# Steno Keyboard Pocket — Steno chords on your iPhone > iPhone stenography keyboard for chord-based text input and dictionary translation. (iPhone/iPad app by MICHAEL ANGELO DURGIN.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steno-keyboard-pocket/id6792498937 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [MICHAEL ANGELO DURGIN](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791267484) - Category: Productivity, Utilities - Price: $4.99 - Rating: 5.00/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 3 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 11 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-07-29 - Data updated: 2026-09-02 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steno-keyboard-pocket/id6792498937/reviews.md ## What is Steno Keyboard Pocket? Steno Keyboard Pocket brings stenographic writing to iPhone. Instead of one key per letter, you press several keys at once. A dictionary translates that chord into a word, a phrase, or punctuation. HOW IT WORKS ON A PHONE Press your chord, then press Translate. The Translate key sits where the space bar normally would, so the rhythm is chord, translate, chord, translate. On a screen this size that is more reliable than trying to lift a whole chord cleanly, and it means a mistimed finger does not send the wrong word. WHAT IT IS NOT Pocket is Translate only. It does not include lift to send, the steno mode built around it, or the wide proportioned board those need. Those are on the iPad app, Steno Keyboard. If you want to write steno with both hands, that is the one to buy. YOUR DICTIONARIES Import Plover format JSON, or RTF/CRE files from most CAT software. Dictionaries are priority ordered, so a personal dictionary can override a general one. Large dictionaries are supported. FOR LEARNING AND FOR LOOKUP Look up how any word is written, and read a plain English explanation of what an entry's formatting codes actually do. Define a word you just wrote without leaving what you were doing. Useful for drilling a brief on the bus even if the real writing happens elsewhere. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Nothing you type leaves your device. No account, no analytics, no server of ours. Translation happens locally. REQUIRES A DICTIONARY This is a custom keyboard and it needs a steno dictionary to do anything. The app can download a free starter dictionary, or you can import your own. ## Key features - Chord-based stenographic input - On-device dictionary translation - Import Plover/RTF dictionaries - Personal dictionary priority - Steno lookup and definition - Private, no data leaves device ## Chart rankings - #200 in Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store) ## Recent user reviews (3 of 3) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steno-keyboard-pocket/id6792498937/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Getting used to it. Best $5 I’ve spent in a while! *2026-08-24* I was so happy that I found this app! Thank you for creating it! I do have a question. What or how do I write a word that takes more than one stroke? From what I could tell it’s only for one word strokes. I’m still playing around with it but please let me know. Thank you! **Developer response:** Thank you so much! To write multi-stroke outlines, just hit translate between each stroke and as long as there's a matching outline in your dictionary it will retroactively correct. :) ### 5/5 — Exactly what I’ve been waiting for *2026-08-18* I love this app! I am a court reporter and CART captioner who is always adding to her dictionary. Oftentimes, I will encounter a word while I’m out and about and think to myself, “Is this in my dictionary?” I’ve been using the Notes app for years to keep track of words to add. It’s very tedious and I don’t always get around to it. With this app, I have a dictionary file that I am always adding to directly from my phone! Then I export it as an rtf and update my dictionary file on my computer. I’m also able to search what I have in my current dictionary if I forget an outline. **Developer response:** I'm so glad you like it! Let me know if there are any features you'd like to see in the future. :) ### 5/5 — Fun to use *2026-08-08* It’s very interesting to text friends with it ## Frequently asked questions about Steno Keyboard Pocket ### What is Steno Keyboard Pocket? Steno Keyboard Pocket is a custom keyboard for iPhone that allows you to write using stenographic chords. Instead of typing letter by letter, you press multiple keys at once, and a dictionary translates these chords into words or phrases. ### How does Steno Keyboard Pocket work? You press a combination of keys (a chord) and then tap the 'Translate' key, which is positioned like a space bar. This process repeats, allowing for rapid text input. Translation happens locally on your device. ### Does Steno Keyboard Pocket require a dictionary? Yes, this app requires a steno dictionary to function. You can download a free starter dictionary provided by the app or import your own custom dictionaries in Plover JSON or RTF/CRE formats. ### Can I use my own steno dictionaries with Steno Keyboard Pocket? Absolutely. The app supports importing dictionaries from most CAT software in RTF/CRE format, as well as Plover format JSON files. Your personal dictionaries can be prioritized to override general ones. ### Is Steno Keyboard Pocket private? Yes, Steno Keyboard Pocket is designed with privacy in mind. Nothing you type leaves your device, as all translation happens locally. There is no account creation or analytics collection. ### What is the price of Steno Keyboard Pocket? Steno Keyboard Pocket is a paid application, available for $4.99. This one-time purchase grants you access to its stenographic typing features. ### How often is Steno Keyboard Pocket updated? The app was last updated on August 1, 2026, with version 1.1. This indicates a recent update, suggesting ongoing support and potential for future improvements. ### What devices does Steno Keyboard Pocket support? Steno Keyboard Pocket is compatible with iPhone and iPod devices. It is designed to work on smaller touchscreens, offering a unique typing experience. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.6 — 2026-08-30 A fix for dictionary export. • Exporting one dictionary on its own works again, by swipe or by long press. ### 1.5 — 2026-08-28 Dictionary tools, in your pocket. • Open a dictionary and page through every entry it holds. • One search field per dictionary: steno finds outlines, words find translations. • Change an entry, swipe it away, or move or copy it into another dictionary. • Lookup finds more than exact matches now. It reads what you type as steno, and finds the translations that merely contain it. • Conflicts shows every outline two dictionaries define differently, what types and what does not. Search it or filter by dictionary, then tap to edit. • Merge two or more dictionaries into a new one, with the originals left as they are. • Export every dictionary in one go, as Plover JSON or RTF/CRE. ### 1.4 — 2026-08-14 - Themes now solid colors ### 1.2 — 2026-08-06 - Added black and white themes - Added black and white highlight colors - Added outline color setting for held/selected keys ### 1.1 — 2026-08-01 - Ten color themes (in both light/dark mode) for the keyboard, with a separate highlight color and new Them & Color screen to preview the keyboard - Keyboard size slider now shows the actual keyboard in a live preview - Hold the Lookup button after translating a stroke or after highlighting a word to see every outline that writes the same word - Export any dictionary as RTF/CRE, and RTF dictionaries saved on Windows now import cleanly - New option in Settings > Typing: put a space after each word (for typing tests that stall without one) - Fixes to Define, Lookup, and Number keyboard key spacing and sizing - Define now says up front that saving a definition from the keyboard Define menu needs Full Access ## Related topics [stenography](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/stenography) · [steno](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/steno) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-02.*