Apple Tips: Create Text Shortcuts For All Your Apple Devices

One of our favorite Apple tips is now universal! iCloud now makes it possible to use text shortcuts across iOS and OS X. If you still aren’t using shortcuts, you’re missing out. You have probably realized how annoying it is typing your email address over and over. My personal favorite shortcut timesaver is to link my email to the text “@@”, so whenever I need to input my email (which happens a good 5-10 times/day), I simply type “@@” and “allantblocker@gmail.com” automatically populates.

Enabling iCloud shortcuts is crazy simple. For Mac, go to System Preferences > iCloud > and then enable or “check” the Documents & Data option.

To enable via your iOS device, open Settings > iCloud, and again, check the Documents & Data toggle switch to green (active).

You are ready to roll! Any shortcut you save or delete will be mirrored across all your Apple devices.

How to create shortcuts

Creating shortcuts seems like a nuisance, but it’s going to save you a ton of time. As our CEO always cheesingly exclaims (Hi, Josh!) “Work smarter, not harder!” These shortcuts will do just that. If you are on a Mac, head to System Preferences > Keyboard > Text > and then the “+” in the bottom left of the window. Type in your shortcut under “Replace” and then the full text under the “With” column.

To create a shortcut on iOS, enter Settings > General > Keyboard > and then add a new shortcut.

Again, just take a couple minutes to think of your most common words or expressions and create those shortcuts. It’s going to save you a ton of time in the future.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don’t hesitate to drop me a line in the comments below or reach me @AllanBlocker on Twitter (follow me!).

 

 

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