We spend more time on our mobile devices than we ever have before. The number of smartphones sold every year is almost constantly on the rise, and with new apps and technologies developed every day, we can now have most of everything we could need in one little phone, from electronic payment solutions, to entertainment apps, and beyond.
The number one thing we all do more than anything on our mobile phones, is type. Yes, from texting your spouse about what groceries are missing, to chatting with your BFF over an instant messaging app, or sending that urgent email on the go, there’s no denying that typing makes the world go round. And since we spend so much time texting, it’s obvious we’re going to look for ways to make things a bit more fun as we type. Here are 5 ways you can make texting more fun:
1. Swipe your way to faster typing
Yes, typing fast is not necessarily fun in and of itself. But you know what is fun? Gesture typing! You basically just glide your fingers over your keyboard and type without actually…typing.
Gesture typing, aka swipe typing, has been around for a while, but it’s not really getting all the credit it deserves. It takes a bit to get used to it, as with everything in life, and once you do, you’ll be typing as fast as lighting. Aside from typing faster, swipe typing is also tons of fun, so you’ll likely never want to go back to tap-typing once you give it a try.
2. Set the theme to make your keyboard fun
There are many ways in which you can personalize your phone, and using a keyboard theme is possibly one of the most fun ones. And there are plenty to choose from as the Google Play store is filled with amazing keyboard themes and apps.
Whether you’re into classic designs or the fun and colorful, there is a keyboard theme for every mood, style, or personality. All you need to do is install, activate, and start typing.
3. Cool Keyboard Sounds and Fonts
Another way you can personalize your keyboard, and make typing a lot more fun, is by customizing its font and sounds. Often overlooked, the way your keys look and sound could actually make a bigger difference than you might expect. You can make your keyboard truly unique with cool new fonts, and perhaps typing up a little tune every time you text someone. Now that’s fun!
Most keyboard apps offer both of these features, so once you find your favorite app, you’re set.
4. Emojis, Emojis, Emojis!
What can we say about the humble emoji, that hasn’t been said before? There’s even a movie about emojis, so they sure don’t lack in popularity.
Needless to say, emojis have pretty much changed online communication as we know it. And you know they’re popular when even your parents use them. So, we’re not going to make a case for using emojis, of course, but we are going to make a case for emojis packs. They’re more fun to use than your standard emojis, and you can download and use them in any conversation, with the tap of a button. So now you’ll have even more yellow faces to sprinkle in texts!
5. Stickers Gonna Stick
Unlike emoijs, stickers are not part of codified Unicode standard, and are added by third party applications (such as keyboards or instant messaging apps), meaning that the sky’s the limit when it comes to how diverse they can be.
Our brains process images much faster than text (60,000 times faster, to be exact), which means that not only are stickers hilarious and fun to use, they’re also a useful way to get some message or emotion across. It’s science!
When it’s all said and done, we all want to have as much fun as possible, even while doing the most trivial of tasks (see the groceries example from the second paragraph). So, if you like having fun while using your phone, why not have fun while you type as well?