By Lydia | Last Updated
Many people may find that the missing comma button on the iPhone/iPad keyboard is a bit inconvenient, especially for those who have used Android phones before.
However, there’s actually a simple way to quickly insert a period followed by a space by double-tapping the spacebar. But this requires you to enable the period shortcut on your iPhone/iPad first. Here’s how:
The period shortcut is helpful when you’re typing a message, email, or any text, and want to input a comma directly without switching to the numerical keyboard. Thus, enabling it can help you type faster.
Step 1: Open iPhone/iPad Settings App from the Home screen.
Step 2: Then go to General > Keyboard.
Step 3: Scroll down and locate "." Shortcut settings, toggle the switch to ON position. Now you can type period symbol with keyboard by double-tapping the spacebar.
If you frequently need to enter multiple spaces in text, then you’d better to turn this typing feature off to avoid automatically inserting a period instead of a space.
Step 1: Awake iPhone/iPad keyboard in any apps, notes, or messages. Press and hold the globe key or Emoji key on the bottom-left corner.
Step 2: Select Keyboard Settings from the menu.
Step 3: Turn off "." Shortcut directly (the switch will become gray).
Once you have done this, the period shortcut will no longer work. Double-tapping the spacebar will no longer insert a period, and instead, you will need to manually tap the period key if you want to end a sentence.
When searching for something in Safari, you may notice that a keyboard period button beside the Spacebar. Long-press on it, you can quickly insert domain name suffixes, such as: .com, .cn or .edu.
However, some people may find this annoying, and want to remove period from the Safari Keyboard. Unfortunately, there’s no direct way to do this. You can only switch to an external keyboard, like Gboard.
Step 1: Download Gboard from App Store, and then go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards. Tap on Add New Keyboard, select Gboard.
Step 2: Then launch Gboard app, tap on Keyboard settings. Here you can turn off Show "." On keyboard option.
Step 3: Back to Safari, tap on the Globe icon to switch the keyboard to Gboard. You now can see that the period sign on keyboard is gone.
In addition to the period shortcut, there are several other customizable settings in the Keyboard menu that you may find useful:
This setting automatically capitalizes the first letter of each sentence. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Auto-Capitalization, to turn it on or off.
Auto-correction helps to fix misspelled words, but it can sometimes change words that you didn’t intend to modify. You can toggle this on or off in the Keyboard settings, too.
Predictive text suggests words based on your typing habits, which can speed up your typing process. And Show Predictions Inline can help you quick enter the words.
Slide to Type allows you to type by sliding your finger across the keyboard, instead of tapping individual keys. This can make typing faster and more efficient. And Delete Slide-to-Type by Word enables you to quick delete words for mistake.
Q1: What is the Shortcut Key for Period?
The period shortcut automatically inserts a period and space when you double-tap the spacebar while typing. It's designed to make typing faster by reducing the need to manually press the period key at the end of a sentence.
Q2: Does the period shortcut work in all apps?
Yes, the period shortcut works across most apps on iPhone and iPad, including messaging, email, and note-taking apps, as long as you are using the default keyboard.
Q3: Can I use the period shortcut on an external keyboard?
No, the period shortcut only works on the built-in iOS keyboard. If you are using an external keyboard, you will need to manually press the period key. However, if you use Gboard, you can adjust this setting by:
Steps: Open Gboard. Tap on Keyboard settings, turn on or off "." shortcut.
