Save Time with Text Expander on Mobile Devices

by

I’m a huge Text Expander fan. Call it genius or call it laziness, but nothing beats saving a little effort when you’re typing info on your mobile device.

!n case you’re not familiar with text expansion, it’s simply a way to type a short abbreviation (called “snippets” in the Text Expander app and simply called “shortcuts” in iOS) and it automatically expands out into full versions of the text the code represents. For instance, if I want to text someone my email address I simply type d.d and it automatically spells out daniel.hayes@dahava.com. Matter of fact, I had to disable my text expander to be able to type the code as I was writing this! One of the default shortcuts in iOS in “omw” which expands into “On my way!”

I use the Text Expander app quite a bit on my desktop and laptop to create shortcuts when I’m writing. Sadly, the mobile app’s functionality didn’t cross over to iOS devices in the mobile version. But later updates for iOS devices (iOS 5 and beyond) text expansion is built right in!

Save some time. Take a look through your sent messages and see which ones you send frequently and create a shortcut for yourself! Here are some quick shortcuts I’ve developed for my iPhone that you can start out with:

– Each of my email addresses
– Address and gate code, to my house for visitors. I use the complete address so it will pop up as a link
on their device to their Maps/GPS function. I add my cell phone number just in case so they have it handy.
– Salutations to the people I text the most (Hi Mom!, Hey Baby…etc)

Once you get the hang of it, it’s so easy that you’ll probably use it for regular emails or texts you send often, such as:

– “Great working with you today…”
– “Looking forward to our session tomorrow…”
– “So glad we were able to help…”
– “If you find the time, please comment on my Google+ page at…”

You see? You’re limited only by your imagination…and I’m sure you have lots of imagination! So give it a shot and save some serious time with tech!  Just a note, you might be tempted to use this function to save your passwords but I wouldn’t recommend it. Just sayin’…

So, how do you get in on all this goodness? It’s really simple.

On iOS devices: Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Shortcuts.

On Android devices:  There are Apps you can install such as Smart Keyboard PRO (the best text expander I’ve seen for Android so far).  You can also use an alternate keyboard like Swype to add custom words to a personal dictionary for faster typing.) For Android 4.1 users (JellyBean) and beyond use the native app. Go to Settings > Keyboard and Input > Personal dictionary.

On Blackberry: Go to Options > AutoText and enter text expansions.

On Windows Phones: Go to Settings > System > Keyboard > Typing Settings.

For iOS users, here’s a quick video to get you started…enjoy!

Posted on
Category: Technology
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive a small affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally or come highly recommended by experts we trust. We truly believe these will add value to our listeners and readers. We're disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Plus, we just like to be transparent. That's how we roll. PS: Don't buy stuff you don't need, OK?

Please note: We reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

4 thoughts on “Save Time with Text Expander on Mobile Devices”

  1. Thanks, this is just what I was looking for. I LOVE the swype keyboard and I’m shocked apple hasn’t yet implemented similar technology. Hasn’t swype been around for two years now?

    Anyway, I knew apple had their own place for shortcuts, but couldn’t find it until I found this article. This will make life a little easier when I’m using my iPhone.

  2. If you are using a bluetooth keyboard there is a text expansion app called blueduino hotkeys that allows to edit shortcuts and is promising concerning further support of things you are used to when working with your regular pc,
    you can get in contact with the author and join a google beta testing-circle if you like.
    i’d be glad to hear your opinion and comments on it

Comments are closed.