8 iPad Tips I wish I knew YEARS ago!

Summary

The script provides tips to utilize the full capabilities of an iPad. It covers having the iPad read articles aloud, straightening handwritten text and converting it to typed text, accessing a calculator through Spotlight Search, customizing the iPad's focus mode for work versus entertainment, efficiently organizing the home screen, completing PDF forms using autofill, quickly creating notes from the lock screen, adding an escape key when using an external keyboard, and more. The tips aim to help users take full advantage of the iPad's versatile functionality.

Takeaways

• 😀 You can have your iPad read articles to you using Reader View in Safari
• 📝 You can straighten and copy handwritten text as regular text with markup tools
• 🧮 Use Spotlight Search as a calculator by typing math problems
• 🖥️ Customize Focus Modes for work, entertainment etc. to change iOS layout
• 👉🏻 Move multiple apps between Home Screen pages by selecting a stack
• ✏️ Autofill can help complete PDF forms automatically in iPadOS 17
• 📄 Access notes from the lock screen with an Apple Pencil double tap
• ⌨️ Remap modifier keys to get back a missing Escape key on iPad keyboards
• 🗂️ Use Quick Notes and corner swipes for rapid notetaking anywhere
• 🎥 Check the previous tips video for 8 more ways to master your iPad

Q & A

How can you make your iPad read articles to you without downloading any additional apps?

You can have your iPad read articles to you by using the built-in feature in Safari. Simply open an article in Safari, ensure the Reader View is active in the address bar, and choose 'Start Listening' instead of 'Show Reader'.

What is the recommended voice setting for the iPad's article reading feature for a more natural sound?

For a more natural sounding voice when using the iPad's article reading feature, it's recommended to change the default voice to one of the Siri voices via Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Voices.

How can you straighten handwritten text on the iPad?

To straighten handwritten text on the iPad, use an Apple Pencil to write the text, select it with the Selection tool, then tap on the selected text and choose 'Straighten' from the contextual menu.

What method allows you to convert handwritten text into typed text on the iPad?

To convert handwritten text into typed text on the iPad, select the handwritten text with the Selection tool, tap on it to bring up the contextual menu, and choose 'Copy as Text'. Alternatively, use the Scribble feature with the Apple Pencil for immediate conversion while writing.

How can you access a calculator on the iPad?

Although the iPad doesn't have a built-in calculator app, you can use the Spotlight Search feature as a calculator by typing in the calculation you need directly into the search bar.

What are the benefits of using the Paperlike 2.1 screen protector on the iPad?

The Paperlike 2.1 screen protector enhances the Apple Pencil experience by mimicking the feel of writing on paper, thanks to its Nanodots technology, without compromising the display's quality, clarity, and color vibrancy.

How can you customize your iPad's setup for different uses like productivity and entertainment?

You can customize your iPad for different uses by setting up Focus Modes via Settings > Focus. This allows you to silence specific notifications and customize your Home Screen layout based on the activity, such as work or entertainment.

What is a quick way to organize apps on your iPad's Home Screen?

To quickly organize apps on the Home Screen, enter jiggle mode, then tap and hold one app while tapping others to create a stack. You can then swipe to the desired page and drop the stack of apps there.

How does the iPad assist with filling out PDF forms in iPadOS 17?

In iPadOS 17, when you open a PDF form in Preview, the iPad can intelligently identify fillable fields and assist with autofilling information like names, email addresses, and phone numbers.

How can you quickly create notes from the iPad's Lock Screen?

You can quickly create notes from the iPad's Lock Screen by enabling the 'Access Notes from Lock Screen' feature in Settings > Notes. With an Apple Pencil, you can double-tap the locked screen to create a new note or resume the last note.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Maximizing iPad Utility

The introduction highlights the feedback received from a previous video on iPad tips and tricks, emphasizing that many users do not fully utilize their iPads due to a lack of knowledge about its capabilities. This segment introduces the intent to share eight additional tips and tricks to help users leverage more of their iPad's potential. It covers features like having the iPad read articles aloud using a more natural Siri voice instead of the default computer voice, straightening handwritten text and converting it into typed text using the Apple Pencil, and accessing a calculator through Spotlight Search. The video also mentions a sponsorship by Paperlike, which enhances the writing and drawing experience on the iPad, and encourages customization of the iPad's usage for productivity or entertainment purposes through Focus Mode.

