Text replacement is a nifty feature on Apple devices that lets you write words or phrases by typing just a few characters. Unfortunately, Android doesn’t have a similar functionality built in.

how to setup and use custom text shortcuts on android

But if you recently made the switch or always wanted to use text replacement on your Android phone, it’s possible to mimic it. Follow along, and we’ll show you how to set up and use custom text shortcuts on Android.

How to Set Up Custom Text Shortcuts on Android

Setting up custom text shortcuts on Android depends on which keyboard app you’re using on your phone. Let’s look at how to set it up for some of the popular keyboards below.

Set Up Custom Text Shortcuts in Gboard

Gboard is the default keyboard on many Android phones, including Google Pixels. If it’s your phone’s default, too, or you’ve installed it on yours yourself, you can set up custom text shortcuts on it by following the steps below:

  1. Open any app and bring up the Gboard keyboard.
  2. Tap the the gear icon in the top row of the keyboard to access Gboard settings.
    settings button on the gboard keyboard on an android phone.
  3. Select Dictionary and tap Dictionary on the subsequent page. You may need to select the language on the Personal Dictionary page.
    personal dictionary page in the gboard settings.
  4. Now, tap the + icon in the top-right corner to set up a new text shortcut.
    plus button to create a new text shortcut for gboard on android.
  5. In the text field that reads Type a Word, type the word, phrase, or text snippet for which you’re creating the text replacement shortcut. Be sure to type it exactly how you want it to appear, with proper punctuation and case style.
  6. Next, type the shortcut you want to use to enter the long word or phrase you just typed in the Optional Shortcut text field.
    setting up a text shortcut for gboard to enter address.
  7. Finally, tap the checkmark in the bottom-right corner of the keyboard to save the text shortcut to your Gboard dictionary.

Set Up Custom Text Shortcuts in Samsung Keyboard

If you’re a Galaxy phone user, the Samsung Keyboard is your default option unless you’ve changed it to some other keyboard of your preference. Setting up a custom text shortcut in Samsung Keyboard requires you to follow these steps:

  1. Go to any app where you can type text and bring up the Samsung Keyboard.
  2. Tap the gear icon on the top row of the keyboard to access Samsung Keyboard settings.
    settings button on the samsung keyboard on an android phone.
  3. Select Text Shortcuts.
    text shortcuts option on the samsung keyboard settings page.
  4. Tap the + icon in the top-right corner of the Text Shortcuts page to create a new shortcut.
    plus button in samsung keyboard settings to create a new text shortcut.
  5. Enter the text shortcut for typing the word or phrase for which you’re creating the shortcut in the text field below Shortcut.
  6. Similarly, type the word or phrase you want to get when you type the above shortcut in the text field that reads Expanded Phrase.
    setting up a text shortcut to enter address in the samsung keyboard app.
  7. Hit Add to save the shortcut.

Set Up Custom Text Shortcuts in SwiftKey

SwiftKey doesn’t come as the default keyboard on any Android phone. But it’s still a popular keyboard app among Android users, thanks to its more reliable swipe-to-type input method and numerous customization options. If you use it on your phone, too, you can set up custom text shortcuts on it as shown below:

  1. Open any app and bring up the SwiftKey Keyboard.
  2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the keyboard and select Settings.
    accessing swiftkey keyboard settings from its keyboard on an android phone.
  3. From the SwiftKey Settings page, select Rich Input.
    rich input option on the swiftkey settings page.
  4. Select Clipboard.
    clipboard option under the rich input menu in swiftkey settings.
  5. Tap the Add a New Clip button at the bottom.
    add a new clip button in swiftkey settings to create a new text shortcut.
  6. In the pop-up window, enter the word or phrase in the Clip Content box.
  7. Next, type the shortcut for the typed word or phrase in the Shortcut (optional) box.
    setting up a text shortcut to enter address in the microsoft swiftkey keyboard on android.
  8. Lastly, tap Save to save the text shortcut.

How to Use Custom Text Shortcuts on Android

You can set up as many text shortcuts for your preferred keyboard app on your Android device by following the instructions above. Once you do, you can begin using them to enter their expanded texts faster on your device. Doing so is mostly the same across all devices. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Tap the area where you want to use the text shortcut to bring up the keyboard.
  2. Type the shortcut for the word or phrase you want to enter.
  3. You should now see the extended version of the word or phrase you just typed in the suggestion strip at the top of your keyboard. Tap it, and the keyboard will type it in the text field.
    text shortcut suggestion to quickly enter address in the google keep app on an android phone.
Note:
Text shortcuts are keyboard-specific. As such, you must set the keyboard for which you created custom shortcuts as the default to use the shortcuts on your Android phone.

Enter Your Frequently Typed Text Snippets Faster

Text shortcuts are a great way to enter frequently typed texts faster on your Android phone. You can set them up for phrases, text snippets, or long sentences based on your needs.

For example, you can set up custom shortcuts on your Android phone to type your email address, phone number, or home/office address. You may also set it up for your staple text or email replies, most-used hashtags on social media, common phrases, or custom code snippets. The scope of use here is endless!

Likewise, there’s also a workaround to get the text replacement feature on Windows. So you can save yourself effort and time and enter your frequently typed texts faster on your PC.

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