How to type a bullet point on iPhone
To type a bullet point on iPhone, tap 123, touch and hold the hyphen (-) key, and slide your finger to the small circular bullet (•). You can also tap 123 then #+= on older layouts, making typing a bullet point on iPhone quick for any note or list.
Quick answer
Tap 123 → press and hold - → slide to • (or tap 123 then #+=).
Step by step
Open the numbers keyboard
Tap the 123 button in the lower-left corner of the iPhone keyboard.
Touch and hold the hyphen key
Press and hold your finger on the hyphen (-) key until the popup menu appears.
Slide to the bullet mark
Slide your finger to the small circular bullet point (•) in the menu and release.
Format your list item
Add a space after the bullet point and begin typing your list item. Repeat on each new line.
Finding the bullet point on the iOS keyboard
Creating clean, readable bulleted lists on an iPhone does not require copying symbols from a browser. Apple integrates the typographic bullet point • (Unicode U+2022) directly into the standard iOS keyboard in two accessible locations. The quickest method is opening the numeric view by tapping 123, then touching and holding the hyphen (-) key. An accent bubble pops up containing the hyphen, en dash, em dash, and the bullet point •.
Alternatively, tap 123, then tap the #+= key in the lower-left corner to access the secondary symbol page. On this page, the bullet point • occupies its own dedicated key in the second row. Both methods let you format neat lists inside WhatsApp, Mail, Instagram captions, or spreadsheets with zero friction.
Using automatic bulleted lists in Apple Notes
If you are composing notes or outlining ideas inside the native Apple Notes app, you don’t even need to type the symbol manually. Typing a hyphen (-) or an asterisk (*) at the start of a line followed by a space automatically converts the paragraph into an interactive bulleted list item. When you tap return at the end of the line, Notes inserts the next bullet automatically.
You can also highlight existing paragraphs and tap the formatting icon (Aa) above the keyboard, choosing “Bulleted List” to convert your thoughts into organized bullet points instantly. Discover decorative alternatives like triangle bullets and stars in our bullet point symbols collection.
Setting a text replacement shortcut
If you frequently draft bulleted lists in third-party apps that lack rich-text formatting (such as Slack, LinkedIn, or Discord), setting up an iOS Text Replacement makes inserting bullets lightning fast. Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement, tap +, paste • into the Phrase line, and enter *b or ;bp into the Shortcut line.
Whenever you type your shortcut at the start of a line, iOS expands it into • instantly upon pressing the spacebar. For desktop comparison, see our guides on the bullet point on Mac and bullet point on Windows, or explore mobile alternatives in the bullet point on Android and how to type symbols on iPhone guides.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the bullet point on the iPhone keyboard?
Tap 123, then press and hold the hyphen (-) key to select •, or tap 123 followed by #+= to find the dedicated • key.
How do I make automatic bulleted lists on iPhone?
In Apple Notes, type an asterisk (*) or hyphen (-) followed by a space at the start of a line, and iOS automatically converts it to a bulleted list.
Can I type a bullet point with an iPad external keyboard?
Yes. Press Option + 8 on an external US hardware keyboard connected to your iPad or iPhone to type a bullet point • immediately.