Type Faster with Text Replacement Shortcuts on iPhone

One handy feature in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS is text replacement, which allows you to create shortcuts for frequently used phrases, words, or even sentences. This feature can speed up your typing speed and overall productivity on your iPhone. Here’s an easy to follow guide on how to make the most out of text replacement on your iPhone.

What is Text Replacement?

Text replacement is a built-in feature in iOS that lets you set shortcuts for longer phrases. For instance, you can type “omw” and have it automatically replaced with “On my way!”. This feature is incredibly useful for saving time and ensuring consistency in your communications.

Setting Up Text Replacement

Text Replacement isn’t just limited to iPhone, it’s works across all your Apple products, including your iPad and Mac. This ensures that you can enjoy consistent typing experiences on all your devices. Here’s how you can set up and use text replacement on each device.

On Your iPhone

Too add a text replacement:

1. In the Settings app, tap General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
2. A list of text shortcuts set up to use on your iPhone.
3. Tap the Add button.
4. Enter your phrase and shortcut.
5. Tap Save.

To delete a text replacement:

1. In the Settings app, tap General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Tap the Remove button, then tap Delete.
4. Tap Done.

On Your iPad

To add a text replacement on iPad:

1. Do one of the following:
   1. With an onscreen keyboard: Touch and hold the Emoji button or the Switch Keyboard key, tap Keyboard Settings, then tap Text Replacement.
   2. With an external keyboard: Go to Settings > General > Keyboard, then tap Text Replacement.
2. Tap the Add button at the top right.
3. Type a phrase in the Phrase field and the text shortcut you want to use for it in the Shortcut field.

On Your Mac

To add a text replacement on Mac:

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
2. If you’re working in an app, you can also choose Edit > Substitutions > Show Substitutions, then click Text Settings.
   1. Note: You don’t have to create a text replacement to be able to quickly end a sentence with a full stop and a space by pressing the Space bar twice. Instead, just go to Text Input on the right, click Edit, turn on “Add full stop with double-space”, then click Done.
3. Click Text Replacements on the right.
4. Click the Add button in the dialog that appears, type the text to replace (such as teh) and its replacement (such as the), then click Add.
5. Click Done.

How Is Text Replacement Helpful?

In many apps, you can automatically replace text and punctuation. For example, you can replace a double-space with a full stop and a space, teh with the, fwiw with for what it’s worth or replace straight quotes with “curly” quotes (called smart quotes). You can also have internet addresses (URLs) converted to clickable links (called smart links).

This is helpful if you often type the same text, for example if you often type “Thank you for your email. I will get back to you shortly,” you can create a shortcut to make it easier.

• Phrase: “Thank you for your email. I will get back to you shortly.”
• Shortcut: “tye”

Now, every time you type “tye,” it will automatically expand to the full phrase.

Practical Uses For Text Replacement

Below are some common phrases and ideas that you could add to use text replacement to your advantage.

Common Phrases

Text replacement can be used for a variety of common phrases such as:

• omw: On my way!
• brb: Be right back.
• idk: I don’t know.
• ttyl: Talk to you later.
• GB: Goodbye.
• GM: Good morning.
• TY: Thank you

Adding Your Information Quickly

You can also use text replacement to quickly input personal information such as:

• addr: Your home address.
• work: Your work address.
• email: Your email address.
• phone: Your phone number.

For Work & Business

For work-related communication and emails, text replacement can help you quickly insert:

• sig: Your email signature.
• meet: “I am available for a meeting at your convenience.”
• conf: “Please find the attached document for your review.”

For Personal Use

Think about the phrases and sentences you use frequently in your daily communication. By setting up shortcuts for these, you can save a considerable amount of time.

Using Emojis & Symbols

You can also create shortcuts for your favourite emojis or symbols. For instance:

• smile: 😊
• heart: ❤️
• star: ⭐

Enhancing Productivity With Text Replacement

Text replacement is more than just a tool for quick text input, it can be a powerful productivity enhancer when used strategically. Using text replacement on your iPad can significantly boost your efficiency, particularly for tasks like note-taking, emailing, or messaging. On macOS, text replacement not only speeds up typing but also ensures accuracy and consistency in professional environments where these factors are critical.

Great On iPadOS & macOS

Using text replacement isn’t just great on iPhone, it’s helpful on your iPad and Mac too. You can use it for programming, in professional settings, and for personal messages.

Programming & Technical Writing

Programmers, technical writers, and editors can all use Text Replacement for frequently used code snippets or technical terms, speeding up the writing process without sacrificing accuracy.

For Professional Communications

Use shortcuts for common business phrases or complex terminology that you use regularly in your work communications to colleagues.

Customise For Personal Messaging

On your personal iPad or Mac, you can set up shortcuts for everyday words you use, slang, family names, or commonly used expressions to make messaging fast and fun.

Tips For Power Users

For those who want to take their Text Replacement usage to the next level, some advanced tips like how to sync text replacement across all your Apple devices, how to use it with Siri, and how to integrate with third-party keyboards and Apps.

Sync Text Replacement Across Devices

One of the advantages of using text replacement across different Apple devices is iCloud sync. When you add or modify a shortcut on one device, it can automatically update across all devices signed into the same Apple ID. This feature ensures that no matter which device you’re using, your shortcuts are always current and available.

To sync between devices and keep your personal dictionary up to date, go to Settings > your name > iCloud, then turn on iCloud Drive.

Use With Siri Shortcuts

Combine Text Replacement with Siri Shortcuts to create powerful automation. For example, you can set up a Siri Shortcut to send a predefined message using a Text Replacement shortcut.

Integration With Third-Party Keyboards

Text Replacement works seamlessly with third-party keyboards like Google’s Gboard or another third-party App like Grammarly or Microsoft SwiftKey, allowing you to maintain your productivity even if you prefer a different keyboard layout.

Text Replacement Is Easy

Text replacement is a simple yet powerful feature that can greatly enhance your typing speed and efficiency on your iPhone. By setting up shortcuts for commonly used phrases, personal information, and work-related text, you can save time and reduce the effort required for typing. Explore this feature today and customise it to suit your personal and professional needs.