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iPhone Keyboard Shortcuts and Gestures — iOS 18 Cheat Sheet
iPhone keyboard shortcuts, gestures, and button combinations for iOS 18, including navigation, text editing, Control Center, and accessibility.
104 shortcuts across 9 categories
iPhone keyboard shortcuts, gestures, and button combinations for iOS 18, including navigation, text editing, Control Center, and accessibility.
Essential Gestures
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Go Home | Swipe Up from Bottom Edge | From any app, swipe up from the very bottom of the screen to return to the Home Screen |
| Open App Switcher | Swipe Up from Bottom → Pause | Swipe up from the bottom and hold briefly to open the App Switcher (recent apps) |
| Switch Between Recent Apps | Swipe Left/Right on Bottom Edge | Slide your finger left or right along the bottom bar to quickly switch between recent apps |
| Open Control Center | Swipe Down from Top-Right Corner | Swipe down from the top-right corner (where the battery indicator is) to open Control Center |
| Open Notification Center | Swipe Down from Top-Left Corner | Swipe down from the top-left (where the time is) to see all your notifications |
| Dismiss Notification | Swipe Left on Notification | Swipe left on a notification for options to view, manage, or clear it |
| Scroll to Top | Tap Status Bar (Time) | Tap the top status bar (where the time is shown) to instantly scroll back to the top of any list or page |
| Go Back (Swipe) | Swipe Right from Left Edge | Swipe in from the left edge of the screen to go back in most apps |
| Peek at Notification | Long Press Notification | Long press a notification to expand it and see actions without leaving the current screen |
| Reachability (One-Hand Mode) | Swipe Down on Bottom Indicator Bar | Swipe down on the home bar at the very bottom to bring the top of the screen within thumb reach |
| Open Spotlight Search | Swipe Down on Home Screen | Swipe down anywhere on the Home Screen (not the status bar) to open Spotlight Search |
| Open Today View / Widgets | Swipe Right on Home Screen (first page) | Swipe right past the first page of the Home Screen to see Today View with widgets |
Button Combinations
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Take Screenshot | Side Button + Volume Up | Press both simultaneously to take a screenshot — it appears as a thumbnail in the bottom-left corner |
| Power Off / Slide to Power Off | Side Button + Volume Down (hold) | Hold both buttons together until the power-off slider appears, then slide to turn off |
| Emergency SOS (rapid press) | Side Button (×5) | Rapidly press the side button 5 times to call emergency services and notify your emergency contacts |
| Emergency SOS (hold) | Side Button + Volume (hold 3s) | Hold the side button and either volume button for 3 seconds to trigger Emergency SOS |
| Invoke Siri | Side Button (hold) | Hold the side button and release to speak your Siri request |
| Force Restart | Volume Up → Volume Down → Side Button (hold) | Quickly press Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears |
| Toggle Accessibility Shortcut | Side Button (×3) | Triple-click the Side button to trigger whichever Accessibility Shortcut is configured in Settings |
| Mute / Unmute (Ring/Silent) | Ring/Silent Switch (left side) | Flip the small toggle switch on the upper-left side of the phone to silence all ringtones and alerts |
| Adjust Volume | Volume Up / Volume Down | Adjust speaker volume during calls, media, or ringtones |
| Wake / Sleep Display | Side Button (tap) | Tap the side button once to lock or wake the screen |
| Action Button (iPhone 15 Pro+) | Action Button (hold) | Hold the customisable Action Button on the left side to trigger your assigned action: Mute, Camera, Shortcut, Translate, and more |
Control Center & Quick Actions
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle Wi-Fi | Control Center → Wi-Fi icon | Tap the Wi-Fi icon in Control Center to toggle it; hold to see nearby networks |
| Toggle Bluetooth | Control Center → Bluetooth icon | Tap to toggle Bluetooth; hold to see and connect to nearby devices |
| Toggle Airplane Mode | Control Center → Airplane icon | Turn Airplane Mode on or off without opening Settings |
| Toggle Flashlight | Control Center → Flashlight icon | Tap to turn the LED torch on/off; hold to adjust brightness |
| Adjust Screen Brightness | Control Center → Brightness Slider | Drag the brightness tile up or down to adjust display brightness |
| Focus Mode | Control Center → Focus icon | Tap the crescent moon to activate Focus modes (Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Work, etc.) |
| Open Camera from Lock Screen | Long Press Camera icon (Lock Screen) | Long press the camera icon on the lock screen for instant Camera access |
| Screen Mirror / AirPlay | Control Center → Screen Mirroring | Share your iPhone display to an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible display |