05:00

🔧 iPad Customization and Efficiency Tips

This segment delves into customizing the iPad for specific uses, such as creating a productivity-focused setup with Focus Mode. It also introduces efficient ways to organize the Home Screen by grouping apps together for easy relocation, filling out PDF forms using iPadOS 17's autofill feature, and accessing content in written format through a PDF version of the video. The importance of quick note-taking is highlighted, showing how users can access notes from the lock screen using an Apple Pencil and utilize corner gestures for quick notes. Additionally, it discusses how to compensate for the lack of an Escape key on external keyboards by reassigning modifier keys.

10:01

📝 Advanced iPad Features and Conclusion

The final segment covers advanced tips such as specifying conditions for resuming or creating new notes from the lock screen and using corner gestures for quick note access. It also provides a solution for adding an Escape key function to external keyboards used with the iPad, suggesting the reassignment of less frequently used keys. The video concludes by summarizing the eight new iPad tips and tricks shared, inviting feedback on any missed tips, and encouraging likes and subscriptions for more content. This encourages viewers to explore beyond what they already know and to anticipate future tutorials.

Keywords

💡iPad

The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. In the context of this video, the iPad is presented as a versatile tool capable of performing a wide range of tasks beyond what most users might expect. The video explores various tips and tricks to enhance productivity, entertainment, and overall utility of the device, demonstrating its capabilities in reading articles aloud, converting handwriting to text, and functioning without an inbuilt calculator, among others.

💡Apple Pencil

The Apple Pencil is a stylus designed specifically for use with iPad models that support it. In the video, the Apple Pencil is highlighted for its utility in tasks like handwriting, drawing, and note-taking. The script explains how users can straighten handwritten text and convert it into typed text using the Apple Pencil, showcasing its integration into the iPad's productivity features.

💡Safari Reader View

Safari Reader View is a feature in the Safari web browser that simplifies web pages by stripping out most of the formatting and ads, presenting the user with just the main content of the page. The video explains how this feature can be used on the iPad to have articles read aloud, emphasizing the device's capability to enhance content consumption without the need for additional apps or services.

💡Accessibility

Accessibility features are designed to make devices more usable for people with various disabilities. The video discusses changing the voice for spoken content on the iPad through the Accessibility settings, showcasing how the device can be tailored to meet individual needs and preferences, such as opting for a more natural-sounding voice for text-to-speech functionality.

💡Spotlight Search

Spotlight Search is a selection-based search system that offers a convenient way to search for a wide variety of items on Apple devices, including the iPad. The video illustrates its use as a workaround to access a calculator function on the iPad, highlighting the device's capability to offer solutions through built-in features even when certain apps, like a native calculator, are not available.

💡Focus Mode

Focus Mode is a feature on iOS devices that allows users to filter notifications and apps based on what they are currently doing, helping to reduce distractions. The video discusses setting up different Focus Modes for productivity and entertainment on the iPad, illustrating the device's flexibility in adapting to the user's current activity or task.

💡Markup

Markup is a tool available on the iPad that allows users to annotate images, PDFs, and screenshots with text, sketches, signatures, and more using their finger or an Apple Pencil. The video touches on the Markup feature in the context of handwriting and straightening text, showcasing the iPad's capabilities for note-taking and document editing.

💡PDF forms

PDF forms are digital versions of documents that users can fill out on their devices. The video introduces a feature on the iPad that simplifies the process of completing PDF forms, emphasizing the device's utility in handling official documents and forms efficiently, making it a valuable tool for personal and professional tasks.

💡Quick Notes

Quick Notes is a feature that allows iPad users to quickly create notes from any screen, including the Lock Screen, using an Apple Pencil or through Control Centre. The video highlights this functionality, demonstrating the iPad's capability to capture thoughts and information instantaneously, enhancing its utility as a note-taking device.

💡Home Screen organization

The video includes tips for efficiently organizing apps on the iPad's Home Screen, such as using jiggle mode to move multiple apps at once. This advice underscores the iPad's customizable interface, allowing users to tailor their device to their preferences and workflows, thus improving accessibility and ease of use.

