SHORTCUTS, EMOJIS, & KEYBOARDS

If you find yourself typing the same phrase over and over— your email address in login fields, for example, or “I'll be home in five minutes!”—try creating custom keyboard shortcuts to save some time. Apple already has a couple default ones saved for you, such as “On my way!” for when you type in “omw.” To create your own, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Shortcuts and tap the “+” icon. Next time you're typing a shortcut prompt and the full text appears above, just tap the space bar, and it will insert the full text automatically.

If you'd like to start using Apple's fun emojis in your texts, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard, then scroll down the list of languages and select Emoji. Apple also lets you add third-party keyboards in the same manner—simply download a keyboard from the App Store and it will appear in the same list in Settings. Select the one you want, and next time you're using your keyboard, you'll notice a gridded sphere to the left of the space bar; tap it to access your keyboard collection.