Robert Birming

Your phone's built-in markdown editor

If you use just about any of the blogging platforms available today, there's a good chance that you use, or at least know about, the beautiful markup language markdown (yes, I know it sounds contradictory when you read it that way).

There's also a chance that you still prefer to use the default text editor on your device, which doesn't support markdown. Even though I'm an iA Writer user, I often find myself writing in the native TextEdit app on the Mac or Notes on the iPhone. It just feels faster and easier sometimes.

Keyboard shortcuts

I prefer to add links and formatting to the text as I go. Usually, when there's a natural break in the writing process. It feels like a fresh start when you return to writing afterward.

Since these apps don't have a built-in way to add markups, I've created keyboard shortcuts for things that feel cumbersome to do by hand. For example, to insert a link, I hit the letter 'L' three times, which produces the correct markdown:

[txt](URL)

Not perfect, but a lot easier than having to do it all by hand, character by character.

If you're using an iPhone, go to Settings -> General -> Keyboard -> Text Replacement to create your own. Your shortcuts will be synchronized across all your devices.

Good luck! 👈 (did this by hitting 'BBB').