In a world where nearly everyone has a cellular phone or smart phone, texting as a form of communication has gained notoriety from both advocates as well as critics. For those who have embraced the QWERTY cell phone keyboard with open arms, it becomes increasingly important to have quick thumbs in order to keep up with multiple IM conversations, Twitter updates, Facebook statuses, and web searches.

Rolling and Sliding – Texting Tricks and Techniques to Help you Text More Quickly

Aside from a generous heap of practice, which will inevitably increase your texting speed due to increased familiarity with the keypad layout, there are also two distinct techniques known to the expert texter – rolling and sliding.

Rolling the keys refers to the practice of striking multiple keys in sequence with your thumb, rolling over the keypad. This is most useful when commonly paired keys are adjacent to each other on the keypad, allowing you to do the work of two strokes in one movement. A and S, E and D, E and R, and E and W are the most likely suspects to consider when practicing this move. Get in the habit of placing your thumb in between these keys when they will be needed in sequence and merely rolling your thumb to place pressure on them, and back again.

Sliding simply refers to the practice of ensuring that your thumbs remain in contact with the keypad at all times. This provides assistance in two different ways – not only does this mean that less pressure will be necessary to produce the correct keystroke (ie. You are not stabbing at small keys) but it also ensures a better grip on your mobile phone, reducing the chance of a fumble or drop.

If You Have an iPhone, There's an App for That

Those privileged texters who own an iPhone and aspire to the title of fastest fingers in the West would do well to download one of the many apps available on the iTunes store that aim to help you improve your texting speed. These apps typically range in price from absolutely nothing – how can you beat that? – to a few dollars.

iTextSpeed LITE is a program designed by Zachary Poley, available for free from the iTunes store as well as in a fully-featured version for purchase. With a simple, no-frills graphical layout and a full dictionary of words ripe for the texting, this is an excellent companion for those looking to become more proficient text typists.

For those who would prefer a more fully featured and entertaining program, ScrewAttack's Texting of the Bread combines a hilarious story with tight gameplay in order to prod reluctant texters into practice. The plot is simple, an evil scientist has created an army of zombified gingerbread men, and it is up to you to stop them! Seventy five levels and three seperate game modes await those who dare to chance $1.99 on this newly-released and highly-rated application.

By combining proper texting technique, practice, and software applications together, you will be sure to increase your texting speed dramatically. No longer left behind in a crowded IM window or a too-late Facebook status update, the consummate texter is never left behind in an increasingly harried mobile culture and society.

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