There are plenty of tips and shortcuts to get more out of your smartphone. Did you know the process that allows you to correctly place the cursor between two letters, without having to touch the screen until you find the correct place?
You also have all the trouble in the world to place the cursor correctly in a text area on your smartphoneat the time send a text, for instance ? Do you also have to repeat 17 times before you manage to position yourself between two letters of a word? Good news: there is a trick that allows you to place the cursor in the right place, without having to hammer the touch screen in desperation.
This trick is not new, but it is ignored by many, even within the Numerama editorial team. However, it is decisive for a much more user-friendly user experience: you do not have to struggle to place the cursor on the correct letter or the correct word. You just have to mobilize the “Space” bar.
Position the cursor with Android
If you have a android smartphone, the trick is to position the cursor approximately close to where you want to place it. Then, by making a long press on the “Space” bar of the virtual keyboard, then sliding your finger to the left or to the right (always staying on the “Space” bar), you move the cursor over the entire line.
Depending on how fast you slide your finger on the “Space” bar, the cursor will move faster or slower. Slow down to jump from one letter to another or speed up to get through an entire row of words. It will depend on the quality of your first finger placement on the touch screen. You can also replace yourself if your first mount was too hard.
Position the cursor with iOS
On the side ofiOS, the operation is similar, but there are differences in terms of user experience and interface. Thus, it is again possible to place the cursor in the right place by playing with the “Space” bar, through a long press. So the whole keyboard is used to move in the text, and not just the “Space” bar as in Android.
iOS also offers an alternative to aim more accurately. The method consists of making a long press on the text entered on the keyboard. This causes a “bubble” to spurt out just above the finger, allowing you to get in without missing a beat. The bubble has the effect of always highlighting the text being edited, while giving it a kind of magnifying effect when pointing around the cursor.
