Word Prediction Not Working on Mac: Fix

If Charm's word prediction is not working, open the Charm menu bar icon and verify Oracle is enabled - both globally and for the specific app you are using. Predictions appear as grey ghost text after your cursor; press Tab to accept them. For macOS's built-in inline predictive text, verify you are on macOS 14 Sonoma or later and the feature is enabled in System Settings > Keyboard.

Fixing Charm Oracle word prediction

Charm's word prediction feature is called Oracle. When Oracle is working correctly, it shows a grey ghost-text suggestion inline after your cursor as you type. If you are seeing nothing, work through this checklist in order.

1. Check Oracle is enabled globally. Click the Charm icon in the menu bar. Look for the Oracle section and confirm the toggle is on. If it is off, enable it. Oracle can be switched off globally, which silences it in every app at once.

2. Check Oracle is enabled for this specific app. Charm lets you disable individual features per app. Click the Charm menu bar icon while the app where prediction is failing is in focus. If Oracle has been turned off for that app, you will see a per-app toggle in the off position. Turn it on.

3. Verify Charm has Accessibility permission. Oracle requires macOS Accessibility permission to inject text into any app. Without it, Charm cannot see what you are typing or place suggestions. Go to System Settings > Privacy and Security > Accessibility, find Charm in the list, and make sure it is enabled. If it is missing from the list, open Charm and it will prompt you to grant the permission. This is the same root cause as Spells not working - a single missing permission disables multiple features.

4. Confirm Charm is running. Oracle only works when Charm is active. Look for the Charm icon in the menu bar. If it is not there, Charm is not running - open it from your Applications folder.

How to accept word predictions in Charm (Tab, not Return)

Around 45% of "word prediction not working" reports turn out to be a key confusion: Oracle is working fine, but the user is pressing Return instead of Tab to accept suggestions.

When Oracle has a suggestion, it appears as faint grey text immediately after your cursor - sometimes called ghost text. This text is a preview only. It does not enter your document automatically.

To accept the suggestion, press Tab. The ghost text will become real text and your cursor will advance past it.

Pressing Return will not accept the suggestion - it will insert a line break and dismiss the prediction. Pressing Escape will dismiss the prediction without accepting it. Any other key you type will replace the prediction with what you typed.

If you have been pressing Return and seeing nothing happen, try typing a few words and watching for the faint ghost text, then pressing Tab. That is likely all that was missing.

Fixing macOS inline predictive text

macOS has its own built-in word prediction feature, separate from Charm. If you are trying to use macOS's native predictive text rather than Oracle, here is what to check.

macOS version requirement. Inline predictive text was introduced in macOS 14 Sonoma. If you are on macOS 13 Ventura or earlier, the feature does not exist in your version of macOS. Check your version by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac.

Enable it in System Settings. On Sonoma or later, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit. Look for the "Show inline predictive text" option and make sure it is checked.

App limitations. macOS's built-in predictive text only works in some native apps - it does not function in Electron-based apps (like Slack or VS Code), and it may not appear in every type of text field even in supported apps. Single-line input fields and certain custom text editors may not show predictions even when the feature is enabled.

If you need word prediction that works across all apps including Electron and third-party tools, Charm's Oracle feature covers every text field on your Mac regardless of the app.

Frequently asked questions

Why isn't word prediction working in Charm?

The two most common causes are Oracle being disabled or a missing Accessibility permission. Open the Charm menu bar icon and confirm Oracle is toggled on globally and for the specific app you are using. If Oracle is enabled but still silent, go to System Settings > Privacy and Security > Accessibility and verify Charm is listed and enabled.

How do I accept word predictions on Mac?

For Charm's Oracle, press Tab to accept a suggestion. The prediction appears as grey ghost text after your cursor - Return will not accept it, it will insert a line break. For macOS's built-in inline predictive text on Sonoma and later, press the Right Arrow key or Tab to accept.

Does word prediction work in every Mac app?

Charm's Oracle works in every Mac app that supports text input - including Slack, VS Code, Mail, Notes, and all Electron apps. macOS's built-in inline predictive text only works in some native apps. If you need reliable coverage across your entire Mac, Oracle is the right tool.

Why does word prediction show nothing?

Oracle may be turned off globally or for the current app - check both toggles in the Charm menu bar icon. If Oracle is on and Charm has Accessibility permission, it is also possible Oracle has no confident prediction for your current context and is choosing to show nothing rather than a low-confidence guess.