12 helpful tips for typing large texts quickly on iPhone

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-13 00:26

To speed up work with a large amount of information, use a virtual trackpad and a convenient text editor.

1. Switch to a two-handed keyboard

Previously, the keyboard on the iPhone stretched to the full width of the screen, allowing you to type in any setting. But the larger the diagonal of the new Apple smartphones became, the more difficult it was to type with one hand.

With the release of iOS 11, a special mode appeared that presses the keys to the left or right side of the screen. It is automatically enabled on iPhone 6 and later, except for the iPhone SE, and is designed just for one-handed printing.

But typing with two hands is faster and it is more convenient to do it on a keyboard stretched to full screen. If you're thinking of creating or editing a lot of information on your iPhone from scratch, it's best to switch to classic edge-to-edge input mode.

Open Settings, go to General → Keyboard → One-handed Keyboard and select Off. This can be done while typing: just hold down the layout switch button and select the full keyboard icon.

2. Turn off the display enlargement mode

Some people use enlargement of the display to make the buttons larger and make it easier to enter characters. This feature first appeared on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and has been carried over to later models, with the exception of the iPhone SE.

But when working with a significant amount of information in this mode, the opposite effect is obtained. The keys on the keyboard do not enlarge much, making the characters on the screen too large.

When you need to type and format not a couple of paragraphs, but several pages of text, it is important that more information fits on the screen. Then the text will not need to constantly flip through, and the work will go faster.

If you are using display magnification, it is better to turn it off and return to normal magnification. To do this, open the "Settings", go to the menu "Display and brightness" → "View" and select the option "Standard".

3. Move the cursor over the virtual trackpad

When working with text, it is important not only to quickly press the keys, but also to instantly move the cursor around the screen. The best way to do this is to use the virtual trackpad, which changes the input location with a swipe of your finger.

This trackpad first appeared in iOS 9. Until recently, it worked only on Apple smartphones with 3D Touch support, starting with the iPhone 6s. But with the release of iOS 12, access to it was opened for all devices.

To enable it on iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, iPhone SE, and iPhone XR, you just need to hold down the spacebar. On other iPhones with iOS 12, you can do the same or press hard on any part of the keyboard.

4. Hold switch language for quick selection

If you are working on text in several languages and switch between them with a few clicks on the layout change button, it takes too long.

It is much better to hold down this button and select the required language without lifting your finger from the screen. This method is faster than the standard one, even if you only use Russian, English and emoji.

5. Turn on the entry of a period by two clicks on the space bar

With the standard iPhone keyboard, you can quickly put a period at the end of a sentence. To do this, you do not need to go to a separate menu. You just need to double-click on the spacebar, and the character will automatically appear along with the interval.

To enable this feature, open "Settings", go to the menu "General" → "Keyboard" and put the switch "Shortcut key". "In the active position.

6. Use auto-correction

AutoCorrect checks spelling and automatically corrects mistakes. To do this, she uses the built-in iOS dictionary, which is continuously filled with new expressions.

To enable the function, open "Settings", go to the "General" → "Keyboard" menu and turn the "Auto-correction" switch to the active position.

If you are not satisfied with the option that replaced the misspelled word after the space, go back with the Delete button and select another. Over time, the function will remember your preferences and will be less likely to make mistakes.

7. Do not lift your finger to enter numbers and signs

You don't need to turn on a separate keyboard block to quickly enter a number or special character. To do this, just hold down the button for switching input modes and select the desired symbol.

In this case, the keyboard will automatically return to the typing mode, and you can immediately continue typing without additional manipulations.

8. Shake iPhone to undo the last action

If you accidentally deleted an important piece of text, replaced it with another, or entered a couple of unnecessary phrases, you just need to shake your iPhone.

After that, the screen of the device will display the offer "Do not apply" input "", and you can cancel the action using the corresponding button.

9. Turn on the input of capital letters with two taps on Shift

The standard iPhone keyboard does not have a separate Caps Lock key. But to enter several capital letters in a row, you can turn on this mode with two Shift taps.

If you can't do this, open Settings, go to General → Keyboard and turn the On switch to the active position. Caps Lock.

10. Add abbreviations for repeating phrases

If you often use certain words or whole phrases, you can create abbreviations for them. Then the bulky construction can be easily replaced by a couple of symbols.

Open "Settings", go to the menu "General" → "Keyboard" → "Replace Text", click the "+" button, add a phrase and an abbreviation for it.

11. Use predictive typing

Predictive Typing suggests words and phrases based on your previous conversations, your communication style, and even your browsing history in Safari.

To enable the option, open "Settings", go to the "General" → "Keyboard" menu and turn the "Predictive dialing" switch to the active position.

A panel will appear at the top of the keyboard with three word suggestions for further input. Recommended emojis will also be shown here, with which, if necessary, you can replace certain phrases.

12. Choose a convenient text editor

If you often work with text on iPhone, get a professional text editor that will make typing and formatting easier. Applications iA Writer, Bear Writer, Agenda are suitable.

For example, Quip adds buttons to the keyboard to move the cursor, as well as a special menu for formatting text. It will help you with headings, adding quotes, creating lists, switching to bold and italic.

These applications also work with Markdown, a lightweight markup language that can be quickly converted to HTML and other formats for publishing text on the web.