Guide
Where your iPhone text replacement list lives, and how to read the whole thing
The text replacement list is at Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement. How to find it, search it, sort it, export it - and what to do when the list is empty or missing entries.
The list is at Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement.
That is four taps deep, under a menu most people never open, and searching Settings for “text replacement list” returns nothing useful. The path is the same on iPad.
Reading a long list
The list is alphabetical by shortcut and scroll-only. Two things make a long one navigable:
- Pull down anywhere in the list to reveal the search field. It matches on both the shortcut and the phrase.
- The A-Z index down the right edge jumps you to a letter, the same as Contacts.
There is no sort order other than alphabetical by shortcut, no folders, no tags, and no way to see the phrases as a single page.
There is no export
Apple provides no way to export, print or back up the list. Entries sync through iCloud to other devices signed into the same Apple Account, but that is replication, not a backup - if the list is reset on one device, the reset propagates.
This matters more than it sounds. Several iOS updates have restored the list to
the single default omw entry, and the previous contents were not recoverable
from the device. If a replacement is load-bearing for your work, Settings is the
wrong only-copy.
When the list looks wrong
Empty, or down to one entry. An update reset it. Check another device signed into the same account before assuming the entries are gone.
An entry is listed but does not expand. Being in the list is not the same as working. A shortcut with a space in it, one that starts with a capital letter, a duplicate shortcut, or an app that uses a custom text view will all produce an entry that sits there and does nothing. The causes and fixes are separate.
Entries missing on one device only. iCloud sync for keyboard data is separate from iCloud Drive and can lag by hours. Confirm the same Apple Account on both devices.
If you have outgrown it
Text replacement is built for short abbreviations that expand to short strings. It holds one line of plain text with no formatting, no attachments and no blanks to fill in per message, and those limits are fixed.
A keyboard that keeps your replies as a browsable, searchable library - with folders, with blanks it prompts you to fill, and with a copy you actually control - is a different tool for the same job. That is what Fast Reply is.
Common questions
Where is text replacement on iPhone?
Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement. It is four levels deep and there is no Settings search result for the phrase "text replacement list", which is why it is hard to find. On iPad the path is identical.
How do I see all my text replacements at once?
Open the list and pull down to reveal the search field, or use the A-Z index down the right edge. There is no way to view them as a single page, and no built-in export - the list is scroll-only, sorted alphabetically by shortcut.
Can I export or back up my text replacement list?
Not from Settings. Apple provides no export. The entries sync through iCloud to your other Apple devices, but there is no file you can save, print or move to another phone outside that. Anything you rely on is worth keeping somewhere you control.
Why is my text replacement list empty?
Most often an iOS update reset it - some updates restore the list to just the default omw entry. The old entries are not recoverable from the device once this happens. Check whether iCloud Drive is on and whether another signed-in device still shows them.
Why does the list show entries that do not expand?
An entry can be present and still not fire: a shortcut containing a space or starting with a capital, a duplicate shortcut, or an app with a custom text view that bypasses expansion. The list is not a guarantee the replacement works.
Start from a ready-made set
Every reply written out, blanks and all. Read them first - installing puts the whole folder on your keyboard in one tap, free.