What do I do with my nails when trying to type on the iPhone keyboard?

Well, I don’t know if touch devices are designed with nails in mind. But, remember that most users have reported feeling much more comfortable with the iPhone keyboard after a couple weeks of use. I know I just had to try my best for about a week until I was able to build up speed at typing on the iPhone. Maybe begin considering more drastic means after two weeks (like trimming your nails…), but I would definitely give it a chance first.

hi gail :) It took a couple of weeks for me as well and I agree with the nail trimming suggestion; at least you don’t have sausage thumbs! (figuratively speaking) even with short nails I still have trouble with my wide thumbs…

It’s useful to remember that the iPhone screen isn’t pressure sensitive, so you can make a very light contact with the ‘peak’ of the fleshy part of your thumb or finger and that gives you much more precision. It’s an acquired technique, but I find I’m very accurate (oh and trusting the recognition helps a lot.. even when I’ve mistyped the first 8 characters of a 10-letter word the system gets it with the last two letters).

So, as usual, it’s the old “how to get to Carnegie Hall” advice. Andnot that I have Fu Man Chu claws – just a nice look. And not that I am actually planning to buy an iPhone (stock just passed the $200 mark, BTW,) in the near future. But I enjoyed having a peek.

Nails come in handy – tightening screws on drawer knobs, untying shoelace knots, etc

I have a relatively horrible time thumbing on the iPhone and believe that Apple pretty subtly hints at this limitation in their marketing (where you’ll notice that no one uses their thumb).

I find my thumbs very useful on the iPod touch/iPhone, but my nails aren’t too long. I find it hard to imagine my nails interfering with the way my thumbs tap the screen as I’m using the underside of my thumbs (where the fingerprint is), not the tips. Putting the iPod/iPhone on a table and using my index fingers works fine too. I guess my question to you would be: How do you type on a regular keyboard?

The old qwerty touch-type technique; and I use the fleshy tops of fingers under the nails. I can fly along at a really fast clip. Thumbs mind their own business in front of keyboard.

But of course, there is a dramatic difference in size of each key.

I use the sides of my fingers or my knuckles