This week's tips will help you master spell checking on your iOS device so you'll never have to worry about embarrassing typos (unless they are intentional--or for "creative" reasons). You'll also learn about managing the iOS virtual keyboard by adding or changing the languages supported, and the keyboard layout--never miss another umlaut! And finally, we'll also teach you about a super-dee-dooper passcode lock that even your friends can't figure out.
Spell checking is available in iOS as you type, just like your Mac. If you misspell a word, a pop-up will be displayed with word suggestions. You can tap on one of the suggestions, manually correct the spelling yourself or tap any where in your document to force iOS to accept your language creativity. Nothin' wrong with that...dawg.
Compatibilty: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
If you happen to work for an international company like we do, or you're a student studying a foreign language, you might find yourself in need of a foreign language keyboard to practice your German, Spanish, French, and more. Simply launch the Settings app, tap General > Keyboard > International Keyboards > Add New Keyboard and then select the one suitable for you. Now when you open the keyboard to type, you'll notice a small icon that looks like a world globe. Tapping that icon will toggle you through all the various keyboards you selected.
Compatibilty: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
If you aren't happy with the default keyboard layout, iOS will let you select a different one. Launch the Settings app, tap General > Keyboard > International Keyboards > English. You'll be present with a little over a dozen hardware keyboard layout options, but only three for the software keyboard layout. The default is QWERTY, but you can switch to either AZERTY or QWERTZ for the software keyboard. The hardware keyboard default is U.S., but you can select Dvorak, U.S. Extended, and others.
Compatibilty: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Apple introduced a new complex passcode type; the password had been previously limited to four numbers. Now, you can turn Simple Passcode off by launching the Settings app and tapping General > Passcode Lock > Simple Passcode to turn it off. Once you've done this, you can now create a passcode that is a combination of numbers, letters, punctuation, and special characters. If you already have a four digit passcode, iOS will prompt you for it before it changes the settings, and before asking you to enter a new passcode using the full alphanumeric virtual keyboard.
Compatibilty: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
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