I use my iPhone keyboard shortcuts every day when texting my friends, family, and co-workers. It makes quick work of long names and words, and saves me a lot of time and effort in communicating quickly with everyone! So when my iPhone’s text replacement starts acting up, it’s a big problem and headache!
And I know I’m not alone. Several of our readers report that their iPad or iPhone keyboard shortcuts not working after updating to the latest version of iOS.
Looking for Keyboard Shortcuts for Quick Actions like Undo?
For iOS 11+ Users, Many Standard Keyboard Shortcuts Are Gone!
If you updated to iOS 11 or above and lost your keyboard shortcuts on the left and right, and this is sadly the new norm for your iPhone’s Keyboard–NO SHORTCUTS!.
For some reason, Apple changed the keyboard layout in iOS 11 and above.
So now the arrow keys, undo, hide the keyboard, and even the comma buttons that many of us enjoyed and used daily are gone.
Apple completely removed these options from the landscape keyboard starting in iOS 11.
Compare this new keyboard layout to one from iOS 10–you see the difference! And for many people, this change is most unwelcome.
Want Your iPad or iPhone Keyboard Quick Actions Back Like The Comma and Arrow Keys?
If you really like having the arrow keys, exclamation point, comma, and other punctuation and action keys on-screen, try GBoard or another third-party keyboard.
When using GBoard, these keys show up on the iPad in both portrait and landscape mode. For iPhones, try landscape mode to get all the bells and whistles!
Fixes for iPhone Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working (Text Replacement)
Restart your iDevice by powering off and then back on
On an iPad with no Home Button and iPhones X or later: press and hold the Side/Top/Power button and either volume button until the slider appears
On an iPad or iPhone with a Home Button and iPod Touch: press and hold the Side/Top/Power button until the slider appears
Drag the slider to turn the device off and after the device turns off, press and hold that Side/Top/Power button again until you see the Apple Logo
With iOS 11 and above, restart using Settings > General > Shut Down
Perform a Forced Restart
On an iPhone 6S or below plus all iPads & iPod Touches, press Home and Power at the same time until you see the Apple logo
For iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold both the Side and Volume Down buttons for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo
On an iPhone 11 or X Series, iPads with Face ID, or iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo
Check for an iCloud sync issue
Tap Settings > Apple ID Profile > iCloud > Manage Storage > TextInput(textinput in Documents and Data is your text replacement data)
Tap TextInput and Select Delete Data
For Older iOS, open Settings > iCloud > Manage Storage
Documents & Data to see if you have “Documents & Data” turned on, then tap to turn it off
Now try to use your shortcuts
If they now work, turn back on Documents & Data
Reset the keyboard dictionary by tapping Settings > General >Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary
If you have Emoji enabled, try disabling the Emoji Keyboard
Check to see if your shortcuts are working
If they work, then turn back on Emoji
Force Your Text Replacements To Re-Sync
Go to Settings > General > Keyboard
Turn off Auto-Capitalization, Auto-Correction and “.” Shortcut
Power off your device and wait 30 seconds to 1 minute, then power up your device
Return to Settings > General > Keyboard
Toggle these back on Auto-Capitalization, Auto-Correction and “.” Shortcut
Wait another 30 seconds to a minute (don’t do anything with your device–just let it sync)
After about 1 minute, tap on Settings > General > Keyboard >Text Replacement and check if your text replacement shortcuts are there!
How to transfer & sync text replacements (shortcuts) from iPhone to a Mac
Make sure you sign in with the same Apple ID on your iPhone and Mac
Turn on iCloud for all devices
Enable iCloud Drive on your Mac
Update your devices to the latest iOS, iPadOS, and macOS available (macOS High Sierra and above work best)
When you use iCloud to keep your text replacements, it should update on all your devices. When you add a text replacement on your Mac, it automatically appears on your other devices (and vice-versa).
Keyboard Shortcuts or Text Replacement Not Syncing With iDevices or Mac?
Check your application’s Edit menu for the item Substitutions. Then make sure you checkmark Text Replacement. If you don’t see that option, the application does not support Text Replacement (it needs to be enabled by the developer of the software to work)
Check for an iCloud sync issue
You must use the same Apple ID on all devices for text replacement sync to work
Tap Settings > Apple ID Profile > iCloud > Manage Storage > TextInput(textinput in Documents and Data is your text replacement data)
Select Delete Data
For Older iOS, open Settings > iCloud > Manage Storage
Documents & Data to see if you have “Documents & Data” turned on, then tap to turn it off
Now try to use your shortcuts
If they now work, turn back on Documents & Data
Sign out of iCloud on your iDevices
On your Mac, go to System Preferences > iCloud > Manage… > Text Input > Delete Documents & Data
Continue on your Mac, and go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Text
Check that your keyboard shortcuts are listed and correct
Add a new shortcut to force iCloud to sync
Log back into iCloud on your iOS device and verify new shortcut is there
Open System Preferences > Keyboard > Text
Create a new text replacement option by pressing the plus (+) sign
Immediately delete that new text replacement option
Then check if text replacement starts working
Keyboard Shortcuts Not Showing After iOS or iPadOS update?
If you are missing your keyboard shortcuts after the latest iOS or iPadOS update, you are not alone.
It appears that Apple has made a change by limiting the maximum number of characters allowed to 128.
This has created problems for many users, and the Apple support community forums are full of complaints.
However, the release of the newest version fixed the problem with the text replacement character limit, so if your device uses an older iOS/iPadOS version, update to the latest version, and your problem should rectify.
Try GBoard!
Some readers discovered that text replacement worked when using a third-party keyboard, specifically Google GBoard.
