PhraseExpress speeds up typing on your Android device:
PhraseExpress is available for Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and iPhone/iPad, too!
PhraseExpress for Android consists of the main App, an assistive service and the optional PhraseExpress keyboard:
To enable PhraseExpress inserting phrases in other Android Apps, you must activate the PhraseExpress assistive service or the optional PhraseExpress keyboard in the Android settings!
Decision Guidance: If you rely on 3rd party keyboard functions, e.g. a "swipe" feature or speech recognition, use the assistive service. Otherwise, consider using the PhraseExpress keyboard.
You can switch between both options later at any time.
The assistive service enables the PhraseExpress icon. It is displayed for a short time whenever you tap into any input field of any app:
Tapping the PhraseExpress icon opens a phrase menu for easy selection and insertion of the desired phrase.
If you do not wish to have the icon appear every time you tap into an input box, you can configure the icon in the App settings to show up only when being triggered by entering autotext shortcuts.
The assistive service cannot be used with the optional PhraseExpress custom keyboard at the same time (wouldn't make sense anyway).
The PhraseExpress keyboard includes the PhraseExpress icon for quick access to your phrase library:
The PhraseExpress keyboard is not designed to replace the system keyboard. It is optimized to allowing you to select and insert phrases from your PhraseExpress phrase library.
The PhraseExpress keyboard is available with English, German and Russian keyboard layouts.
After you installed the App, you can now:
The PhraseExpress App is used to create, edit, organize and delete your phrases.
Tap the PhraseExpress symbol to launch the App:
The maximum number of phrases is restricted in the freeware.
Autotext replaces text shortcuts (the Autotext) entered in any App with larger text phrases.
Option | Description |
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Executes a phrase after entering the autotext followed by either RETURN, SPACE or any default trailing delimiter such as punctuation marks: ![]() |
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Triggers a phrase immediately if typing the last letter of the autotext: ![]() Do not use this setting if the autotext can be part of your regular typing flow or part of a word. Example: The autotext "hav" would unwantedly trigger a text replacement whenever you enter the regular words "have", "behave", etc. |
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After entering the autotext, the phrase is offered in the smart bar on top of the PhraseExpress keyboard instead of being inserted automatically: ![]() You can either tap the suggestion or dismiss it and just continue to type. |
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Phrase are suggested in the smart bar of the PhraseExpress keyboard if you enter the beginning of its description: ![]() You do not need to define an Autotext. Smart Complete is caps-sensitive. SmartComplete is only available with the PhraseExpress keyboard. It does not work with the PhraseExpress assistive service. |
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Advanced Autotext settings that are supported by the Android device but can only be edited on a PhraseExpress Windows client. |
The spelling correction feature is realized with the regular autotext feature. The PhraseExpress sample phrase file contains spelling correction items that replace misspelled words with the correct form:
A phrase with the contents "word" is triggered by entering the associated autotext "wrod". This means if you enter "wrod", PhraseExpress will replace this auto-correct the misspelled word with the phrase contents.
The PhraseExpress App allows to use a selection of powerful macro functions to add dynamic contents in your phrases, such as a current time/date stamp, additional manual text input, etc.
The Pro Edition Android App supports a selection of macro functions which are described in the Windows client manual.
#insert, #datetime, #date, #time, #calc, #input, #sleep, #rnd, #mail, #url, #loop, #trim, #trimleft, #trimright, #length, #pos, #lastpos, #substr, #replace, #lowercase, #uppercase, #lowercasefirst, #uppercasefirst, #lowercaseword, #uppercaseword, #settemp, #gettemp, #checktext, #randomtext, #cond, #setclipboard, #insertclipboard, #form, #formtext, #formeditbox, #formcheckbox, #formradiogroup, #formcalendar, #formslider, #formnum, #formcombobox, #formphrasecombo.
The App phrase editor is not designed to create/edit macro functions. Macro functions are edited in the PhraseExpress for Windows client. The phrases can then be synced and used with your Android device.
Macro functions are adapted for use with mobile devices and may not have the entire feature set of the Windows version.
You can also insert a phrase by typing the Autotext you may have defined for the desired phrase.
Long-tap the PhraseExpress symbol to open the folder that contains the last used phrase. This allows you to sequentially insert multiple phrases of the same folder.
The phrase popup menu is shown in the lower left of the screen in following cases:
Cancel a popup menu by tapping anywhere else or by tapping the Android back button.
Long tap any phrase in the popup menu of the PhraseExpress symbol to quickly edit a phrase.
Memorizing text abbreviations to trigger phrases is tedious.
