An iPhone select paragraph and copy tip

iPhone copy/paste FAQ - Is there was way to select an entire paragraph on the iPhone (or iPod Touch) when starting a copy and paste process? Copying a paragraph by selecting a word on the iPhone/iPod, and then expanding the selection box is okay, but it's a bit of a slow process.

With the new iOS 4 iPhone 3G speed/performance problems (iOS 4 makes an iPhone 3G run extremely slow), I just accidentally discovered how to select an entire paragraph on my iPhone. This actually started off as an accident, but once it happened several times, I was able to figure out what I was doing to make it happen. So, here's how to select a paragraph on an iPhone or iPod to start the iPhone cut/copy/paste process.

The iPhone "select paragraph" (and copy) process

To select a paragraph on the iPhone before the copy process, all you have to do is rapidly tap your paragraph text four times, i.e., a quadruple tap on the paragraph you want to select. When you do this properly, the iPhone will select the paragraph, and then display the usual Cut, Copy, and Paste menu items above the paragraph.

Unfortunately this only seems to only work in iPhone editing mode, such as when you're composing an email message. That is a bummer, because a lot of times I'll see a paragraph on a website while I'm in Safari that I'd like to email to a friend, and the only way to copy and paste a paragraph there is the usual (a) press and hold, (b) wait for the selection box, and (c) manually expand the selection box process.

I think there may be another way to select a paragraph on the iPhone or iPod Touch, but I haven't been able to replicate it. If you know of this other way, please leave a comment below.

As one final note, make sure you tap the paragraph in more or less the same spot each time. If you move your finger too much, or tap too slowly, this iPhone paragraph selection process won't work as I've described.