Undiscovered Select Text Shortcut?

[mebehere]

I was typing something and accidentally hit two keys that were side-by-side at the same time, and the text for the last word I was typing was selected.

If it's a URL in the Safari address bar, when my cursor is in there somewhere, single tapping two keys at the same time selects any text that's between punctuation. Double tapping two keys selects the whole URL.

If this is well known, I apologize. If not, try it out and post your experience. It would be cool if there were also hidden copy and paste shortcuts.

 

[uwdude]

I can replicate this on my iPad Pro, it does work. Although usually if I tap on the address bar it highlights the whole address anyway.

 

[mebehere]

I can replicate this on my iPad Pro, it does work. Although usually if I tap on the address bar it highlights the whole address anyway.

This is true, but it seems you can do it anywhere, like when you're typing a message on this forum. At least with single words.

 

[prospervic]

Wow! This is really cool! Thanks for the great tip.

Check this out: when you double-tap two adjacent keys in any text document, it highlights an entire sentence. Very useful!

 

[alecgold]

This is no typing, this is scrolling with two fingers on the screen keyboard. It does tap and double tap as well.

 

[Puonti]

Here's another cool, related tip:

After tapping two fingers on the keyboard to select a word, hold down two fingers and slide left or right. You'll see either the left or right end of the selection moving.

Now raise those two fingers and move them about their combined width to the opposite direction from whichever end of the selection you were moving, and once again hold them down and slide left or right. You'll see the other end of the selection moving.

Basically the keyboard is looking at where you last touched down with two fingers, and then using that to determine which end of the selection you're manipulating when you lift the fingers and bring them back down again (on either side of the original point where you touched the keyboard).

 

[macduke]

This was added in iOS 9 on the iPad. The iPhone can also do this, but you have to 3D Touch the keyboard, so it's only available on newer devices. I think the cursor is easier to control on the iPhone implementation because of the pressure sensitivity.

 

[M. Gustave]

This is no typing, this is scrolling with two fingers on the screen keyboard. It does tap and double tap as well.

Yeah, this has nothing to do with "adjacent keys". It's two-finger trackpad mode.