How to Add Words and Shortcuts to the iPhone Keyboard (Text Replacement)

To add a word or shortcut on iPhone, open Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, tap the plus (+) button, enter a Phrase, and tap Save. Add a Shortcut if you want a short sequence to expand into the phrase. Leave Shortcut blank when you want to preserve a word without assigning shorthand.

Text Replacement lets you manage specific words and phrases. It is different from turning Auto-Correction off for all your typing.

Understand Phrase and Shortcut

Phrase is the final text you want inserted. Shortcut is the short sequence that triggers it. Put the full text in Phrase, not the other way around.

Example goal	Phrase	Shortcut
Insert a short reply	Thanks, I will check and reply soon.	zreply
Insert an example email address	reader@example.com	zmail
Preserve a particular spelling	The word as you want it spelled	Leave blank

Use a shortcut you do not normally type as a word. For example, a distinctive prefix can prevent an ordinary sentence from expanding unexpectedly. The examples above are demonstration text; replace them with your own content where appropriate.

Avoid using passwords, payment details, or other secrets as replacement phrases. The phrase can appear while typing and may synchronize through your Apple Account.

These instructions cover Apple's keyboard on current iOS, including iOS 26 and 27. Another keyboard app can have its own dictionary and shortcuts. Check which keyboard is active if a replacement works in one place but not another.

Add a phrase with a shortcut

1. Open Settings and tap General.
2. Tap Keyboard, then Text Replacement.
3. Tap the plus (+) button to add an entry.
4. In Phrase, enter the full text you want to appear. Check spelling, punctuation, and spacing before saving.
5. In Shortcut, enter the short trigger, such as zreply.
6. Tap Save. The entry should appear in the replacement list.
7. Open a new note, type the shortcut, and press Space or select the suggested phrase when offered.
8. Review the expanded text before sending or using it elsewhere.

Apple's Text Replacement guide explains the phrase and shorthand relationship. Its built-in example is omw, which expands to On my way! if that entry is still present on your device.

Testing in a note keeps an accidental expansion out of a message to someone else. Check the actual result rather than assuming that saving the entry proves it works in every text field.

Add a word without a shortcut

For a name, technical term, or preferred spelling that you do not want replaced, Apple provides a phrase-only method.

1. Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
2. Tap plus (+).
3. Enter the exact word or phrase in Phrase.
4. Leave Shortcut empty.
5. Tap Save.
6. Type the word in a new note and check how the keyboard handles it.

This is a specific spelling preference, not a switch to disable every automatic correction. If typing generally feels too aggressive, review iPhone keyboard and Auto-Correction settings separately.

You do not need to invent a shortcut merely to preserve a word. The blank field is deliberate in Apple's documented method.

Reach Text Replacement while typing

If the keyboard is already open, touch and hold the emoji or switch-keyboard/globe key, then select Keyboard Settings. Open Text Replacement from there.

This provides another route to the same list. If that menu is not offered by your active keyboard or app, use Settings > General > Keyboard instead.

Remove an Unwanted Autocorrect Word

If typing a short expression expands into an unwanted phrase, check Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. Delete or correct the matching entry using the steps below. This list contains your saved replacements; it is not a complete list of every word the keyboard has learned. An unwanted learned suggestion may therefore have no entry to swipe away here.

For a correctly spelled word that keeps being changed, try adding it in the Phrase field with Shortcut left empty, as described above. Apple documents that method in its personal dictionary guide. It protects a spelling without creating an abbreviation, but does not provide a delete-one-learned-word control.

If the built-in keyboard’s learned suggestions remain a problem, the dictionary reset below is a broader last resort. Apple says it removes all custom words and shortcuts, rather than just the unwanted word. Save any replacements you want to recreate first, and choose Reset Keyboard Dictionary specifically. A third-party keyboard may have separate learning and deletion controls in its own settings.

Edit or delete one entry

To edit an entry, return to Text Replacement and tap it. Change Phrase or Shortcut, then tap Save. Test it again in a note after editing; a shortened trigger can be easier to type but more likely to collide with ordinary text.

To remove a single entry, swipe left on it and use Delete when shown. You can also use Edit, the minus control beside the entry, and Delete on versions that provide that layout.

Removing one replacement is a narrower fix than resetting the entire keyboard dictionary. If the problem is an unexpected expansion, locate that specific trigger first.

For a large list, review both columns carefully. Two similar shortcuts can be easy to confuse, especially if one expands to an old address or outdated reply. Keep only the variants you actually need. A shortcut can also expand to a single character; see typing a degree symbol on iPhone for an example.

Sync the personal dictionary with iCloud

Apple says iCloud can keep the personal dictionary current across devices. On current iPhone, open Settings > your name > iCloud > See All > iCloud Drive, then check Sync this iPhone.

Use the same Apple Account on the devices where you expect the entries. If an entry is missing elsewhere, confirm the account and iCloud Drive setup before recreating the same phrase several times.

Do not assume that another keyboard's private dictionary uses Apple's sync mechanism. Third-party keyboard apps may handle learned words and replacements differently.

If a shortcut does not expand

Start by checking the saved entry. Make sure the full text is in Phrase, the trigger is in Shortcut, and Save was completed. A phrase-only entry is not supposed to expand from a different shorthand.

Type the exact shortcut in an ordinary note using Apple's keyboard, then press Space or choose the suggestion. If it works there but not in a particular app or website field, investigate that field or keyboard rather than deleting all entries. Some text-entry contexts treat suggestions differently.

Check whether you changed keyboards, typed the wrong trigger, or edited an entry without saving. If the incorrect text expands, find the responsible shortcut and edit the phrase.

If the replacement list appears correct but the behavior remains inconsistent, close and reopen the affected app, then restart the iPhone if needed. Check for available software updates before considering a broad reset.

Reset the keyboard dictionary only when needed

Record the custom words and shortcuts you want to retain first. Apple's current guide says resetting the personal dictionary deletes all custom words and shortcuts and returns the dictionary to its default state. It is not a one-entry undo button.

1. Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
2. Tap Reset.
3. Select Reset Keyboard Dictionary, checking the exact reset name.
4. Enter the device passcode if requested.
5. Read the confirmation and select Reset Dictionary only if you intend to clear that customization.

Do not choose Erase All Content and Settings for a keyboard replacement problem. After a dictionary reset, check the replacement list and recreate the entries you preserved. There is no promise here of a one-tap restoration of the previous custom dictionary.

Common questions

Does Text Replacement turn off Auto-Correction?

No. It manages particular phrases and shortcuts. Auto-Correction has its own Keyboard switch. Start with a phrase-only entry when your issue concerns one spelling.

Can I use these entries with Dictation?

Do not assume speech will trigger the same shorthand as typing. Dictation converts spoken words into text and has its own language behavior. See turning Dictation on or off on iPhone for that separate feature.

Does Apple support word/input pairs for other languages?

Apple documents this for Simplified Chinese Pinyin, Traditional Chinese Pinyin and Zhuyin, and Japanese Romaji and Kana keyboards. Use a supported keyboard for the corresponding input-pair behavior rather than assuming every language works identically.

What if a phrase is inserted unexpectedly?

Edit that shortcut to a more distinctive sequence or delete the individual entry. Review the text before sending it, especially when an expansion contains an address or a standard reply.

Finish by saving one useful entry and testing it in a note. Once that works, add more phrases with clear, uncommon triggers and review them as their information changes.