The invention relates to a method for shifting a character for a single entry only when using any virtual keyboard such as a touchscreen on a smartphone or tablet. Until now the use of a shift key has been needed. According to the invention, a great deal of time can now be saved since it is now possible, for example on a tablet, to shift easily from a lower case to an upper case character and vice versa by means of swiping (preferably swiping downwards), the shifted character additionally being entered without any further operating step.