Highlights

You can use your iPad to speak news articles to you, without needing to download any kind of additional app or pay for an additional service.

One slightly annoying thing about this feature is that by default, Apple has this set to a really weird-sounding computer voice.

If you own an Apple pencil, and you write some handwritten text, you can neaten it up and turn it into computer text.

Although the iPad doesn't have a built-in calculator app, you can access calculator functionality through Spotlight Search.

The Paperlike 2.1 screen protector retains the display quality of your iPad while providing a paper-like feel when writing with the Apple Pencil.

You can create custom Focus Modes to set up your iPad specifically for different uses like productivity or entertainment.

To quickly organize your Home Screen, enter jiggle mode, drag one app to create a stack, then tap other apps to add them to the stack before moving it.

iPadOS 17 can intelligently identify form fields in PDFs and auto-fill information like names, emails, and phone numbers.

You can access notes from the Lock Screen by double tapping with your Apple Pencil or through Control Center.

Enable 'Corner Gestures' to quickly create new notes by swiping up from the bottom corners of your iPad.

You can remap modifier keys on external iPad keyboards to function as an Escape key, though you lose that key's default function.

Safari Reader View allows your iPad to read news articles out loud to you.

Scribble feature instantly converts handwritten text to typed text.

Focus modes allow custom iPad interfaces for different contexts like work or play.

Double tap iPad screen with Apple Pencil to instantly access notes.

Transcripts

# Script

# Intro

I recently made a video about  tips and tricks for the iPad,  

and the overwhelming feedback on that video was  that the iPad is a tool that most people aren't  

using to anywhere near it's full capability,  because they don't know everything that it  

can do. So in this video, I'm going to  explore 8 more tips and tricks with you.

OK, let's get into it.

# Have your iPad read articles to you

You can use your iPad to speak news  articles to you, without needing to  

download any kind of additional app  or pay for an additional service.

To do this, simply open any article in Safari, and  so long as you have the Reader View showing in the  

address bar at the top of the screen,  like you can see in the example here,  

this should work. Tap on the button,  but instead of choosing "Show Reader,"  

choose "Start Listening." Your iPad will  begin speaking the article out to you.

One slightly annoying thing about this feature is  that by default, Apple has this set to a really  

weird-sounding computer voice. You're better  off setting this to one of the Siri voices,  

as it sounds much more natural. To do  this, open Settings, choose Accessibility,  

and tap into Spoken Content. In here, tap  on Voices. Choose your language from the  

available system voices. For me, English  is available at the top of this list,  

I would assume because I have my iPad set to  English. You can see that mine is showing as  

one of the default voices, but if you tap into  where it says "Siri," you can choose one of the  

voices in here. You can press play to preview  the voices, and if you need to, tap the cloud  

button to download the files for that particular  voice. I've got mine set to English UK Voice 4.

And that's it, you can return to Safari,  and notice that the reader button in the  

address bar now shows a speech bubble. This is  because your iPad was in the middle of reading  

the article out to you. Tap here, and you can  either resume your listening or end listening,  

as well as change things like the speaking  rate, or rewind back or move forward. I  

regularly use this feature as a way of quickly  listening to news articles while I'm working.

# Text Straightening & Handwriting to Text

If you own an Apple pencil, and you write  some handwritten text like you can see  

on the screen now, did you know that you can  neaten it up? Tap to select the Selection tool,  

circle the text that you just wrote, and  tap on the selected text to bring up the  

contextual menu. Move to the second  page of options and choose Straighten.  

This will straighten up the text for you,  without changing any of your handwriting.

Also, tap on the same text again, but  this time let’s look at another option  

that was available to us, Copy as Text.  Tap this, and then paste the text and you  

can see that you can use this to turn  handwritten text into computer text.

Although, it’s worth mentioning that  if this is something you like to do,  

you should use Scribble instead. For this, tap  the Markup button at the top of the screen,  

and make sure you’ve got the pen with the letter  A selected. This is your scribble pen. With this  

enabled, you can then write on your iPad screen,  like you would a sheet of paper, but the stuff  

that you write will immediately be turned into  computer text. If you make a mistake, simply  

scribble it out. If you want to insert a space, or  remove a space, make a little slash in between the  

letters. If there’s not a space there, one will be  inserted. If there’s a space, this will remove it.

