Check three things. Is the feature turned on where you type? Does the shortcut match exactly, and did you finish it with a space or tap the suggestion? Does the app use your device’s text replacements at all? Many don’t: Word, Outlook, Gmail, and Google Docs keep their own lists. Then follow the guide for your device or app below.
Published by LazyBoard, with AI-assisted drafting. Each linked guide lists the sources it was checked against.
Built-in text replacement works differently on every device, and many apps ignore it. That is why a shortcut can expand in Notes and do nothing in Word, or appear on your phone but not on your computer. These checks solve most problems, and the guides below cover the rest.
Three quick checks
- Is it turned on where you type? On a Mac it is per app (Edit > Substitutions). On Android it depends on predictive text. In Google Docs it is a Preferences setting.
- Does the shortcut match, and did you finish it? Type it exactly as saved, then a space or punctuation. On Android, tap the phrase in the suggestion bar.
- Does the app use it at all? Word, Outlook, Gmail, and Google Docs have their own features instead, so your device’s list won’t work there.
Fixes by device
- Mac: turn on Text Replacement in the app’s Edit > Substitutions menu, check the entry in System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements, and know which apps ignore it.
- iPhone and iPad: check the entry in Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, use Apple’s keyboard, and press space after the shortcut.
- Android (Samsung and Gboard): turn on predictive text, use the keyboard that holds your shortcuts, and tap the phrase in the suggestion bar.
- Windows: Windows has no built-in text replacement list, so use PowerToys for a few phrases, or AutoHotkey or a text expander for more.
Fixes by app
- Microsoft Word on Mac: Word ignores macOS text replacements and uses its own AutoCorrect list.
- Outlook: use Quick Parts from the message body; in classic Outlook, pop the reply out to see the Insert menu.
- Gmail: turn on templates in Advanced settings, then find them under More options in the compose window.
- Google Docs: check Automatic substitution and each entry under Tools > Preferences > Substitutions.
The same shortcuts everywhere
Each built-in feature keeps its own list, so a shortcut you add on your Mac doesn’t reach Word, Gmail, or a Windows PC. A text expander keeps one library instead. LazyBoard works in the Mac app, the Windows app, and the Chrome extension, and LazyBoard Pro syncs your library between them. Its phone keyboard for iPhone and Android is a separate app with its own library.
Some apps and editors restrict insertion, so test your main apps first; when a shortcut can’t expand, the snippet picker’s Copy button still gets the text in.
See LazyBoard for Mac, Windows and Chrome
Common questions
Why does my text replacement not work?
Usually one of three things: the feature is off where you are typing, the shortcut doesn’t match exactly or wasn’t finished with a space, or the app doesn’t use your device’s text replacements at all. Word, Outlook, Gmail, and Google Docs each use their own feature instead.
Why does text replacement work in some apps but not others?
Built-in text replacement only works in apps that use your device’s standard text system. Apps with their own editors, such as Word or many web apps, ignore it, so you need the app’s own feature or a text expander there.
Does Windows have text replacement?
Not a built-in list like macOS or iPhone. You can make a key combination type a phrase with PowerToys, or use AutoHotkey or a text expander for abbreviations that expand as you type.