T9 Texting Challenge
Before touchscreens, every text was typed on a number keypad. Press 2 once for A, twice for B, three times for C. Type the message on the old phone as fast as you can. The clock starts on your first press.
- Free
- No download or sign-up
- Runs in your browser
Type this message
Keyboard works too: number keys to type, Backspace to delete, Enter to confirm a letter.
Two letters on the same key in a row (like the "ll" in "call")? Wait a moment, or press # to confirm the first one, before typing the next.
Multi-tap vs T9
This challenge uses multi-tap: you press a key repeatedly to cycle through its letters. It's how everyone texted at first, and it's why "s" (four presses of 7) was so annoying.
T9 ("text on 9 keys") was the clever upgrade, developed by Tegic Communications in the 1990s. You pressed each key once and the phone guessed the word from a dictionary: 4-6-6-3 could be "good" or "home", and you pressed a key to switch between them. Fast texters could type without looking.
Texting history in 4 facts
- The first text message, "Merry Christmas", was sent from a computer to a phone in December 1992.
- Texts were limited to 160 characters, a number chosen in the 1980s as long enough for most short messages.
- Text speak ("gr8", "c u l8r") grew out of saving key presses and characters.
- Phones with full keyboards, then touchscreens, finally made multi-tap a memory.
More nostalgia: hear the dial-up modem sound, or race old computers in You vs Computers.
FAQ
How did T9 typing work?
Each number key held 3 or 4 letters. With T9 you pressed each key once per letter and the phone picked the most likely word; with multi-tap you pressed a key several times to choose the letter.
What is a good score?
Experienced texters in the 2000s could manage 2 to 3 letters a second on multi-tap. Under 1 letter a second is a typical first try.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Tap the keypad on screen. On a computer you can also use the number keys.
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