How to Send a Quick Message with Texting Shortcuts on iPhone

* This article is from our Tip of the Day newsletter. Sign Up. *

Do you ever find yourself getting spammed with calls from someone who doesn’t know you’re busy, or do you find yourself writing the same message over and over again while at work? Turns out, you can go into your keyboard settings and program a single letter to trigger a prewritten message of your choice. In this tip, you’ll find out how to use texting shortcuts on iPhone.

Why You’ll Love This Tip

• Send prewritten messages by typing a single letter, so that you can text friends or family members even when you’re busy.
• Create a shortcut if you find yourself regularly typing out a particular response.

Use iPhone Keyboard Shortcuts to Send Prewritten Messages

Instead of ignoring urgent texts from friends or family members, use a keyboard shortcut to quickly let them know you’re busy. For more iPhone texting tips and tricks, like how to search text messages on iPhone, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter! Now, here’s how to use texting shortcuts on iPhone to send prewritten messages:

Discover your iPhone's hidden features

Get a daily tip (with screenshots and clear instructions) so you can master your iPhone in just one minute a day.

1. In any text field, press and hold the Switch Keyboard button.
   
   
2. Tap Keyboard Settings.
   
   
3. Tap Text Replacement.
   
   
4. Tap the Plus button on the top right.
   
   
5. In the Phrase section, type out the prewritten message you’d like to set. Perhaps something like “Driving. Call in a sec.” or “Thanks so much. I’ll look this over and get back to you.”
   
   
6. In the Shortcut section, choose a letter or symbol on the keyboard that you will use to trigger the message. It can be any letter, letters, or symbol you like as long as you can remember which letter you chose. But do be aware that you may accidentally trigger the message with that letter or symbol, so choose wisely!
   
   
7. Tap Save.
   
   
8. Now, you can go to any text field and type in that letter. You will see your prewritten message appear in the Text Suggestion box below the keyboard.
9. You can either tap it or simply press the space bar.
   
   
10. Then, press Send to send your message. It’s that simple!
    
    

Now you know how to use shortcuts on your iPhone keyboard! You can update your chosen message as frequently as you like. Fast, easy, and potentially life-saving (or relationship-saving)! If you want to replicate the tactile feedback of a physical keyboard, be sure to check out our tip on how to enable keyboard haptics on your iPhone.