iPhone Text & Email Optimization: 5 Customization Tricks

The shake gesture provides a swift alternative to more complex editing procedures.

Utilizing iPhone’s Auto-Correction Feature

The introduction of the iPhone and its touchscreen keyboard by Apple revolutionized mobile interaction. This keyboard is equipped with a range of functionalities, all geared towards simplifying and enhancing the typing experience on a compact screen.

Among these features is automatic text replacement. This system intelligently proposes and substitutes misspelled words with the most appropriate correction available within its lexicon. However, this functionality can occasionally lead to unintended substitutions of correctly spelled words, such as proper nouns or words with multiple valid forms like “its” and “it’s”. The automatic suggestion can be dismissed by selecting the pop-up, but doing so can interrupt typing speed.

Fortunately, users have the ability to personalize their typing experience by adding words to a dedicated dictionary. This can be accessed by navigating to: “Settings - General - Keyboard - Edit User Dictionary”.

A prerequisite for utilizing this feature is the activation of an additional international keyboard layout, such as Japanese or Chinese. This step must be completed before the custom dictionary becomes available.

Customizing Your iPhone Keyboard

Auto-correction is a powerful tool, but it isn’t always perfect. It’s designed to improve typing speed and accuracy.

Adding frequently used names or specific terms to the user dictionary ensures they won’t be altered by the auto-correction feature. This maintains typing efficiency and prevents frustrating corrections.

Steps to Edit the User Dictionary

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Navigate to the General section.
• Select Keyboard.
• Tap on Edit User Dictionary.

From here, you can add new words or phrases that the iPhone should recognize and avoid correcting. This allows for a more tailored and accurate typing experience.

Leveraging Glyphboard for Symbol Insertion

A long press on a keyboard character often reveals alternative variations of that character, though this functionality isn't universally available. This method allows for the inclusion of less common characters like Ä—, ñ, §, or ¢ within your text.

However, navigating through the character options to locate a specific symbol can prove inefficient. Furthermore, the available selections are generally restricted to standard typographical characters.

Introducing Glyphboard: A Web App Solution

For inserting a wider range of symbols, a web application known as Glyphboard is highly beneficial. Web apps function as server-based programs accessible through web browsers on user devices.

Safari on iPhone offers the capability to save webpages directly to the home screen. This feature enables the convenient "installation" of numerous web apps onto your iPhone.

Installing Glyphboard as an App

To install Glyphboard, simply navigate to its web address using Safari on your iPhone. Then, tap the "Plus (+)" button located in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. The web app will then be installed, functioning like any native iPhone application.

Using Glyphboard for Seamless Symbol Integration

Adding symbols to your messages and emails with Glyphboard is straightforward. Launch the app, tap and hold the desired symbol, and then copy and paste it into your text.

If you require the use of several symbols, consider utilizing the "scratchboard" feature. This allows you to temporarily copy and paste each symbol individually before selecting and copying them all to your final destination.

Expanding Emoji Functionality

For users desiring a broader range of emojis, several emoticon enabler applications are available for installation, including options like Emoji Free and Emoji Free!. These applications can be readily located through the search feature within the iTunes App Store.

These apps function by introducing new keyboard layouts populated with emoticons in place of standard letters. Consequently, activation typically necessitates a device restart following installation.

Furthermore, the Emoji keyboard layout(s) must be added through the iPhone’s settings menu, specifically by navigating to "Settings - General - Keyboard - International Keyboards - Add New Keyboard".

To utilize these emoticons, simply switch to the appropriate keyboard layout by selecting the "Globe" key on the on-screen keyboard whenever desired.

Beyond direct emoji use, Glyphboard and similar tools offer symbol collections applicable to naming folders and crafting email signatures. It’s important to remember, however, that these emojis are generally not compatible with non-iDevice platforms.

Therefore, sending an email containing numerous emojis to contacts using different operating systems may result in the display of empty boxes. Conversely, Glyphboard symbols maintain broader compatibility and can be viewed across various devices.

Customizing Your iPhone Email Signature

When utilizing email on an iPhone, a default signature reading "Sent from my iPhone" is automatically appended to each message.

This signature can be modified through the device's settings, specifically under Settings - Mail, Contacts, Calendars - Signature. Consider incorporating unique phrases and even symbols from Glyphboard to personalize it.

Beyond the standard text options, employing an HTML signature within your emails is also possible. A convenient solution for this is a web-based service known as iPhone Signature.

This service functions by collecting your desired information, potentially including an image upload, through their website. Subsequently, they generate an activation link for you.

This link can then be opened and saved as an application directly on your iPhone.

Upon launching the application, a new email composition window will appear, pre-populated with your newly designed HTML signature. We previously touched upon the benefits of this service in a prior discussion.

Numerous other customization options exist for iPhone text and email functionality. This article only provides a brief overview of available techniques.

If you are aware of additional helpful tricks, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.