Instead, PhraseExpress enables you to intuitively select a phrase from a popup menu with a descriptive menu structure.
To organize your phrases in such customizable folder tree structure, you can create or edit folders and move or delete phrases and folders.
PhraseExpress uses Google Drive to sync phrases with other Android devices and/or PhraseExpress for Windows.
Sync between multiple Android devices requires Google Drive. It is enabled by default and must be configured only, if Google Drive is disabled.
Done! All Android devices now share the same phrase file.
To disable phrase file synchronization, disable Google Drive for PhraseExpress.
The Android App cannot directly load or sync Windows .pxp phrase files, because the Android .pxa phrase file format differs due to the different features set. To sync with Windows, you need to initiate the connection from the Android device.
PhraseExpress for Windows adds the Android phrase file as an additional phrase file node into the tree view of the main program window.
PhraseExpress now syncs the Android phrase file node with the Android. However, it does not sync the Windows phrase file.
You can now drag & drop phrases in the Windows client to move them from the Windows to the Android phrase file node for use and synchronization with your Android device.
Some settings will be removed if you move phrases created in Windows into the Android phrase file node (Text formatting, bitmaps, program restrictions, access right settings, etc.)!
If you want to keep taking advantage of the Windows version's full feature potential while still be able to sync with Android, copy (instead of move) the desired phrases into the Android phrase file node. You will then have one version in the Windows phrase file node with full functionality and a second version in the Android phrase file node with the stripped down duplicate.
As this creates phrase duplicates on the Windows client, you may want to disable autotext for the copied items: Right-click the phrase folders or mobile phrase file node and uncheck the context menu option "
" (Only the Windows client recognizes this setting. The Android App ignores it).Your phrases and folder structure are stored in a single phrase file "phrases.pxa"in following location:
The phrase file is encrpyted and not designed to be edited with a regular text editor.
Back up your Android device to external storage media to prevent data loss!
PhraseExpress can calculate the approximate time savings based on an average typing speed and a customizable hour rate. You can change the hour rate by tapping on the info button of the popup menu.
Given an average typing speed of 60 characters a minute, you would need approx. 2 minutes to enter a text containing 120 letters. When using PhraseExpress you would only require approximately 5 seconds to select the phrase or to trigger the Autotext. Thus, your time savings is 115 seconds for each phrase. Given an hourly rate of $20, PhraseExpress saved you 64 cents ($20 per hour * (120 seconds - 5 seconds) / (60 seconds * 60 minutes) = $.64).
PhraseExpress uses the currency as defined in the regional settings.
The PhraseExpress Android App is a free download and includes a basic feature set free-of-charge for personal use.
It can be extended by "InApp" purchases made within the App to obtain additional features which are outlined in the Google Playstore App description.
It is very important to understand, that all licensing is exclusively handled by the Google Playstore. Licenses are tied to the Google account you are using while making a purchase in the Playstore.
Make sure to use the device with the Google account, you have used to make the purchase. If you change to another Google Playstore account, the App is not licensed anymore.
If you change your Android device, all purchases should be automatically recovered if you are using the same Google purchase you have used for the purchase.
Only Google has insight of any purchase and licensing. We as the maker do not sell or license the App. We don't even know of who purchased our App. This is a design decision made by Google.
Therefore, if you run into any licensing issue, it is important to understand, that Google is your main contact. Google has all information to establish and/or recover any App license you have purchased.
If you purchased an App license but the App remains/reverts to the free edition, carefully check the following tips:
We designed the App to minimize access to the Android operating system. However, PhraseExpress must be granted access to following system resources to provide the desired functionality.
Your trust in our software is important and we want to inform you in detail why the App requires access to specific Android system information:
Access Permission | Additional information |
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InApp purchases | The free app can be extended with InApp purchases (Google information about InApp purchases). |
Other Application UI | Enables PhraseExpress to display the PhraseExpress icon in other apps. |
If using the assistive service: Monitor your actions | PhraseExpress needs to know which app you are using to be able to paste phrase contents in that app. This is the essential and desired functionality. PhraseExpress does not store/send this information anywhere. |
If using the assistive service: Retrieve window content | PhraseExpress needs to know what you enter into a target app to be able to detect Autotext and to insert phrases in the target app. PhraseExpress does not store/send this information anywhere. |
If using the PhraseExpress keyboard | PhraseExpress needs to know what you are typing to detect and process input of Autotext. PhraseExpress does not store/send this information anywhere. |
PhraseExpress never sends any of your keyboard input or phrases to us. Period.
Please find more information in our privacy policy.