5 tech shortcuts that are sure to make your life easier
Do you ever wish you could send a message to multiple people without having to type in their names or numbers every time? Do you want to save time and hassle by creating a group chat that you can use over and over again?
That’s what Shep from Macon, Georgia, is asking us to help him with,
“Is it possible on my iPhone to set up a message group to use instead of entering all recipients individually each time, similar to labels on Gmail or groups on Outlook?”
– Shep
The answer is yes, there is a way to simply create a group chat for both iPhone and Android owners so that you don’t have to keep typing in all your recipients every time. Let’s go over how to do this.
1. How to create a group chat
iPhone
Open your Messages app and tap the New Message icon in the top right cornerEnter the phone number, contact name, or Apple ID of each person you want to include in your group chat, or tap the plus icon to choose contacts from your listTap the text field, type your message, and tap the send button Once you send the message, tap the group icons at the top of the conversation. If you have iOS 14 or earlier, tape the info button after tapping the group iconsTap Change Name and Photo. The change Name and Photo option is in blue text under the group icons and names of the people in the chatEnter the name you want for your group chat in the field provided. You can also choose a photo, emoji, or Memoji for your group image by tapping the camera button or selecting an option from the listWhen you’re done, tap Done to save the name and photo for your group chat. Tap Done again to close the edit view
You can also rename an existing group chat by following steps 4 to 7 above. Note that you can only name group iMessages, not SMS/MMS group messages. To name a group text message, everyone in the group needs to be using an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
Android
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
Download Messages by Google if you don’t already have it installedOpen the app and tap Start chatTap Create groupType the names of the people you want to add to your groupTap NextType a group name in the Add group name menuTap Next againType your message in the text box and send
Now that you know how to make a group chat on your smartphone, here are some other great tips that you can use to make your smartphone life easier.
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2. How to schedule a text message
iPhone
Open the Shortcuts appSelect Automation at the bottom of the screenThen tap “New Automation” or the + sign in the upper right of the screenSelect Time of Day at the top of the pageSet the time when you want the message to be sent by clicking the clock and adjusting the timeChoose between Daily, Weekly, or MonthlyUnfortunately, there is no way in this sequence to set up one-time automation. It is assuming you will be repeating this automation. For this setup, selecting Monthly will hopefully give you enough time (if you should forget) to cancel this automation after it is sent out so the automation doesn’t repeatUnfortunately, there is no way in this sequence to set up one-time automation. It is assuming you will be repeating this automation. For this setup, selecting Monthly will hopefully give you enough time (if you should forget) to cancel this automation after it is sent out so the automation doesn’t repeatIf you choose Monthly, select a date from the calendar below and then hit Next in the top right cornerOn next screen, press Send Message boxNow select the light blue Message word and type your text messageClick the light blue Recipients button and type in the person you want to send the text toClick Done, then press Done again
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Android
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
Open MessagesSelect a contact and start a conversationType the text messagePress down and hold the Send buttonThe Schedule Send box will appear, where you can choose a date and time for the text message to be sent
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3. How to make texting shortcuts
iPhone
Click SettingsClick GeneralClick KeyboardClick Text Replacement (2nd row)Click the “+” button at the topEnter a phrase and the associated shortcutClick Save in the upper right-hand corner
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Android
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
Click SettingsScroll to General managementClick Samsung Keyboard settingsClick More typing options, or on some devices, you may not see this, and you can proceed to click Text shortcuts and then click the ADD/+ button in the upper rightEnter the shortcut and the expanded phrase and then click add
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4. How to add websites to your Home Screen
iPhone
Open your Safari appGo to the website you want to add Tap the Share icon at the bottom centerScroll down and tap Add to Home ScreenYou’ll see a preview of the icon, and you can adjust the text that’s displayed in case you want to shorten it at allTap Add Now among your app icons, you’ll see the one that brings you straight to the webpage you selected
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Android
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
Open your Chrome appGo to the website you want to add Tap the 3 vertical dots in the upper right-hand cornerTap Add to Home ScreenYou’ll see a preview of the icon, and you can adjust the text that’s displayed in case you want to shorten it at allTap Add Tap Add one more time, and the icon will appear amongst your other apps
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5. How to enable your digital assistant
iPhone
Go to SettingsTap Siri & Search Toggle on Listen for “Siri” or” Hey Siri”
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Android
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
Open the Google Assistant app Scroll to the bottom and click Turn OnOnce it’s on, say “Assistant settings” Under Popular settings, tap Hey Google & Voice MatchTurn on Hey Google Follow the prompts to set up Voice Match, so Google Assistant can recognize when you say “Hey Google.”
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Kurt’s key takeaways
There are so many ways to make using your smartphone easier, especially when it comes to sending messages. We’re all looking to save time during our busy days, so let your smartphone help you along the way by taking advantage of the shortcuts I’ve recommended.
What other shortcuts do you wish your smartphone could do? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter
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