If you are an iPad user, you probably already know a lot about this tablet. Whether due to its operating system or its fusion with accessories, it is a device that can give a lot of itself. However, if you haven’t had it for a long time, you probably don’t know about some functions that will undoubtedly allow you to do your tasks much more comfortably. Even if you have been with one of these for years, you may discover something new.
1. Apple Pencil hidden features
Within this section we can find an infinity of small details that, added together, make the official Apple stylus the best companion for an iPad. One of the more hidden features that it has is that you can take a quick note without unlocking the iPad . How? Well, all you have to do is have the device locked and proceed to make a stroke with the stylus on the screen and it will turn on, opening a new note.
Another way to access a sticky note is, since iPadOS 15, by dragging with the Pencil from the bottom right corner to the center. And if you also have a 2nd generation Apple Pencil, you can access other actions such as double-tapping on the flat part while writing to switch between the brush you are using and the eraser.
2. The most useful keyboard shortcuts
If you use a keyboard with iPad, whether it’s an external one or an official one built with Smart Connector, you should know that there are many [iPadOS keyboard shortcuts. Now, to collect the most outstanding, we will tell you these:
- CMD+Option+D to show the dock.
- CMD+Tab to quickly switch between apps.
- CMD+Space to open the browser.
- CMD+H to return to the main screen.
- CMD+B make text bold.
- CMD+U put underlined text.
- CMD+I to italicize text.
- CMD+C copy the text.
- CMD+X cut the text.
- CMD+V paste the text.
3. Special gestures for the trackpad
If you’re using Apple’s Magic Keyboard or any other keyboard that includes a trackpad, you’ll be happy to know that there are some gestures that will help you perform certain actions comfortably. Here are some examples:
- Open the dock: Move your finger from the center of the trackpad down.
- Go back to the home screen: swipe down with two fingers from the center.
- Move between apps: Three-finger swipe from the center to the left or right.
- Open Control Center: Move one finger from the center to the top right (diagonal gesture).
- Open notifications: same gesture as above, but in reverse, by dragging your finger to the top left.
4. Take advantage of the universal clipboard
One of the advantages of the so-called Apple ecosystem is being able to perform an action on one device and follow it on another by handoff. For example, view a web in Safari on iPhone and instantly open it on iPad. However, this clipboard thing goes further.
It is about being able to copy a text from the iPad and paste it on another device or vice versa. To do this, it will suffice that you have logged in with the same Apple ID in both and that you have the handoff function enabled in settings. It should be noted that it can be used both on an iPhone and Mac as well as on another iPad.
5. Squeeze split screen
Although the Split View functions of the iPad are not new, the truth is that in the last year it has become much more intuitive. It is a functionality that will allow you to normally have 2 applications with which to interact simultaneously, and it can even be the same app with two different windows. To this is added the possibility of adding a third window to, at a specific moment, make a query in it.
To do this, all you have to do is drag the respective app icons towards the central part when you have one open. An icon will also appear on the screen that allows you to configure your organization or change one of them for another. It’s not the same as having floating windows like on computers, but it can increase productivity better than having to switch between them manually.