Swipe to Type on your iPhone and iPad

Swipe to Type (or Slide to type, in Apple’s words): new way to enter text from the keyboard. It’s fast & fun. Here’s how to turn it on & off.

iOS 13 brings us “Swipe to Type,” a new way to enter text from the keyboard. Apple calls it “Slide to type” but “Swipe to Type” rhymes, so I’m going with it.

Swipe to Type is turned on in iOS 13 and iOS 14 by default. If it’s not on you can turn it on in Settings, as shown below:

Making sure Swipe to Type is turned on in Settings (click for larger version)

It takes only a minute to learn how to use Swipe to Type. The basic idea is you drag your finger around, touching every letter in a word without lifting it. You’ll leave a little trail behind as you do. See the video below.

You don’t have to use it, but it’s there. It’s not an either/or situation: use Swipe to Type when you want to use it, peck away at the keys the normal way when you don’t. Give it a try and see how you like it!

Author: Christian Boyce

Christian Boyce is a Mac and iPhone expert specializing in teaching people how to use Apple devices better, to get more done with them, and to have more fun doing it. He bought his first Mac (a Mac Plus) in 1986 and his first iPhone in 2007. He's written books and magazine articles, and given seminars at Macworld Expo, MacFair/LA, and the California Computer Expo. Over 30 years in the business.

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