A method of inputting a series of characters into an electronic device (1) comprising a display (11), the method comprising detecting a first input associated with a first one of a plurality of discrete areas (53) of the display (11) for entering char-deters on the display (11); and recognizing the first input in the first one of the plurality of discrete areas (53) as a character input (59) while a second one of the plurality of discrete are as (53) is operable to detect a second input for recognition as a second character input (59), the. recognition of the second character input (59) occurring separately to the recognition of the first character input (59).