It takes practice. I text with my thumbs, with an occasional index finger tossed in here or there :) I don't do quite as well on my touch screen iPhone as I did on a couple Blackberries I had.

It depends on what I'm doing and how long my nails are. I know I look like a fogey too....LOL And unfortunately, have the time my messages look as though I have text trets. :c)

I use thumbs but I'm about to switch to a pen...it's all so tiny...
I am categorically ole fogey, I'll always have a quirty keyboard and for the nearish future, no I phone or whatever the latest "I want it" gadget is.

Thank you dlm for the correct spelling! I'm not being sarcastic, btw.

This post was edited by Bumblebeez on Fri, Mar 29, 13 at 23:17

With a physical keyboard, whether QUIRTY or not, I can thumb text at a fast clip. But on a screen keyboard there's no way I can use my thumbs effectively. I text quite a bit and have certainly tried to recreate the thumb efficiency but it doesn't work for me. However, my phone has an amazing predictive dictionary that learns my speech/text patterns so texting is a breeze now. I don't have the Damn You Auto Correct issues!!!

I use my index fingers. I've tried my thumbs but its not as comfortable.

With my galaxy3 , there is no way...dang thing is too big( which is it's big plus and equal minus. ) I do text a lot and i sooooo miss using my thumbs. The voice system, however, is excellent......won 't use it in public, though. Feel silly. I've never seen quirty vs qwerty...really? Gotta google that. I was looking forwrd to new blackberry's no. 2 phone, which will have a real qwerty keyboard, along with all the latest stuff. Review, however, says new bb is a bit of a learning curve. Not another one! Nooooo!

The only way I can text is with my thumbs. DH uses his index finger, but I can't do that! I had an iPhone and learned to text with that-now I've got an Android and it's got voice recognition, so I don't even need to type. But when I do, its got that auto dictionary, so I can start to type and then just touch the word I want. It did have that autocorrect feature but I managed to turn it off, since it didn't like my DD's name. Now I can put in a word not in the dictionary and then save it.

Must say tho, that I am flirting with getting a stylus, because I am just not as flexible with my thumbs as I used to be.

Bumble - not sure what I corrected - the quirty/qwerty thing? for heavens sake don't take my word on anything! I've seen it both ways but martinca is probably right that qwerty is the standard. Really takes thought for me to NOT put a U after a Q!!!

I use my thumbs too.

The reason it is qwerty is because those are the first letters on the top row of letters on old typewriters and today on most of our keyboards (the French keyboard is different and maybe others-not sure). Still using my index fingers to type that! ha.

:)

with my keyboard phone, i always used my thumbs and got quite good/fast at texting. but, with the touchscreen, i prefer to text with my phone held vertically and my thumbs are too big to accurately text with them... but when i hold my phone horizontally it is awkward... so i text more slowly now with my index finger--it's been a couple of years and my speed hasn't increased very much!

I'm not sure why texting with your fingers would make you old fogey and who cares anyway? Do what is comfortable for you. I do either/or but probably more so with my fingers. I could not use a pen or stylus. Love my iphone and the touch screen.

Honestly, though, no one has ever asked me about my texting. Then again, it's probably not something you do much in front of others.

Index finger, but all my kids use their thumbs and are so fast. Old fogey.

Index finger here. My thumbs are stupid. They don't know where the letters are on the touch screen.

one index finger and one thumb

When I had my first "smart" phone it was in an Otterbox so I used my thumbs. My new cell is in a wallet style and I very rarely fold the flap completely back so I now use my index finger more often than not. I can easily do either way. When home I often use the microphone as it's still the easiest. I also use that feature when driving. Well not actually driving. I don't read or reply unless I'm at a stop sign, light, or pull over. Hubby just bought me a new stereo for my vehicle that connects via blue tooth with my cell. Not sure if I can "hear" texts yet as I've not taken time to use it. That sure would be nice. That and if I can use the voice feature to reply.

I would use the eraser end of a pencil if I ever sent a text, but so far, I am a texting virgin. My phone has a QWERTY keyboard, but it is not a smart phone, and I have no plans to get one. I'm not trying to out-old fogey anyone - I just don't see the need for one. I learned to type when I was 14 and am very comfortable with a normal sized keyboard. I've had email since 1995, which is more than 20 years now - it doesn't seem like that long. At this point, I am sick of email and often find it a nuisance. At work I only check my email every two or three hours, and so I tell people to call me if anything is urgent. My boss still sends faxes, and so I recently got a new fax machine at work. I have to fax drawings to her rather than email them because she only recently got an ipad (and barely knows how to use it) and cannot print from that.

Here's another question, not to change the subject, but how often do you text? I ask because I never do it. If I were younger and had more friends, I would probably text. I asked my nieces why they felt the need to text, and they told me that it was the best way to keep track of each other in a noisy, crowded bar/club.

I do receive texts, however, but I do not turn my phone on unless I am expecting one, which is either when I am waiting for a prescription to be ready or when I am traveling. I used a cell phone every day in Costa Rica, but that was for confirming hotel availability.

Always my fingers.

Blackberries were the easiest for typing. I was so quick almost or as good as typing. I used my thumbs on that one. Never fingers I liked feeling each little key. Now, it takes me forever and I always make mistakes!

90% of the time, like right now, I use my voice. If not voice texting I use my index finger. My phone connects to my car. When i get a text message the car will automatically read it for me and if I choose I can reply with a choice of several canned messages.... never touching the phone.

I have not yet given up my dumb phone for a smart phone, because I would miss my keyboard with actual keys! I'm a pretty fast texter, thanks to my kids. They never call or want to be called, but keep in touch constantly by text. Sometimes I will be texting back and forth with my husband, when he will call me. Then I remember that sometimes calling IS faster. For my best friends, one is almost completely deaf : texting is a godsend. My other best friend can't talk; can only whisper due to paralyzed vocal chords. Ditto about the godsend. Texting means a lot of people can communicate who were locked away before.

I try with my thumbs, and I've gotten better with practice. Still use my index finger when I can't be bothered; or sometimes all my fingers. Sometimes it depends on how I'm holding the phone and/or how long the text is.

Index because I use swype, but sometimes I speak into the microphone instead. I'm not an old fogey, just older

I'm all thumbs. Apparently my autocorrect agrees.

Moved up (?) to thumbs without even realizing --- until i saw this post. I could have sworn I was using my fingers.

This may be the strangest of all? I do all texting and on tablet keyboard with the middle finger of my right hand and I'm left-handed! Go figure?

Thumbs are too big and get in the way of seeing the letters, or end up typing the wrong letters. Finger texting leads to 100 percent perfect typing.