Xiaomi (keyboard Mi Keyboard):

1. Open Settings → Additional settings → Language and input.
2. Select Mi Keyboard → Keyboard settings.
3. Click Clear input data.

⚠️ Attention: On some versions Android 12+ the cleaning option may be hidden in menu Storage → Other applications → [Keyboard name] → Clear cache/data.

Method 2: Reset the keyboard to factory settings

If the T9 history is not cleared through standard settings, try full keyboard reset. This will remove all custom words, themes and settings, but will return factory performance.

Instructions for Gboard:

1. Go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
2. Select Gboard → Advanced.
3. Press Reset settings and confirm.

For Samsung Keyboard:

1. Open Settings → General management → Language and input → Samsung Keyboard.
2. Select Reset settings → Reset all settings.

Keyboard	Path to reset	What is being removed
Gboard	Settings → System → Language and input → Gboard → Advanced → Reset settings	Words, themes, gesture settings
Samsung Keyboard	Settings → General controls → Samsung Keyboard → Reset settings	Words, emoji, layout settings
SwiftKey	Application settings → Reset and clear → Clear data	Words, input history, cloud synchronization
Mi Keyboard	Settings → Additional settings → Mi Keyboard → Clear data	Words, cache, key settings

After the reset, the keyboard will work like new, but you will have to re-configure autocorrect, layout and other settings.

Method 3: Clearing the cache and keyboard data through the settings Android

If the previous methods did not work, try forced cleaning through the app menu. This will delete all temporary files and databases associated with the keyboard.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications.
2. Find your keyboard in the list (for example, Gboard, Samsung Keyboard).
3. Click Storage.
4. Select Clear cache, then Clear data.
5. Confirm the action (this will not delete the keyboard itself, only its settings).

On some firmware (for example, ColorOS on Oppo/Realme) the path may differ:

Settings → Manage applications → [Keyboard name] → Storage → Clear data

⚠️ Attention: Clearing your keyboard data will delete all user words, including those you added manually to the dictionary.

Method 4: Delete T9 history via ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods do not help, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) a tool for low-level system management. This method is suitable for advanced users and requires connecting the phone to a computer.

What you will need:

• 🖥️ Computer with ADB drivers installed.
• 📱 Switched on USB Debugging on the phone (Settings → About phone → Build number —press 7 times, then return to Settings → System → For Developers).
• 🔌 USB cable for connection.

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to the PC and open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux).
2. Enter the command to check the connection:

   adb devices

   The serial number of your device should appear.

3. Run the command to clear the keyboard data (for example, for Gboard):

   adb shell pm clear com.google.android.inputmethod.latin

   For Samsung Keyboard:

   adb shell pm clear com.sec.android.inputmethod

4. Reboot your phone.

If you do not know the package name of your keyboard, find it using the command:

adb shell pm list packages | grep keyboard

What to do if ADB does not see the device?

Make sure that USB debugging is enabled, the drivers are installed, and the cable is working. Try reconnecting your phone or using a different USB port.

Method 5: Disabling synchronization and cloud backup

Many keyboards (for example, Gboard or SwiftKey) synchronize your input history with Google Account or other cloud services. Even after cleaning the device, the data may be restored the next time you connect to the Internet.

How to disable synchronization:

• 🔄 For Gboard:
  1. Open the keyboard settings → Dictionary → Dictionary synchronization.
  2. Disable the switch Synchronize learned words.
• ☁️ For Samsung Keyboard:
  1. Go to Settings → Cloud and accounts → Samsung Cloud.
  2. Disable backup for Samsung Keyboard.

📱 For SwiftKey:

1. Open application settings → Account.
2. Click Disable synchronization.

After disabling synchronization manually clear the history (see Method 1) and reboot the device. This ensures that the data is not restored from the cloud.

⚠️ Attention: On some devices (for example, Huawei c EMUI), cloud keyboard synchronization may be tied to Huawei ID. To disable it completely, go to Settings → Huawei ID → Cloud → Backup and Restore and uncheck Keyboard.

What to do if T9 history not cleared

If none of the methods worked, the problem may lie in:

• 🔧 System errors. Try updating the keyboard via Google Play or reinstalling it.
• 📱 Firmware. On some custom ROMs (for example LineageOS), standard cleaning methods may not work.
• 🔒 Administrator rights. If the keyboard is installed as a system application, to reset it you may need root access.
• 🔄 Automatic recovery. Some firmware (for example MIUI) restores keyboard data after a reboot. In this case, only a complete reset of the phone will help..

An alternative solution is install another keyboard. For example:

• 🅰️ AnySoftKeyboard - open source, without cloud synchronization.
• 🔑 FlorisBoard - private keyboard with minimal data collection.
• ☁️ Microsoft SwiftKey - with flexible synchronization settings.

If you decide to reset your phone, do not forget to first save important data (contacts, photos, messages).

💡

Before installing a new keyboard, disable the old one in the settings (Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard) to avoid conflicts.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about clearing T9 history

Is it possible to clear T9 history only for certain words?
Yes, in most keyboards (for example, Gboard or Samsung Keyboard) you can delete individual words from your personal dictionary. To do this:
1. Open the keyboard settings.
2. Go to Dictionary → Personal dictionary.
3. Find an unnecessary word and delete it manually.

However, this is not will remove the word from the autofill history - this requires a complete wipe (see Method 1).

Will clearing T9 remove emoji and stickers?

Depends on the keyboard:

• 🅿️ Gboard: emoji and stickers will be saved if you do not reset the settings completely.
• 📱 Samsung Keyboard: when resetting, both emoji and frequently used stickers will be deleted.
• ☁️ SwiftKey: emoji will be saved if you do not disable synchronization with your Microsoft account.

How to clear T9 history on an Android tablet?

The process is no different from smartphone. Use the same instructions (Method 1 or 3), since tablets usually have the same keyboards (Gboard, Samsung Keyboard etc.).

The exception is tablets with Desktop mode (for example, Samsung DeX). In this case, you may need to switch to the standard Android interface.

Can clearing T9 affect other applications?

No, clearing keyboard history does not affect other applications. However:

• 📝 Notes applications (for example, Google Keep) may temporarily lose autocomplete.
• 💬 Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) will stop suggesting frequently used phrases.
• 🔍 Search engines (for example Google) may offer less relevant queries until the keyboard “learns” again.

All these changes are temporary and will be corrected after a few days of active use.

How to prevent the keyboard from remembering new words?

To disable keyboard learning:

• 🅿️ In Gboard: Settings → Text correction → Personal dictionary → Learned words → disable Save learned words.
• 📱 In Samsung Keyboard: Settings → Smart input → Learned words → disable the option.
• ☁️ In SwiftKey: Settings → Input → Learning → disable Keyboard learning.

This will not delete already saved words, but will prevent adding new ones.