You want to improve your productivity and save time when using your smartphone. Did you know that Google's Gboard keyboard offers several shortcuts that make it easier to enter text? Here are the 6 keyboard shortcuts you need to know on Android to type faster on your phone's touchscreen keyboard..
The most common Gboard keyboard shortcuts
The vast majority of Android smartphones sold on the market are equipped by default with the Google Gboard keyboard. But beware, some devices have the touchscreen keyboard offered by the manufacturer via an overlay.
If you find yourself in this situation, the first thing to do is download Gboard from the Play Store by clicking on this link. Before you can take advantage of your new data entry tool, you will need to do a few things. In this article, you will find all the information you need to change keyboard on Android..
Control the screen cursor
Now that you have just finished configuring Gboard on your smartphone, we will be able to take a look at the different shortcuts offered by this keyboard. And to start on a good basis, head for the screen cursor.
You've probably written a message and found out that you just typed it wrong. Problem, placing the cursor at the exact location where the fault is within the text is far from easy..
With Gboard, all you have to do is leave your finger on the space bar for a few seconds and then slide it left or right to put the cursor of your Android smartphone at the desired location. For people who want even more precision, know that it is possible to display the pad of directional arrows.
- Click on the arrow icon placed in the upper right corner of the keyboard
- Press the option button (3 dots aligned)
- Click the edit text button
Using the keys you can then move the cursor up, down, left and right. Note that this touchpad has several very useful shortcuts such as the select, copy and paste key.
One-click access to numbers and symbols
The use of special characters sometimes requires tedious handling. This is the case, for example, with symbols and numbers. Fortunately Gboard has a trick to insert one of these characters very quickly.
- Open your messaging app
- Click on the input field to open the touch keyboard
- Keep your finger pressed? 123
- Then slide your finger over the number or special character of your choice
The keyboard will automatically return to azerty mode as soon as you lift your finger from the screen. Important detail, some symbols contain additional options. This is the case, for example, with parenthesis keys.
Cancel the deletion of a group of words
Most word processing software like Word has a built-in cancel button. This is unfortunately not the case on Android. However, if you ever accidentally delete one or more words, know that there is a simple way to undo this operation.
When you erase a series of words, it automatically appears in the suggestion bar at the top of the keyboard. So all you have to do is click from that bar to magically reappear your text.
