The iPhone is a powerful smart phone that features a ton of apps, a fantastic camera, communication systems like texting and calling, and a versatile operating system.
One of the main criticisms of the iPhone is its small keyboard. While Apple has made improvements to the keyboard over the years, it has remained smaller than most other Android phones. This makes typing lengthy sentences or paragraphs difficult and time consuming.
For many people, this is not a problem. They are able to type quickly on the small keyboard and do not feel like they are missing out on something bigger. For others, it is a deal breaker that keeps them from buying an iPhone.
There are ways to make the iPhone keyboard bigger, however.
Use keyboard shortcuts
A few other tricks you can use to save time and energy are keyboard shortcuts and text-prediction engines.
Most mobile keyboards have a feature that automatically predicts the next word you’ll type based on the previous word or words. This helps save a little bit of time as you’re typing.
Keyboard shortcuts make it easier to get from one place to another on your phone. You can set your phone to open specific apps or functions by tapping a specific sequence of keys.
For example, on Android, if you hold down the letter C for a second, your camera will open. On iOS, if you hold down the letter V, your flashlight will turn on. These are just two simple examples of keyboard shortcuts that can come in handy.
Download a different keyboard
If you are not happy with the features of the keyboard you are using, you can always download a different one. There are plenty of free keyboards to choose from, and even some that cost a few dollars.
Some of the more popular keyboards include Google Keyboard, Gboard, Swiftkey, and Touchpal. Google Keyboard is the default Android keyboard and Gboard is the default iOS keyboard, so if you like the features of one over the other then try the other!
Swiftkey and Touchpal are both android keyboards that have many good reviews. Many people say that they like Touchpal better but it is up to you which one you want to try!
If you are interested in learning more about keyboards and how to pick a good one, check out this article: The 9 Best Keyboards For Smartphones To Buy In 2018.
Change your font size
If you’re already comfortable with the default keyboard, try changing the font size. This is useful if you are already familiar with the keys and their positions, but need the letters to be bigger.
There are multiple ways to change the font size on your iPhone keyboard. You can change it for each individual key, or change it for the entire keyboard.
To change each individual key, tap and hold a key until a popup appears and lets you edit the size of that individual key. To change the font size for the entire keyboard, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Large Text and turn that feature on.
You will then have to reset your keyboard by going to Settings > General > Keyboard > Reset Keyboard and then selecting OK when it asks you to.
Use text replacement
If you don’t like the idea of having to tap a lot of extra characters to get to the words you want to say, there’s a better way: use text replacement.
Apple calls this feature text replacement, and it’s built into iOS. For example, you can set it up so that whenever you type “omw,” it automatically changes that to “oh my god.”
There are several settings for this feature, so you can set it up in a way that works best for you. You can even set it up so that when you type “omw,” it automatically replaces it with “oh my god” in green font, so it looks like an emoji.
If having green typing isn’t your thing, however, then there is a way to change the color of your iPhone keyboard.
Adjust zoom settings
If zoom settings are enabled on your device, you can also try adjusting those settings to see the screen more clearly. You can adjust the size of the screen, the size of the icons and widgets, and the clarity or sharpness.
To adjust the screen size, go to Settings > Display > Screen Size and choose a larger option. To adjust icon and widget size, go to Settings > Display > Brightness and choose a higher number. To increase screen clarity or sharpness, go to Settings > Display > Color Balance and select More Warm or More Cool.
This is a quick way to see if it helps make things more clear without having to reset your device. If one of these fixes the problem, you can keep it!
If this does not help, try taking out the device’s battery for a few minutes then putting it back in. This will reset some settings and reset your device to its original state.
Switch to landscape mode
If you find that you can’t reach the keys on the top row of the keyboard, there’s a way to make them easier to hit. You can switch the keyboard to landscape mode.
Most people are used to typing on a vertical keyboard, but most devices have a feature that allows you to rotate the screen and use it in landscape mode.
If your device does not have a built-up rotation feature, you can download an app that enables this feature. Many of these apps are free and easily accessible via Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Landscape mode makes it easier to type with two hands, which is how many people type anyway. If you only type with one hand, then this won’t help much except for making the keys slightly bigger.
Use bold text or italics
Adding emphasis to words can be done with bold text or italics. Bold text means you write the word or phrase in all caps.
Italics means you write the word or phrase in regular font, but you emphasize it by emphasizing the individual letter, like a sharp A.
You can combine the two if you want! There is no limit to how much emphasis you can put on something.
Why use them? Well, because most people read only capital letters and spaces when reading normal text, using them can make your point more obvious.
They also draw attention to specific words or phrases which adds even more emphasis. Using bold or italics is a great way to add some flavor to your message!
Use them wisely, though – overusing them can make your message seem scattered and unclear. Make sure your point stands out by using enough emphasis.
Add text reminders for easy typing
If you are too lazy to learn how to type, you can still use your phone easily. There is a feature that allows you to add text reminders, making it easy to navigate your phone.
iPhone users can add a feature called Text Replacements through the Keyboard settings. This allows you to enter a short word or phrase and it will replace it with a longer one.
For example, if you enter ‘TFS’ it will replace it with ‘thanks for sharing’. This makes typing short phrases much quicker!
Another feature of this is that you can add your own shortcuts. So, if you want ‘BTW’ to come out as ‘by the way’, you can do that! This is great for constantly repeating words like these.
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