It’ easy to install via the App Store.
Then choose it via the globe icon in your keyboard and select Gboard instead of the native iOS Keyboard labeled as your local language (in my case, English.)
Or Make Gboard your main keyboard!
Open the Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards
At the top right, tap Edit
Touch and hold the three bars icon to reorder
Drag GBoard icon to the top
Tap Done
Reader tips
What helped is signing in out of my iCloud account multiple times. It appears that for some reason the information does not sync across devices and logging out of iCloud and logging back in a couple of times, it started to slowly bring back all the shortcuts. Hope it helps!
Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the original editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.
In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.
And I thought I was the only one who would exaggerate about my text-replacement usage.
None of my text replacements is synced with my Macbook Air 11″.
Funny enough, I created an account on a Macbook Pro 13″ few days prior to setting up the Air, and all of my text replacements synced fabulously on the Pro without me having to do anything in the System Preferences.
Is this some sort of bully towards the Macbook Air? 🙁 and no, I don’t have over 128 text replacements. Do you suggest me typing in all the text replacements on the mac? or is there any way to export and import the text replacements’ files?
We have some readers recommending using the GBoard keyboard instead of the native iOS Keyboard. They’re finding that text replacement works again after switching to GBoard.
A few others found that updating their iOS to the latest version via iTunes also fixed the problem.
It seems Apple for some stupid reason mucked up text shortcuts’ max length. Check and you may find that shorter shortcuts work but more than 3-4 lines ones will not work. Ridiculous design decision. Or poor quality control if a mistake.
The other important thing to keep in mind is that Apple reduced the number of characters allowed in Keyboard shortcuts to 128. This has made many shortcuts to not show up at all for many users. Not sure why they did it but we are hoping that it will get fixed in the next update.
It’s documents and data. Turn it off in settings and restart your phone. This solves the problem. But still needs to be resolved because some people obviously want use the sharing data on their multiple devices. But since I’ve turned mine off its been working ever since when nothing else worked for me. It’s an iCloud issue I think
Believe me, I’ve tried all these supposed remedies, and none works for long. It an iOS issue and only Apple can fix it. Complain. Apple techs at Genius Bar and Apple Support Phone aren’t aware of the problem.
The iCloud sync option worked for me too, except that after I turn sync back on, the problem reappears.
I keep having problems with iCloud and iTunes Match all the time. I don’t see how iCloud is better than MobileMe with all its notorious bugs. Not their finest hour either.
Do a hard reset by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button and the home button together for at least 10 seconds until your device is turned off (ignore the slider).
And I thought I was the only one who would exaggerate about my text-replacement usage.
None of my text replacements is synced with my Macbook Air 11″.
Funny enough, I created an account on a Macbook Pro 13″ few days prior to setting up the Air, and all of my text replacements synced fabulously on the Pro without me having to do anything in the System Preferences.
Is this some sort of bully towards the Macbook Air? 🙁 and no, I don’t have over 128 text replacements. Do you suggest me typing in all the text replacements on the mac? or is there any way to export and import the text replacements’ files?
Come on Apple. What is going on? Why do we have to jump through so many hoops in order to fix a problem with text replacement?
Your advice did not work…Please fix this issue.
My text replacement in my spreadsheets is very important.
Please please fix this issue.
Thank you. Bob
Hi Bob,
We have some readers recommending using the GBoard keyboard instead of the native iOS Keyboard. They’re finding that text replacement works again after switching to GBoard.
A few others found that updating their iOS to the latest version via iTunes also fixed the problem.
Liz
It seems Apple for some stupid reason mucked up text shortcuts’ max length. Check and you may find that shorter shortcuts work but more than 3-4 lines ones will not work. Ridiculous design decision. Or poor quality control if a mistake.
Agreed this is ridiculous especially for sales people who use the longer text to shorten/speed up their lives…uuuugh!
Assuming, you have already tried logging out out of your iCloud account, Restarting phone and then logging back in.
The other important thing to keep in mind is that Apple reduced the number of characters allowed in Keyboard shortcuts to 128. This has made many shortcuts to not show up at all for many users. Not sure why they did it but we are hoping that it will get fixed in the next update.
Tried it all. Some of my shortcuts won’t work.
iCloud off worked for me. Mahalo
Yep Hard reset was the answer for me Ta
Is this related to the ios6 autofill problem? Still seeking a fix for my ipad2.
Every time I sync my phone, shortcuts stop working. Get your sh*t together, Apple.
It’s documents and data. Turn it off in settings and restart your phone. This solves the problem. But still needs to be resolved because some people obviously want use the sharing data on their multiple devices. But since I’ve turned mine off its been working ever since when nothing else worked for me. It’s an iCloud issue I think
Try turning the “shortcuts” off, then on again. This worked for me.
Believe me, I’ve tried all these supposed remedies, and none works for long. It an iOS issue and only Apple can fix it. Complain. Apple techs at Genius Bar and Apple Support Phone aren’t aware of the problem.
Hard reset worked for me thanks, for the tips!
restarting always works for me too, but eventually comes back. Only a temporary fix. annoyed. use my shortcuts alot!
Restarting worked….thanks dear
The iCloud sync option worked for me. Thanks!
The iCloud sync option worked for me too, except that after I turn sync back on, the problem reappears.
I keep having problems with iCloud and iTunes Match all the time. I don’t see how iCloud is better than MobileMe with all its notorious bugs. Not their finest hour either.
For me too. Even when a I turned it back on 🙂
Do a hard reset by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button and the home button together for at least 10 seconds until your device is turned off (ignore the slider).
This one worked for me. Thanks!
Hard reset worked for me too! Glad to have my shortcuts back!