Using Autocomplete

Autocomplete is a powerful feature that helps you quickly find and select options from a list.

It activates automatically while you are typing. Context also plays a role in how autocomplete suggestions are generated.

For example, if you are at the beginning of a line and you type I or E, the autocomplete will suggest INT or EXT respectively.

The highlighted suggestion is previewed inline at your cursor as dimmed ghost text — like code completions in an IDE — so you can see exactly what accepting it will write.

Press Tab to accept the highlighted suggestion, or click (or tap) the ghost preview itself. You can use the arrow keys to navigate through the suggestions (the ghost preview follows the highlight), and after navigating, Enter also accepts. Press Escape to dismiss.

When only one suggestion is left, the list does not open at all — the ghost preview already shows the whole suggestion, so Tab or a tap on the preview is all you need. (If the preview can't paint the completion — your cursor is mid-word, or the option isn't a straight continuation of what you typed — the list still opens.) With just the ghost showing, an arrow key dismisses it rather than navigating.

On a phone, the list appears as a horizontal suggestion bar above your cursor instead of a dropdown, so the keyboard never covers it.

After selecting an option, the autocomplete will format the current line and collapse.