I started typing when I was in elementary school and took a typing class in what we used to call “junior high.” And I’m good at it, as long as I’m using a standard physical keyboard. But, unlike many younger people, I’m not so good at typing on a phone screen. Not only do I make a lot of mistakes, but it takes me forever to type out a single sentence.
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While I would never use my phone to write something as long as this column, I’m frequently in a situation where I feel a need to respond to an email, but because I’m so bad at typing on screens, I typically put it off, thinking I’ll respond when I get back to my PC. If that turns out to be much later, I might forget to respond, much to the annoyance of my friends and colleagues who expect to hear from me.
This is even a bigger issue with texting, which increasingly is the way many people want to communicate. I don’t get many emails from members of my extended family, but I’m frequently on text strings, which means I need to peck away at my phone’s keyboard to be part of the conversation.
Regardless of how you type, one thing that helps is to make sure that predictive text is turned on, so you see a suggestion based on what the phone thinks you typed or are in the process of typing. That can speed things up and help prevent mistakes, but it can also introduce mistakes if you don’t carefully look at whatever word comes up because sometimes it suggests the wrong word,
Thumbs and voice
I typically type with my one finger at a time, similar to the “hunt and peck” method that keyboard typists who are unfamiliar with touch typing often use. It’s slow and often inaccurate. I have noticed other people typing very fast by using both thumbs. It seems counterintuitive, since thumbs are fatter than fingers but, it does have its advantages once you get used to it. I’ve been practicing at two-thumb typing and, although I’m getting better at it, I’m still pretty slow, make my share of mistakes and often forget to use it and go back to hunting and pecking.
Often, I use my voice to type, which I find faster and more accurate. Like other methods, it doesn’t always work, especially with names or words that are uncommon or hard to precisely pronounce. The other drawback is it can be annoying or a privacy issue if you’re around other people. Sometimes my wife thinks I’m speaking to her when I’m actually talking to my phone. Still, I’ve found it works pretty well, especially for short text messages or for a quick search. If I need to make a call or respond to a text while driving, I only use speech. Like a lot of newer cars, mine has a steering wheel button I can touch to respond to income texts without taking my hands off the wheel or my eyes off the road. It’s far from perfect, and there have been times when I’ve pulled over to re-send the text, apologizing for the gibberish on the one I sent by voice.
Swipe typing
I’ve recently been introduced to swipe typing which involves placing a finger on the first letter and then moving it across the on-screen keyboard from one letter to another. On the surface, it seems as if it would take a lot of hand/eye coordination to always land on the right key as you slide around, and sure, I make plenty of mistakes, but it’s a lot more accurate than I had imagined.
Both iOS and Android keyboards are equipped with pattern recognition algorithms that analyze the pattern of your fingers to predict the most likely word that you’re trying to type, taking factors such as common word sequences into consideration. While far from perfect, it’s often quite accurate.
As a swipe tying newbie, it’s best to start off slowly to focus on accuracy. One trick is to briefly lift your finger off the screen between words but do remember to complete the swipe before lifting your finger. That will insert a space and enable you to see if you got it right. It might also give you multiple suggestions if the algorithm has any doubt about what word you were trying to type.
I have tried this on both an Android and iPhone and both do it quite well so long as you’re patient and keep an eye on what you’re typing.
If you try it and nothing happens, you may need to install a different keyboard or adjust your input settings. You’ll find online instructions by searching for “adjust settings for swipe typing” followed by either iOS or Android. You’ll also find videos that demonstrate the technique.
Even with swipe typing, I’m not going to win a typing speed contest against most teens, but I am finding it easier to respond to texts and emails.
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Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist. Contact him at larry@larrymagid.com.
