The quickest way to put the ™ symbol on an iPhone is to type the word “trademark” and tap the ™ suggestion that appears in the predictive text bar above the keyboard. If predictive text is off, open the emoji keyboard, go to the Symbols category, and tap ™ — or set up a text replacement shortcut so typing something like “tmx” automatically becomes ™.

Close-up of a hand holding an iPhone with a thumb tapping the on-screen keyboard
Four ways to type ™ on iPhone — the first one takes about three seconds.

Method 1: Predictive Text (Fastest)

This is the method most people end up using once they know about it:

  1. Tap into any text field — Messages, Notes, Mail, Instagram, anywhere.
  2. Type the word trademark.
  3. Look at the suggestion bar above the keyboard — you’ll see ™ offered as a replacement.
  4. Tap it, and the symbol drops into your text.

On many iOS versions, just typing tm also brings up the ™ suggestion. If the suggestion bar isn’t showing at all, enable it under Settings → General → Keyboard → Predictive (toggle it on). Note that the ™ inserted this way is technically the emoji-style variant on some iOS versions — it looks right everywhere, but if you need the plain text character for a document, see Method 4.

Method 2: The Emoji Keyboard

Prefer to grab it manually? The ™ symbol lives in the emoji keyboard’s Symbols section:

  1. Tap the emoji icon (smiley face) in the bottom-left of the keyboard.
  2. Swipe to the Symbols category (or use the search bar at the top and type “trademark”).
  3. Tap the ™ symbol to insert it.

Use it a few times and it’ll start appearing in your Frequently Used emoji, making it a two-tap job from then on. The same Symbols section also holds ® and ©, so this method covers all three in one place.

Method 3: Text Replacement Shortcut (Best for Frequent Use)

If you type ™ regularly — for product names, brand work, or social media — set up a shortcut once and never hunt for the symbol again:

  1. Copy the ™ character (from this page, or from Method 1’s suggestion).
  2. Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement.
  3. Tap the + in the top-right corner.
  4. In the Phrase field, paste ™.
  5. In the Shortcut field, type something you’ll never type by accident — tmx or ;tm work well. Avoid plain “tm” since you probably type that in normal words.
  6. Tap Save.

Now typing your shortcut followed by a space instantly produces ™ in any app. As a bonus, text replacements sync through iCloud, so the shortcut works on your Mac and iPad too. Set up matching shortcuts for ® and © while you’re in there — future you says thanks.

Method 4: Copy and Paste

The no-setup fallback: copy ™ from anywhere — a website, an old message, this article — and paste it where you need it. Long-press the text field, tap Paste, done. It’s not elegant for repeated use, but for a one-off it’s the fastest path if the other methods aren’t cooperating.

™ on iPad and Mac (It Syncs)

Good news if you work across Apple devices: everything above works on iPad exactly the same way, since iPadOS shares the iOS keyboard. And your text replacement shortcuts sync through iCloud to your Mac, so typing “tmx” in any Mac app produces ™ there too.

On a Mac you also get a couple of native options. In most apps, Edit → Emoji & Symbols (or Control + Command + Space) opens the character viewer — search “trademark” and double-click ™ to insert it. Some Mac keyboards also accept Option + 2 for ™, though this varies by keyboard layout. Between the synced text replacement and the character viewer, Mac users are well covered.

™ vs ® — Which One Do You Actually Need?

Quick legal-ish note (not legal advice): ™ means you’re claiming trademark rights to a name or logo — anyone can use it, no registration required. ® means the trademark is officially registered with the USPTO, and using it on an unregistered mark is actually improper. When in doubt about which applies to your brand, ™ is the safe default, and a trademark attorney is worth the consult before you use ®.

FAQs About the TM Symbol on iPhone

Why doesn’t ™ show up when I type “tm”?

Predictive text needs to be enabled (Settings → General → Keyboard → Predictive). Also, iOS sometimes needs to “learn” the association — using the emoji keyboard method a few times often makes the predictive suggestion start appearing.

Can I type ™ on the regular symbols keyboard (123 → #+=)?

No — the #+= symbols page doesn’t include ™, ®, or ©. Apple put them in the emoji keyboard’s Symbols section instead, which is why so many people can’t find them at first.

Does the text replacement shortcut work in all apps?

Yes, it works anywhere the iOS keyboard is used — Messages, Mail, Safari, Instagram, Notes, third-party apps, all of them. And because it syncs via iCloud, it carries over to your other Apple devices.

What’s the difference between the emoji ™ and the text ™?

They look nearly identical on modern iOS. The emoji variant can render slightly larger with color in some contexts. For documents, legal filings, or professional publishing, paste the plain text character (Method 4) or use the text replacement method to be safe.

Can I use ™ in my Instagram bio or business name?

Yes — the symbol works anywhere the iOS keyboard works, including Instagram bios, captions, and business names. Just be honest about it: ™ claims you’re asserting trademark rights, so only use it on names and logos that are actually yours or your company’s.

For more iPhone keyboard tricks, Apple’s own iPhone user guide covers text replacement and dictation in depth. And if you’re doing a full device refresh, our guide on how to erase an iPhone walks through wiping it safely first.