While using vi in insert mode, how can you switch to replace mode?

To switch from insert mode to replace mode in vi, you start by pressing the ESC key to exit insert mode. Then, you can engage replace mode by pressing Shift + R. This allows you to replace existing characters in the text with new characters as you type, rather than inserting new characters and shifting the rest of the text to the right.

Replace mode is particularly useful for making corrections to existing text without having to delete characters first. This is a distinct mode that functions differently from insert mode, which adds characters to the text.

The other methods mentioned do not accurately switch to replace mode. Simply pressing R after escaping from insert mode does not initiate replace mode correctly, nor does pressing I, which merely re-enters insert mode. Similarly, Ctrl + R does not correspond to any standard functionality for toggling replace mode and is not recognized for that purpose in vi.