For most of us, our Smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives, serving as a Communication hub, a source of information, and a Productivity Tool. However, typing on a small touchscreen can be a frustrating experience, often leading to typos, accidental taps, and a slower overall typing speed. Fortunately, Apple has built several handy keyboard tricks into iOS that can significantly enhance your typing experience on an iPhone. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best keyboard Trick and tips to help you type faster, more accurately, and more efficiently on your iPhone.
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The Press-and-Hold Trick for Numbers and Symbols
One of the most useful and time-saving keyboard tricks on the iPhone is the ability to quickly insert numbers and symbols without having to switch between different keyboard layouts. Here’s how it works:
- While typing in any text field, press and hold the “123” button on the keyboard.
- Without releasing your finger, slide it to the number or symbol you want to type.
- Once you’ve highlighted the desired character, release your finger.
The keyboard will automatically switch back to the letter layout, allowing you to continue typing seamlessly. This trick can be a real game-changer, especially when you need to frequently insert numbers or symbols within your text, such as phone numbers, email addresses, or punctuation marks.
Accessing Hidden Symbols
The press-and-hold trick also works for accessing hidden symbols on the iPhone keyboard. For example, if you press and hold the dollar sign ($) key, you’ll see a pop-up menu with additional currency symbols like the cent (¢) and pound (£) signs.
Similarly, pressing and holding keys like the apostrophe (‘) or the quotation mark (“) will reveal related symbols like accented characters or alternative quotation styles. This can be particularly useful when typing in different languages or when you need to use specific symbols for coding or mathematical equations.
One-Handed Keyboard Mode
Apple has included a one-handed keyboard mode in iOS, which can be incredibly useful for those times when you need to type with just one hand. To enable this mode, press and hold the emoji/globe key on the bottom-left corner of the keyboard, then select the “Left” or “Right” option from the pop-up menu.
The keyboard will shift to the corresponding side of the screen, allowing you to easily reach all the keys with your thumb. This mode can be a real lifesaver when you’re trying to type while holding something in your other hand, or when you’re in a situation where using both hands is inconvenient or impossible.
Text Replacement Shortcuts
iOS also offers a handy text replacement feature that can save you a lot of time and effort when typing common phrases or snippets of text. To set up text replacement shortcuts, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
Here, you can create custom shortcuts by entering a phrase and a corresponding shortcut. For example, you could set up a shortcut like “@@” to expand to your full email address, or “myaddr” to insert your home address. These shortcuts can be particularly useful for filling out online forms, sending frequent messages, or inserting boilerplate text into documents.
Cursor Control and Text Selection
Precise cursor control and text selection can be a challenge on a small touchscreen, but iOS provides several useful tricks to make these tasks easier:
- Trackpad Mode: Press and hold the space bar to turn the keyboard into a trackpad. You can then use your finger to move the cursor precisely within the text field.
- Text Selection: Double-tap a word to select it, then use the grab handles to adjust the selection range. You can also tap and hold a word to bring up the selection options.
- Cursor Movement: Swipe left or right on the space bar to move the cursor within the text field, making it easier to navigate and make corrections.
- Undo/Redo: Shake your iPhone to undo the last action, or use the “Undo” and “Redo” options in the formatting menu above the keyboard.
- Formatting Options: The formatting menu above the keyboard provides quick access to tools like bold, italic, underline, and more, allowing you to format your text without having to navigate through menus.
Additional Keyboard Tips and Tricks
Here are a few more handy keyboard tips that can further enhance your typing experience on an iPhone:
- Keyboard Shortcuts: Apple has introduced a range of keyboard shortcuts for iOS, similar to those found on macOS. For example, you can use ⌘+Space to bring up the Emoji keyboard, or ⌘+Left/Right to move the cursor by words.
- Dictation: If typing becomes too cumbersome, you can always use the built-in dictation feature on your iPhone. Simply tap the microphone icon on the keyboard and start speaking. This can be particularly useful for longer texts or when you’re on the go.
- Third-Party Keyboards: While the default iOS keyboard is already quite capable, you can also explore third-party keyboard apps like Gboard, SwiftKey, or Fleksy, which offer additional features like swipe typing, customizable layouts, and advanced autocorrect capabilities.
- Keyboard Customization: In the Settings app, you can customize various aspects of the iOS keyboard, such as enabling or disabling auto-capitalization, adjusting auto-correction behavior, and adding new keyboard layouts for different languages.
- Emoji and Sticker Integration: The iOS keyboard offers seamless integration with emoji and stickers, allowing you to quickly insert these visual elements into your messages and texts. You can even create custom sticker packs from your own images.
Useful Keyboard Shortcuts Table
To help you easily reference some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts and tricks, we’ve compiled them into a handy table:
| Shortcut/Trick | Function |
| Press and hold “123” + slide | Insert numbers and symbols |
| Press and hold key (e.g., $, ‘, “) | Access hidden symbols |
| Press and hold emoji/globe key | Enable one-handed keyboard mode |
| Double-tap word | Select word |
| Tap and hold word | Bring up selection options |
| Swipe left/right on space bar | Move cursor |
| Shake iPhone | Undo last action |
| ⌘+Space | Open Emoji keyboard |
| ⌘+Left/Right | Move cursor by words |
| Tap microphone icon | Enable dictation |
| Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement | Create text replacement shortcuts |
Conclusion
Typing on a small touchscreen can be challenging, but with the right tricks and shortcuts, you can significantly improve your typing speed and accuracy on an iPhone. By mastering the press-and-hold technique for numbers and symbols, enabling one-handed mode, utilizing text replacement shortcuts, and taking advantage of cursor control and formatting options, you’ll be able to type more efficiently and productively on your iOS device.
Remember, practice makes perfect, so take the time to familiarize yourself with these keyboard tricks and incorporate them into your daily typing routine. With a little effort and patience, you’ll be typing like a pro on your iPhone in no time.