| Now Playing Controls | Control Center → Now Playing tile | Tap the song tile to expand music controls; swipe to skip or rewind |
| Toggle Dark Mode | Control Center → Dark Mode tile | Tap the Dark Mode tile (if added to Control Center) to switch appearance |
| Screen Recording | Control Center → Screen Record tile | Tap to start recording the screen; tap the red status bar and stop to end recording |
Camera & Photos
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Open Camera (from Lock Screen) | Long Press Camera icon | Long press the camera icon on the lock screen to open Camera without unlocking |
| Take Photo | Volume Up or Volume Down | Either volume button captures a photo while the Camera app is open |
| Take Burst Photos | Volume Up (hold) | Hold Volume Up to capture a rapid burst of photos |
| Quick Video (QuickTake) | Hold Shutter Button | Hold the white shutter button in Photo mode to capture a QuickTake video |
| Switch Camera Mode | Swipe Left/Right on Viewfinder | Swipe left or right to switch between Photo, Video, Portrait, Pano, Cinematic, etc. |
| Zoom In | Pinch Out (2 fingers) | Spread two fingers apart on the viewfinder to zoom in |
| Zoom Out | Pinch In (2 fingers) | Bring two fingers together on the viewfinder to zoom out |
| Switch Front/Rear Camera | Tap Flip Camera icon | Tap the circular arrows to switch between front and rear cameras |
| Set Focus & Exposure | Tap on Subject | Tap the subject to focus on it; a yellow square confirms focus point |
| Lock Focus & Exposure (AE/AF Lock) | Long Press on Subject | Long press to lock AE/AF so focus and exposure don't change |
| Screenshot and Mark Up | Side + Volume Up → Tap thumbnail | Take a screenshot then immediately tap the thumbnail to annotate before saving |
Text & Editing
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Precision Cursor Movement | Long Press Spacebar → Slide | Long press the spacebar to turn the keyboard into a trackpad for precise cursor placement |
| Select Text (Trackpad Mode) | Spacebar hold + tap 2nd finger | While in trackpad mode, tap with a second finger to start selecting text |
| Select a Word | Double Tap on Word | Double tap any word to select it instantly |
| Select a Paragraph | Triple Tap on Paragraph | Triple tap to select the entire paragraph |
| Cut (gesture) | Three-Finger Pinch (close) | Pinch closed with three fingers to cut selected text |
| Copy (gesture) | Three-Finger Double Pinch (close) | Double pinch closed with three fingers to copy selected text |
| Paste (gesture) | Three-Finger Spread (open) | Spread three fingers outward to paste from the clipboard |
| Undo | Shake Device | Shake the iPhone to trigger an Undo prompt |
| Undo (gesture) | Three-Finger Swipe Left | Swipe left with three fingers to undo the last action |
| Redo (gesture) | Three-Finger Swipe Right | Swipe right with three fingers to redo the last undone action |
| Dictation | Microphone key on Keyboard | Tap the microphone on the keyboard to dictate text by voice |
Siri & Automation
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Activate Siri | Side Button (hold) | Hold the Side button and release to speak your Siri request |
| Hey Siri (Hands-Free) | Say 'Hey Siri' or 'Siri' | Just say 'Hey Siri' (or 'Siri' on newer iPhone models) without touching the device |
| Type to Siri | Activate Siri → Type | After activating Siri, type instead of speaking (enable in Settings > Accessibility > Siri) |
| Run a Shortcut | Shortcuts App or 'Hey Siri, run [name]' | Run any automation from the Shortcuts app or by asking Siri |
| Back Tap Action | Double or Triple Tap Back of iPhone | Set in Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap to trigger actions like screenshot or a Shortcut |
| AssistiveTouch Menu | Tap AssistiveTouch Floating Button | A floating on-screen button gives one-tap access to Home, Volume, Siri, and custom gestures |
| Announce Notifications (AirPods) | Siri reads notifications aloud | When wearing AirPods, Siri can announce incoming notifications without you touching the phone |
Safari Browser
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Open New Tab | Tap + button | Tap the plus button in the tab bar to open a new tab |
| Close Tab | Long Press Tab → Close | Long press any tab thumbnail to see the option to close it |
| Switch Tabs (swipe) | Swipe Left/Right on Address Bar | Swipe left or right across the address bar to switch between open tabs |
| Show All Tabs | Tap Tab icon (bottom right) | Tap the overlapping squares button to see the grid of all open tabs |
| Reload Page | Tap Reload icon (address bar) | Tap the circular arrow in the address bar to reload |
| Go Back | Swipe Right from Left Edge | Swipe in from the left edge to navigate back in Safari (same as the system back gesture) |
| Reader Mode | Tap Reader icon (address bar) | Tap the Reader icon (four horizontal lines) to view a clean, distraction-free version of an article |
| Share / Copy Link | Tap Share icon | Tap the Share button to copy the URL, share, save to Reading List, or add to Home Screen |
