Master Your iPhone Keyboard: 10 Hidden Features You Need to Know
Discover the hidden gems of your iPhone keyboard! Enhance your typing experience with these 10 features that will make your life easier From turning off autocorrect to installing a third-party keyboard, you'll learn how to type with ease and efficiency Don't miss out on the convenience of these keyboard hacks!
Typing with the keyboard is probably one of the most common things you do on your iPhone. Apple has a lot of features buried in the iPhone keyboard, but they’re not super obvious if you don’t know where to look.
Turn Off Autocorrect
Autocorrect on the iPhone keyboard can be a double-edged sword. Though it can be useful, it can also be irritating. Luckily, if you're tired of the constant corrections, you can always turn it off.
Type a Period Quickly
One inconvenience of the iPhone keyboard is the absence of a period key on the main layout. Instead, you have to press the "123" button to access it. However, there's a simple solution: double-tap the spacebar to add a period.
Apple's decision to allow third-party keyboards for the iPhone in 2014 proved to be a game-changer. Among the most popular of these were swipe-to-type keyboards, which had already been available to Android users for years. However, it was only with the release of iOS 13 that Apple introduced swipe typing to its stock iPhone keyboard. Now, typing on an iPhone has never been easier – with a simple slide of your finger over the letters, you can quickly and easily enter any word.
With the exception of the iPhone SE, most iPhone models are quite sizable. If you struggle with typing using just one hand, there's a simple solution. By long pressing the emoji key or globe icon (if multiple keyboards are installed), you can shrink the keyboard and move it to one side for easier access.
The iPhone keyboard offers a surprising number of gestures for undo and redo while typing. Among these are three finger gestures, each requiring the use of three fingers. However, these can be challenging to execute without inadvertently pressing other keys. One such gesture involves double-tapping with three fingers to undo.
Swipe left with three fingers to undo
Swipe right with three fingers to redo
You can also literally shake your iPhone to bring up a pop-up that asks if you want to undo. Personally, I find this one easier to use.
Make Custom Text Shortcuts
Are you tired of typing out the same phrases repeatedly on your iPhone? Well, there's a solution! You can create personalized text shortcuts that will automatically suggest longer words or phrases to insert. For instance, instead of typing out "good morning" every time, you could create a shortcut like "gm" to save time. Interestingly, you can even remove the default shortcut for "omw" if you don't use it.
Quickly Insert .com For Web Addresses
When typing a web address in Safari, you can speed things up by inserting .com, .net, .edu, .org, or .us with a shortcut. Simply long-press the period key and you can choose from the suffix you want. Easy peasy.
TURN ON CAPS LOCK
Capitalizing letters on the iPhone keyboard is a breeze with the Shift key. However, unlike full-size keyboards, there is no Caps Lock button. To enable Caps Lock, simply double-tap the Shift key. When Caps Lock is engaged, a line will appear under the arrow. Tap the Shift key again to turn it off.
Long-Press Keys for Numbers and Extra Characters
Did you know that the iPhone keyboard has hidden keys that you can access with a long-press? For example, if you long-press the letter "a," "e," or "i," you'll see their accented versions. You can also access more currency signs by long-pressing the dollar sign. And here's a game-changing trick: press and hold the "123" key, then slide your finger to a number to quickly return to the QWERTY layout. Say goodbye to constantly switching back and forth between keyboards!
If you're not a fan of the iPhone keyboard, don't worry. There are plenty of third-party options available on the App Store. Two of the most popular ones are Google's Gboard and Microsoft SwiftKey. Once you have multiple keyboards installed, you can easily switch between them on the fly. So, don't hesitate to customize your iPhone to your liking.
Virtual keyboards offer a level of flexibility that physical keyboards simply cannot match. They can be customized to suit unique needs and preferences, which is a major advantage. Apple's contribution to the virtual keyboard's popularity is significant, and it's no surprise that they have incorporated numerous useful features.
