Hey Reader,! ๐
For this tutorial, Iโm going to show you how to use text replacement shortcuts to type faster on your iPhone.
๐ The issue
Most of us spend a lot of time using the on-screen keyboard on our iPhone. After all, it's one of the primary ways we interact with the device.
We compose messages, emails, take notes, browse the web, type social media posts, and more.
Sometimes, we type the same words and phrases often, like an email address or a phone number.
This is inefficient and frustrating.
Thereโs a better way to type those repetitive words and phrases.
Apple has a built-in feature called text replacements.
A text replacement turns a short abbreviation into a longer word or phrase. This makes typing WAY faster.
๐ค Did you know?
Apple provides one text replacement for you. If you type โomwโ anywhere on your iPhone, it will automatically expand to the phrase โOn my way!โ
Plus, they also sync across your iPad and Mac through iCloud.
๐ Examples
Here are a few text replacements that I use. Feel free to change them and create your own.
I use the letter x as my trigger at the start of my text replacements. I picked it because I'm unlikely to start a word or phrase with the letter x.
But you could also use a double letter (qq) or a semicolon (;) if you want other trigger ideas.
โ๏ธ Email address
When I type xem, it expands to my email address: gannon@levelonenerd.net.
โ๏ธ Phone number
When I type xph, it expands to my phone number: 555-123-4567 (but it uses my real number ๐ฅธ).
๐ Address
When I type xadr, it expands to my mailing address: 123 Acme Street, Anywhere, USA 12345
๐ Emoji and special characters
When I type xwave, it expands to the waving hand emoji: ๐
When I type xidk (my shortcut for "I don't know"), it expands to ยฏ\(ใ)/ยฏ that looks like someone shrugging.
๐คญ Typos and Misspellings
When I type the incorrect spelling of the word aquire, it expands to the correct spelling: acquire.
๐ Common Phrases
When I type xgit, it expands to the phrase: Got it, thanks ๐ ( <-- this uses a combination of text and an emoji)
As you can see, there's no limit to the various ways you can set up and use text replacements.
๐ Give it a try
Now that you've seen some examples on how to use text replacements, here's how you can create your own.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll to the General category and then choose Keyboard, then Text Replacement.
- Tap the plus โ button in the top-right corner.
- In the Phrase field, type the text you want to appear when you use the shortcut.
- In the Shortcut field, enter the abbreviation or shortcut youโd like to trigger the replacement.
Now, head over to the Messages or Notes app to try typing your shortcut and watch as it expands to your word or phrase!
Pretty sweet, eh?
โจ One more thing
Once you put a few other text replacements into action, it may spark other ideas to use them to type faster.
Using text replacements does a few important things for you. They...
- Speed up your typing
- Reduce typing repetitive words and phrases
- Reduce typing errors
- Improve communication
Best of all, they also sync to your iPad and Mac through iCloud ๐ฅณ.
I'm sharing lots of other short tutorials on Threads, Pinterest, and Facebookโ. I'd love to connect with you there โ please follow me and come say hello!
Oh, and if you prefer a video version of this tutorial, Iโve got that too.
๐บ Type faster with text replacement shortcuts on your iPhone (2:37)
โUntil next time, see ya! ๐