| Add to Reading List | Share → Add to Reading List | Save a page to the offline Reading List for later viewing without internet |
| Open Reading List | Tap Book icon → Reading List | Tap the book icon then choose the reading glasses tab to view saved articles |
| Private Browsing | Tap Tab icon → Private | Open the tab switcher and tap 'Private' to start a private browsing session |
| Zoom In (page) | Pinch Out (2 fingers) | Spread two fingers to zoom into a webpage (on non-responsive sites) |
| Scroll to Top | Tap Status Bar | Tap the top status bar to instantly scroll back to the top of the page |
External Keyboard
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Home Screen | Cmd + H | Go to the Home Screen (works with a connected Bluetooth or Smart Keyboard) |
| App Switcher | Cmd + Tab | Open the App Switcher to cycle through recent apps with an external keyboard |
| Switch to Next App | Cmd + Tab | Cycle to the next most recently used app |
| Quit App (from Switcher) | Cmd + Q | While in the App Switcher, press Cmd+Q to force-quit the highlighted app |
| Spotlight Search | Cmd + Space | Open Spotlight Search from anywhere on the Home Screen or in an app |
| Screenshot | Cmd + Shift + 3 | Capture a screenshot using a connected keyboard (same as Side + Volume Up) |
| Lock Screen | Cmd + L | Lock the iPhone immediately from an external keyboard |
| Find in App | Cmd + F | Open the in-app search bar in apps that support it (Safari, Notes, Messages, etc.) |
| Select All | Cmd + A | Select all text or items in the current context |
| Copy | Cmd + C | Copy the selected item to the clipboard |
| Cut | Cmd + X | Cut the selected item to the clipboard |
| Paste | Cmd + V | Paste from the clipboard |
| Undo | Cmd + Z | Undo the last action |
| Redo | Cmd + Shift + Z | Redo the last undone action |
| Show Keyboard Shortcuts | Cmd (hold) | Hold the Cmd key in any app to see a list of available keyboard shortcuts for that app |
| Bold | Cmd + B | Toggle bold text formatting in apps that support rich text (Notes, Mail, etc.) |
| Italic | Cmd + I | Toggle italic text formatting |
| Underline | Cmd + U | Toggle underline text formatting |
| New Line / New Item | Return | Create a new line or confirm an action |
| Navigate Fields | Tab | Move focus to the next form field or interactive element |
Accessibility
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| VoiceOver On/Off | Side Button (×3) | Triple-click the Side button to toggle VoiceOver if configured as the Accessibility Shortcut |
| Zoom In/Out | Double Tap with 3 Fingers | Double tap with three fingers to toggle screen zoom (enable in Settings > Accessibility > Zoom) |
| Zoom Pan | Three-Finger Drag while Zoomed | Drag with three fingers to pan around the zoomed-in screen |
| Guided Access | Side Button (×3) → Guided Access | Lock the iPhone into a single app with configurable screen area restrictions |
| Live Captions | Side Button (×3) → Live Captions | Real-time on-screen transcription of speech near the microphone |
| Magnifier | Side Button (×3) → Magnifier | Use the camera as a magnifying glass with zoom, contrast, and colour filters |
| Display Accommodations | Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size | Enable colour filters, reduce white point, invert colours, and increase text size |
| Hearing Aid Mode | Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Hearing Devices | Pair Made-for-iPhone hearing aids and control audio routing from Control Center |
iPhone Tips & Tricks
- Back Tap for Instant Actions: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap and assign double or triple tap on the back of your iPhone to any action — screenshot, scroll, mute, Reachability, or run a custom Shortcut.
- Spacebar Trackpad: Long press the spacebar to turn the keyboard into a precision trackpad. While holding, tap with a second finger to start selecting text. This is the fastest way to precisely position the cursor on iPhone.
- Three-Finger Gestures Replace the Edit Menu: Instead of long-pressing for copy/paste menus: pinch closed with three fingers to cut, double-pinch to copy, spread to paste, swipe left to undo, swipe right to redo.
- Control Center is Fully Customisable: Go to Settings > Control Center to add, remove, and reorder tiles. Add Screen Recording, Dark Mode toggle, Hearing, Text Size, Accessibility Shortcuts, and more.
- Shortcuts App = Personal Automation: The Shortcuts app lets you chain actions into powerful one-tap automations — morning routines, focus switching, quick messages. Add them to the Home Screen, share them with friends, or trigger them with Siri.
- Force Restart When Frozen: If your iPhone freezes completely: quickly press Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo. This is safe and works even on a fully frozen device.
- Action Button (iPhone 15 Pro+): The Action Button on iPhone 15 Pro and later can be assigned in Settings > Action Button to: Silent mode, Camera, Flashlight, Focus, Voice Memo, Translate, Magnifier, or any Shortcut.