Introduction of QuickType - Improvement on Keyboard

Apple is now offering some more improvement on its own keyboard besides supporting third party keyboards, with the introduction of QuickType in iOS 8 which helps you to learn typing patterns with suggestions when correct by helping to input text in everything from text messages, to websites to notes.

Apple had introduced two types of keyboard related tenpole features in iOS 8, a third party keyboard support and QuickType predictive test. The functions of third party keyboards are the same as the mobile operating system with the replacement of the default system keyboard together with a new one, most of which tend to be similar and available at other platforms.

QuickType is Apple’s predictive text entry wherein the keyboard analyses the text typed suggesting words it believes one would most likely text the next, taking tone into account relaxed phrases and words which would be used in instant messages while emails tend to get more formal languages.

Overlooked Feature of iOS and OS X – Ability to Define Text Shortcuts

Some would prefer the option of predictive text appealing while there are others who would find the same distracting. Doing away with the predictive suggestion bar which is above the default keyboard from view temporarily is easy.

It can be done by tapping anywhere in the bar and drag downward where it collapses into a thinner gray line with a white grab handle. If the user intends to permanently disable QuickType, then the same can be done by a long press on the keyboard selector icon and slide the `predictive’ toggle off. Besides this, one can also make a trip into the iPhone or iPads’ settings app then navigate to Setting, then General, followed by Keyboard and turn off the `predictive’ switch.

To re-enable the same you could turn the switch back on. The ability to define text shortcuts which could be used in inserting longer text content is an overlooked feature of iOS and OS X. For instance one might set easily remembered shortcuts for mobile phone carrier text codes which would enable them to check balance through SMS or configure a quick option to insert email or mailing address to fill web forms.

Tips to Manage and Create Shortcuts

Managing and creating shortcuts could be done by navigating to Setting -> General -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts. Here one will see an alphabetically sorted list of existing shortcuts and adding new shortcut is simple as tapping the `+’ key in the upper right area of the keyboard where the resulting dialog prompts for two items, which is a phrase or shortcut.

 The phrase being the longer piece of text which can be inserted and the shortcut is what is actually typed. For `news@appleinsider.com’, the shortcut `@@@’, has been added. QuickType has popular and familiar functionality which have been available on several other mobile platforms for many yearsthough users of iOS who are not familiar with the feature would prefer that iOS 8 would keep its suggestion to itself.

To hide the suggestion bar of QuickType the user could open any app which launches the iOS keyboard like the Notes app which has been displayed in the screenshots. Once you begin to type, you will see suggested words which begin to pop up on the gray bar above the keyboard.