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TUAW Tip: A better iPhone period trick

by David Chartier Jul 4th 2007 at 6:00AM

I just read about an iPhone typing tip from David Pogue (via John Gruber) that involves one solution to the alphabet/period conundrum: the period isn't included with the rest of the alphabet, so entering a period and moving on with another sentence is an aggravating process. Pogue's solution involves tapping and holding on the ".123" key (I left out the question mark since it doesn't play well with our blogging system), sliding your finger over to the period and then releasing - the trick here is that, if you do it right, the keyboard will switch back to the alphabet due to the way the keyboard registers and handles taps and key releases.

Personally, I find this really clunky, and I think I have an easier solution: simply press that ".123" key normally, type your period and then hit the space bar - the iPhone realizes you've just ended a sentence and are beginning another, so it automatically switches back to the alphabetical layout. This seems far more natural to me and easier to pull off in any kind of mobile or awkward situations.

[Update: It appears my trick works with any character on the punctuation/number keyboard layout: press the .123 button, hit a number or punctuation character, then press the space bar to switch the layout back to alphabetical. For some characters that typically have a letter after them, such as an apostrophe, the keyboard seems to switch itself back automatically without any interaction on the user's part; not even a space bar.]

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I just read about an iPhone typing tip from David Pogue (via John Gruber) that involves one solution to the alphabet/period conundrum: the...
 

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Paul

Erm, you can just do a double space for a period, and a space. You just have to double tap the space bar...

November 23 2007 at 12:38 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jim303

I'm with you steve! The Blackberry trick for a period (or full stop to us brits) is the simplest solution and I hope Apple steal it for future updates.

July 07 2007 at 4:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rafael Emmanuelli-Jiménez

The only big limitation on the iPhone is that there is no way to use special Spanish characters like accents or letter ñ. Any body know who to write an ñ... Coño!

July 05 2007 at 5:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
steve

you can't just tap the spacebar twice like on a blackberry?

July 05 2007 at 2:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
koreyel

How do you make a period?

Lol.

Best! Gadget! Ever!

July 04 2007 at 3:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
David Firestone

I use an iPhone, and I find Pogue's method to be very helpful. Your method, which I use many times, requires 3 clicks (123, ., space) whereas Pogue's method requires only a press and quick slide (I mean, it's right there, it's not hard to do). Yes, if you wanted to start a new sentence it would require a second click (spacebar), but for ending emails or SMS messages, his method works very well I've found.

July 04 2007 at 1:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
frank

@12
i'll have to pay closer attention when i type in, david -- thanks for letting me know this isn't normal behavior. maybe the software can learn that i'm fat-fingered monkey when i type, eh?

July 04 2007 at 1:31 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
heather wallace

This guy's review definitely makes me want to go out and buy one:
http://www.orato.com/node/2928

iSaw.iPhone.iBought.iHappy

July 04 2007 at 1:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
GadgetGav

You tip assumes you are needing the period for the end of a sentence. It's also not really a 'tip' as it's something that the Apple user interface engineers designed. The press and slide technique (while also a UI design in that the .123 button works on the touch, not the release) is more obscure, and therefor to my mind qualifies as a 'tip'. It also works for all punctuation.

July 04 2007 at 12:14 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ryan Schmidt

Yea, that's one thing I miss about my blackberry, AutoText and double spacing for a period and a space. :( Please do something about this apple!

July 04 2007 at 11:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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