How to type an em dash on Android
To type an em dash on Android, switch to the numeric layout (?123), touch and hold the hyphen (-) key, and choose the longest dash. Gboard and Samsung Keyboard make typing an em dash on Android simple with this built-in popup.
Quick answer
Tap ?123 → press and hold - → slide to —.
Step by step
Open the numeric keyboard
Tap the ?123 button in the bottom corner of Gboard or Samsung Keyboard.
Long-press the hyphen key
Touch and keep your finger on the hyphen (-) key on the keyboard.
Select the em dash
A menu showing different dash lengths will pop up; slide your finger to the longest dash (—) and release.
Optional: create a text shortcut
Save a personal dictionary shortcut converting “--” into “—” for lightning-fast typing in all apps.
The long-press hyphen popup on Android
Both Google Gboard (the default keyboard on Pixel, Motorola, and Xiaomi devices) and Samsung Keyboard place the em dash (—) behind a long-press gesture on the hyphen key. Switch to the numbers view by tapping ?123 in the lower-left corner. Next, touch and hold the hyphen (-) key for half a second. A bubble menu appears showing multiple dashes: the standard hyphen (-), the en dash (–), the em dash (—), and an underscore (_).
Drag your finger across to the longest dash on the right and lift off the screen. The em dash (—) will be placed immediately into your text. This gesture works reliably across virtually all Android smartphones, making sophisticated typography easy on the go.
Creating an automatic double-hyphen shortcut
Unlike iOS, which includes built-in “Smart Punctuation” to turn two hyphens into an em dash out of the box, standard Android keyboards do not always do this automatically in every application. Fortunately, you can easily teach Gboard to do so via its personal dictionary. Open Gboard Settings (tap the gear icon on the toolbar), tap Dictionary → Personal dictionary, tap your language, and tap the + icon.
Paste the em dash — into the word field, and enter -- (two hyphens) into the shortcut field. Now, whenever you type two hyphens in WhatsApp, Chrome, or Google Docs, the em dash appears in the center prediction bar above the keys for instant one-tap completion. Samsung users can create an identical rule in Samsung Keyboard Settings → More typing options → Text shortcuts.
Typography: hyphen vs en dash vs em dash
Understanding which dash to use elevates written communication. A hyphen (-) connects compound words like “fast-acting”. An en dash (–) denotes ranges of time or numbers, such as “2020–2026”. An em dash (—) creates an emphatic break in sentence flow, serving as a striking replacement for parentheses or colons. Chicago style connects em dashes directly to adjacent words without spaces (word—word), while AP style includes a space on either side (word — word).
Compare this mobile approach with our guide to the em dash on iPhone, explore desktop techniques in the em dash on Windows and em dash on Mac guides, and review all mobile tricks in how to type symbols on Android.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the em dash on Gboard?
Tap ?123, then press and hold the hyphen (-) key. The em dash (—) is the longest dash displayed in the popup bubble.
How do I type an em dash on a Samsung phone?
Tap ?123 on the Samsung Keyboard, press and hold the hyphen (-) key, and slide your finger to the longest dash.
Can I make two hyphens turn into an em dash on Android?
Yes. Open Gboard Settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary, tap +, paste — as the word, and set “--” as the shortcut.