Remember when phones were used exclusively for making phone calls? (Hard to believe, right?) Now we use our smartphones for all sorts of fun things . . . like sending text messages, answering emails, posting on Facebook, commenting on our favorite cat videos, and even finding true love.
While the freedom and flexibility of using a mobile device is awesome—the frustration that comes from typing on a tiny touch screen is not so great.
No matter how accurate your typing skills are on a full-size qwerty keyboard, it’s inevitable that you’re going to hit some wrong letters when typing on your smartphone. And then features like autocorrect have a way of making things extra interesting.
Text exchange with my 12 year old daughter yesterday #autocorrect pic.twitter.com/ugIuFPKlaF
— David J. Doorey (@TheLawofWork) July 22, 2015
These garbled messages are occasionally hilarious, but more often they’re confusing, and sometimes they can be pretty embarrassing.
If you’re tired of dealing with annoying typos and punctuation issues on your phone, we’ve got some good news. Grammarly has made the jump to iOS! (Don’t worry, we’re coming to Android soon.)
Typing on a tiny keyboard may always be a chore, but thanks to the Grammarly Mobile Keyboard, you can say so long to embarrassing messages and horrendous grammar. Here are three reasons mistake-free writing on your phone is so valuable.
1 Clearer Communication
Being misunderstood can cause problems. If you’ve ever texted your partner a grocery list, you may have figured this out. (You needed red sauce, not red socks. How was that not obvious?)
It’s important to make your meaning crystal clear the first time around. Whether you’re texting a coworker your lunch order or creating an important event on Facebook, we think using your phone should make communication easier, not harder.
Our new mobile keyboard catches those easy-to-make mistakes in punctuation and spelling. So the next time you’re submitting a support ticket for your favorite app, the help desk will know you’re having trouble with “direct messaging” and not “dotweb meditating.”
And when you comment on your friend’s baking blog, fellow readers will understand that “carrot cake” is your favorite, not “carpet cake” (which may lead to some awkward questions).
2 It Saves You Time
Don’t you love getting things right the first time? It’s hard to avoid errors when you type on your smartphone, and having to go back and fix mistakes in every message can get pretty tedious.
But when your errors are fixed instantly while you’re typing, you no longer have to waste time manually correcting them.
…Or sending multiple follow-up messages to clarify what you tried to say in your original message.
…Or apologizing for the nonsense you wrote in your original message.
With efficient, error-free writing, your message is ready to send as soon as you finish it. You won’t have to stress over missing an error in that important email to your client or worry about texting your boss something that will be embarrassing later.
3 It Helps You Make a Positive Impression
Using correct grammar is essential for maintaining your credibility in business—both as an individual knowledge worker and when you’re communicating on behalf of your company.
Life and work can get busy though, and sometimes you’ll need to answer important work emails even when you’re not at your desk. Mistake-free writing on your phone will help you keep your communication at the same level of professionalism your clients and colleagues expect, despite being away from your computer.
So when a potential client needs a quick turnaround on an estimate, you can use your phone to type a detailed, error-free response on your train ride home.
Or when your boss sends you an urgent question about your TPS report while you’re out to lunch, there’s no need to rush back to the office. You can quickly respond on your phone with a well-written reply, then get back to chatting with your server about the “flair” on their vest.
And it turns out good grammar isn’t just important for your professional life, it matters for your dating life too.
A Match.com study found that 88% of women users and 75% of men said grammar usage in messaging was the single “most important quality” they judged a potential date on.
Ouch.
Similarly, another survey found that almost half of all singles using the Zoosk dating site considered poor grammar to be a deal breaker. Many participants saw bad grammar as an indication that someone was unintelligent, uneducated, or “lazy,” and an impressive 72% were “turned off” by bad spelling.
So, there are some great benefits to staying on top of your grammar game when writing with your phone: greater clarity and speed when typing, showing up as the successful professional you are, and making the best impression possible when communicating with potential dates.
