Text Expansion Guide

OtoKeyboard Guide: Magically Turn Keywords into Long Text with Text Expansion

In our OtoKeyboard guide series, we’re exploring a feature that will supercharge your productivity and add a touch of magic to your typing speed: Text Expansion.

Are you tired of repeatedly typing the same email address, bank account number, a long thank-you sentence, or a complex technical term? The Text Expansion feature automatically converts short “keywords” that you define into long blocks of text the moment you type them and press Space or Enter.

What Is Text Expansion and What Does It Do?

This feature instantly transforms a few-character abbreviation into a predefined word, sentence, or even a full paragraph. This allows you to gain incredible speed while also eliminating typos.

• Example 1: When you type addr and press the spacebar, it expands to 123 Main Street, Anytown, CA 90210.
• Example 2: When you type thanks, it becomes Thank you very much for your help and have a great day.
• Example 3: When you type iban, a long IBAN like GB29 NWBK 6016 1331 9268 19 is typed out for you.

How to Set Up and Manage Text Expansion

1. Open the Setup Window: On the main screen, click the “⚡ Extra Features” button and select “Text Expansion Settings” from the menu.
2. Adding a New Rule:
   • Keyword: Enter the short word to be converted in this field (e.g., myemail). Your keywords should not contain spaces.
   • Expansion Text: Enter the long text that will appear when the keyword is typed in this field (e.g., my.personal.email@example.com).
   • Add / Update: After entering the information, press this button to save your rule.
3. Managing Your Rules:
   • Editing: When you click on a rule in the list, its information will be loaded into the fields below. Make your changes and press the “Add / Update” button again to update the rule.
   • Deleting: After selecting a rule from the list to load it, press the “Delete” button to permanently remove that rule.

How It Works

Once you have saved your rules, all you need to do is type your keyword in any text field (a notepad, Word, a web browser, etc.) and then press either the Space or Enter key. OtoKeyboard will instantly delete your keyword and type out the full text you defined in its place.

This feature is an indispensable assistant, especially for anyone in customer service, sales, software development, or anyone who writes a lot of emails. It ensures consistency in your writing, reduces errors, and helps you save your most valuable asset: time.