With Apple publish a 2d edition of the iPad on Friday , it ’s easy to find as if that tablet has been around evermore . In reality , though , the original iPad ship less than a year ago — enough meter to become conversant with the tablet ’s ins and out , but hardly long enough to truly master its controls .
Not to worry — we’ve assembled this list of tips for subduing the iPad ’s on - screen keyboard , managing your people of apps , search through the contents of your tablet , and more . find out these skills , and you ’ll soon impress everyone with your iPad - savvy , whether you ’ve own an iPad since daylight one or if the iPad 2 is your first model .
1. The comma key’s hidden powers
Whether you ’re a touch - screen typing initiate or a two fingerbreadth phone tapper , there ’s no traverse that iPad typing is n’t as commodious as using a real keyboard — especially when you need to access often - used punctuation that is n’t even available on the virtual keyboard ’s main screen . A little - sleep with trick can assist : swiping up quickly on the Comma key will instantly insert an apostrophe ; swiping up on the Period fundamental inserts a quote mark . That ’s one quick swipe , instead of a tap on the .?123 punctuation mark key , and then a second rap on the specific punctuation mark you ’re after .
2. Tapping and holding virtual keys
Other practical keys hold particular major power , too . Press and hold on a vowel sound , for model , and a popover containing accented versions of the selected character seem . ( sure consonants , like C , S , and N , also proffer alternate interpretation when you tap and hold on their virtual key . )
Press and hold a vowel key — the ‘ i ’ in this sheath — and the iPad will summon a popover with accented rendering of the character in question .
likewise , obligate down punctuation marks can provide extra option . the standalone Period cay — the one on the punctuation keyboard , not the main keyboard — hides an ellipsis . The hyphen offer an em - dash and bullet . And the buck signboard hides symbolization for numerous currencies .
Press and hold a vowel key—the ‘i’ in this case—and the iPad will summon a popover with accented versions of the character in question.
3. Common keyboard shortcuts
When you plug in your iPad to a even keyboard like the Apple iPad Keyboard Dock or aBluetooth keyboard , you could use some of the same keyboard shortcuts you ’ve mastered on your Mac . textbook edit key combinations — like Command - C , X , and Phoebe for Copy , Cut , and Paste — all work , as does Command - Shift - Arrow paint - based textbook excerpt .
you may also use choice - key fruit shortcut for typing diacritic characters . Other fundamental combinations that work include Undo and Redo ( Command - Z and Shift - Command - Z , respectively ) , and Emacs - style cursor crosscut like Control - A , Control - E , and Control - K.
Even with the iPad 2 premise a new designing , external keyboards should still work with Apple ’s tardy tablet . Apple , for instance , list its Wireless Keyboard as an add-on for the iPad 2 , and we ’ve take heed no reports of changes to Bluetooth keyboard support in this week ’s planned Io 4.3 update .
The backspace key is for suckers—true iPad masters know to let auto-correction fix your typing mishaps.
4. Auto-correction is your friend
The backspace Francis Scott Key is for suckers — true iPad masters know to get auto - correction fix your typing mishap .
One last keyboard - related tip : particularly when you ’re using the on - screen keyboard , the easiest elbow room to becoming a virtual typing pro is plainly to trust the auto - correction algorithm . The tedious your iPad typewrite speed , the more likely it is that you make frequent use of the backspace key . Or to put it another way : dull iPad typist only earmark themselves to type precisely the veracious keys , and cancel each individual error .
Not power user ! ability user entrust that iOS will set up their typo for them . When I typecast “ Dippieedl , ” my iPad recognizes that I ’m after “ purportedly . ” After just “ Wkeph , ” the iPad knows I want “ Elephant . ” Fix few typos , and your iPad typewriting will ironically improve .
To quit apps running in the background, bring up the multitasking bar, press and hold on an app, and then tap the red minus sign that suddenly appears.
5. Avoiding application exits
Sometimes , you notice something you ’d care to find out out more intimately in an app — at the same instant you press the Home push button . or else of let the app close , then bump its ikon and hold off while the app relaunches , you’re able to evidence your iPad to abort your now - unwanted Home clitoris mechanical press . Doing so is uproariously simple : do n’t let go . If you have got down the Home button extra long — just a few seconds needed — your iPad will abandon its architectural plan to shut the current app , and you solicit on that enticing link or else .
6. Closing background apps
On other occasions , though , you may want to close apps that are still ( quietly ) escape . Ever since iOS 4 ’s launching of multitasking , some of your apps can keep on operate in the background , even after you ’ve closed them . Generally , that ’s fine ; the iPad does a great chore of killing apps when memory limits require it . Some apps , however — particularly GPS and VoIP apps — can eat up quite a bit of memory board and bombardment life if they remain open when you no longer need them .
To quit apps die hard in the background , bring up the multitasking bar , press and hold on an app , and then tap the red minus sign that short appears .
To verify power - hungry apps that you do n’t take do n’t gobble your barrage fire , you could force them to quit : double - tap the family button to lend up the multitasking legal profession . Then , press and harbour on any one app until all the apps set forth jiggling . bug the red traffic circle on the running apps in your multitasking bar that you ’d like to throw in the towel .
Swiping the multitasking bar to the right will produce those hard-to-find iPod playback controls.
( Again , remember , most apps run in the background knowledge will take care of themselves . You need n’t police the multitasking bar ; this summit only concerns major computer storage guzzler . )
7. Track down music playback controls
With the introduction of that multitasking bar , Apple made it a shred trickier to happen music playback control condition . When you double - tap the Home button , swipe the whole shebang towards the right field . Doing so will bring out several control : playback button ( Reverse , Play / Pause , and Skip , along with slider for smartness and volume .
Swiping the multitasking stripe to the right will produce those hard - to - find iPod playback controls .
8. Search smarter
When you double - water faucet the Home push , or swipe to the left of your first nursing home screen , you enter limelight search . It ’s a great way to set up apps , receive specific e - mails , or look up an individual contact . But if you never employ ( or never need to search ) the iPad ’s calendar , or Audiobooks , or Podcasts , you’re able to dispatch those from your glare hunting outcome . you may also rearrange the order in which Spotlight presents search results .
Launch the configurations app , tapdance on General , and then exploit Spotlight Search . Uncheck the family you do n’t need to search , and tap and drag on the right - coordinate handles to aline the sorting .
9. Stash more apps in the Dock
Brand new iPads feature just four apps in the Dock . Because of that , many iPad ownerskeepjust four apps in their dock . But it turns out that the loading dock actually holdssixapps , if you ’d like it to . All you need to do to keep more frequently - accessed apps in your dock is move them there : press and bear on any app icon until the apps start to jiggle , and then drag the app you ’d wish to move right into the Dock .
10. Launching apps quickly
typewrite an app ’s name into Spotlight , and you could then tap the search result to forthwith launch the app .
I have too many apps on my iPad . While I can always bump sure apps quickly — I retrieve which household screen door they ’re on , and where geographically the picture are located on that concealment — there are many more apps that I just ca n’t find . alternatively of paging through home screen after home screen , I use Spotlight as a virtual keyboard launcher .
Tap the Home button to get to your first home screen , and then either wiretap it again or swipe to reveal Spotlight . begin typewrite the first few letters of the app ’s name , and then beg on the good result to launch it instantly . glare mechanically surface your most frequently used apps at the top of its matching final result , which is often very utilitarian .
Type an app’s name into Spotlight, and you can then tap the search result to immediately launch the app.
