Brief Summary
This video provides a comprehensive guide to mastering the iPhone keyboard, covering a wide range of tips and tricks to enhance typing speed and efficiency. It includes shortcuts like double-tapping space for a period, quick access to accents and symbols, and hidden features like Caps Lock. The video also covers customization options such as text replacements, keyboard layouts, and accessibility settings, as well as advanced techniques like gesture-based text manipulation and dictation.
- Double-tap space for period.
- Tap and hold letters for accents.
- Customize keyboard for one-handed use.
- Use gestures for copy/paste.
- Utilize dictation for faster typing.
Double-Tap Space For Period and Space
The video starts by explaining how to quickly type a period followed by a space by double-tapping the space bar. If this function isn't working, the video directs users to check the keyboard settings in the General settings to ensure the "period shortcut" is enabled.
Typing Accents and Letter Variations
To type accent marks or variations of letters, tap and hold the desired letter. A menu will appear with different variations, allowing you to select the one you need. This works for many letters, including "e," "o," "g," and "n."
Typing Quick Capital Letters
To capitalize a single letter, tap and hold the shift key, then slide your finger to the letter you want to capitalize, and release. This performs the capitalization in one motion.
The Hidden Caps Lock Function
To activate Caps Lock, double-tap the shift key. The shift key symbol will change to indicate that Caps Lock is enabled. To turn it off, tap the shift key once.
A Quicker Way To Type Numbers
To quickly type a number, tap and hold the "123" key, slide your finger to the desired number, and release. This types the number and returns you to the regular keyboard.
Quicker Ways To Type Symbols
To access symbols, tap the "123" key. Many symbols offer variations when you tap and hold them, such as different currency symbols when holding the dollar sign or an ellipsis when holding the period. You can also tap and hold the "123" key, slide to a symbol, and release to type it.
For More Special Characters You Can Copy and Paste
If you need a special symbol not available on the keyboard, copy and paste it from another source, such as a Unicode character list on Wikipedia. Search for the desired character, select and copy it, then paste it into your text.
Typing and Search For Emoji Characters
To type an emoji, tap the emoji symbol (usually at the bottom left). If multiple keyboards are installed, tap and hold the symbol to switch to the emoji keyboard. You can browse through categories or use the search function to find specific emojis.
Type and Replace To Get Emoji Characters
The iPhone suggests emojis as you type related words. For example, typing "pizza" will suggest the pizza emoji, which you can select to replace the word.
Text Replacements For Emoji
Create custom text replacements in settings under General, then Keyboard, then Text Replacement. Here, you can set a shortcut (like "ePizza") to automatically be replaced with a specific emoji.
Text Replacements For Common Text
Text replacements can also be used for longer phrases or paragraphs. If you frequently type the same text, create a shortcut to save time.
Text Replacements To Add To the Dictionary
You can add a phrase without a shortcut, which adds it to the predictive text suggestions, similar to adding it to the dictionary. This prevents the phrase from being marked as misspelled and makes it easier to select from the predictive text bar.
Remove the Predictive Text Bar
If you don't use the predictive text bar, you can remove it in keyboard settings to gain more screen space.
Override Autocorrect Replacements
If autocorrect changes a word incorrectly, tap the delete key to reveal the original word as a suggestion. Tapping this suggestion will revert the word to its original spelling. The predictive text also displays the word you are typing in quotes, allowing you to choose it directly.
Hold Delete To Delete More
Tap the delete key to remove characters one by one, or tap and hold to delete characters and words more quickly.
Single, Double and Triple Tap To Select
Tapping once places the cursor, double-tapping selects a word, and triple-tapping selects an entire paragraph. Once selected, you can delete the text or begin typing to replace it.
Single-Handed Typing Keyboards
For easier one-handed typing, make the keyboard smaller and move it to the left or right side of the screen by tapping and holding the button at the bottom left of the keyboard.
Add More Language Keyboards
Add keyboards for different languages in settings under Keyboard. This changes the layout, predictive text, and spelling to match the selected language.
Bi-Lingual Keyboard Configurations
Add a language to your existing keyboard for a bilingual setup. This allows the keyboard to predict and spell-check in both languages simultaneously. You can also select a specific layout for each language.
Add Third-Party Keyboards
Install third-party keyboards by downloading the corresponding app from the App Store. After installation, the keyboard will appear in your keyboard settings.
Tap-and-Hold Magnifier
Tap and hold on the text to bring up a magnifier, which allows you to precisely position the cursor.
Turn the Keyboard Into a Trackpad
Tap and hold the space bar to turn the keyboard into a trackpad. This removes the letters and allows you to drag your finger to move the cursor.
Copy and Paste With Gestures
Use three fingers to pinch inward to copy selected text and spread them apart to paste. The words "copy" and "paste" will appear at the top of the screen to confirm the action.
Drag Large Sections Of Text
Select a large section of text, then tap and hold to drag it to another part of the document.
Shake To Undo
Shake your iPhone to bring up the "undo typing" prompt. Tap "undo" to revert your last action.
Three-Finger Swipes To Undo and Redo
Swipe left with three fingers to undo and swipe right with three fingers to redo.
Turn On Or Off Sounds and Haptics
Customize keyboard sounds and haptics in settings under Sounds & Haptics, then Keyboard Feedback. You can turn the sound (key clicks) and haptic feedback (vibration) on or off.
Hover Typing
Enable hover typing in accessibility settings to display a larger version of what you're typing above the keyboard, making it easier to see.
Bold Characters On the Keyboard
Make the keyboard letters bold by enabling bold text in accessibility settings under Display & Text Size. Note that this setting applies to all text on your device, not just the keyboard.
Hear What You Type
Enable typing feedback in accessibility settings under Keyboard and Typing. You can have each character or word spoken aloud as you type.
Show All Keys With Uppercase Letters
Disable "Show Lowercase Keys" in accessibility settings to display all keyboard letters in uppercase, even when typing in lowercase.
You Can Always Use Real Keyboards
Connect a Bluetooth keyboard to your iPhone for a more traditional typing experience. Various settings are available for hardware keyboards in the settings.
Use Math Notes To Get Calculation Results
Use the Math Notes feature (available in iOS 18) to perform calculations directly in apps like Notes or Mail. Type an equation (e.g., "1 + 5 ="), and the result will appear.
Swipe Down To Hide the Keyboard
Swipe down in the middle of the screen to hide the keyboard. Tap in the text area to bring it back.
Use Dictation For Even Faster Results
Use the dictation feature (the microphone button) to speak text instead of typing. You can switch between typing and dictation as needed.
Use the Larger Landscape Keyboard
On iPhones with larger screens, turn the device horizontally to use a wider keyboard with larger keys. This may not work in all apps, as some are locked in portrait mode.