# Calculator on your iPad

One of the most common complaints about the iPad  is that it's the only Apple computing product  

that doesn't include a calculator. Even the Apple  Watch has one. But you can access a calculator on  

the iPad, well, sort of, thanks to a built-in  feature of the iPad called Spotlight Search.

There are a few different ways to  access Spotlight Search. You can  

either swipe down with one finger on the  screen, or if you're using a trackpad,  

like the one built into the Magic Keyboard,  you can swipe down on the trackpad with two  

fingers. Or, if you're using a keyboard, like  the one built into the Magic Keyboard case,  

press the Command and Spacebar, just  like you would if you were using a Mac.

Then, simply begin typing out whatever you want  the calculator to figure out for you. Spotlight  

Search will identify that you're trying to use  it as a calculator and will give you the answer.

# Paperlike Sponsor

Of course one of the reasons why the markup  experience is so good on the iPad is because  

using the Apple Pencil is a great experience,  but it’s made even better with Paperlike,  

who have partnered with me on today's video.  We all know that the key to keeping your iPad  

screen as good as new is installing a screen  protector, but what is it about the Paperlike  

2.1 screen protector that makes it better than  all the others? In my opinion, it's two things.

First, it retains all the astonishing  quality of your iPad display because  

what good is a screen protector if it  takes away any of the sharpness, clarity,  

and vibrancy of your iPad? Colours look just  as good with the Paperlike 2.1 screen protector  

installed, pictures still pop off the screen,  everything looks as good as you'd expect it to.

But you also get the added bonus of Nanodots  technology. If this sounds like fancy technology  

to you, that’s because it is, but ultimately what  it means to you and I is that writing on your iPad  

using the Paperlike 2.1 screen protector feels  as if you're writing on paper. So even though  

using the Apple Pencil on the iPad is the  drawing and writing method of the future,  

Paperlike 2.1 makes it as familiar as  jotting a note in your favourite notebook.

If this sounds good to you, get your Paperlike 2.1  screen protector today by following the link in  

the description of this video, where you can also  find cleaning accessories, folio cases and more.

# Customise your iPad for you how use it

Your Mac is good for getting work done,  and your iPhone is good for communicating  

and entertainment, but I think the iPad is the  most well-rounded Apple product for doing both  

of those things. Because of this, you might want  to have your iPad set up specifically depending  

on what it is that you're doing. In other words,  a productivity iPad and an entertainment iPad.

Thankfully, you can do that using Focus Mode.  Open Settings and choose Focus. For this example,  

I'm going to create a Work Focus Mode, but  do keep in mind that everything that we're  

doing here can be used to create any kind of  Focus Mode that you like. You would simply  

tap the plus button in the upper right of  the screen to create a custom Focus Mode.

For this example, I'll tap on Work.  At the top of the screen, you have the  

option of silencing notifications  while this Focus Mode is enabled,  

either from specific people or from specific  apps. This is handy if there are people who  

are often breaking your attention during the  day while you're trying to get work done,  

or if you know that you can't be  trusted not to open your favourite game.

Customise screens is the area where I think  Focus Mode is most useful. For the Home Screen,  

I'll tap on the Choose button. Here,  you're going to choose a page layout,  

although you can then customise it. Once you've  chosen the page layout that you're happy with,  

tap on the Edit button at the bottom of the  screen. Your iPad will do a pretty good job of  

recommending relevant apps to you; in this case,  it's tried to round up all of my productivity  

apps, but I can then scroll through the list  and choose some additional ones if I wish.

Once you're happy with your selection,  choose Add. You can do the same for the  

Lock Screen if you wish. Further down  this page, you can set a schedule for  

this Focus Mode to enable and disable,  so you might choose Monday to Friday,  

9 to 5, for example, or you can manually  enable and disable this as you need to.

To enable the Focus Mode, open Control Centre,  tap into the Focus button and choose Work. You  

can choose to enable it for a period of  time, or just have it set on until you  

manually disable it later. Also, note that if  you have other devices like a Mac or iPhone,  

all logged into the same Apple ID, the  Focus Mode should change on these as well.

# The quickest way to organise your Home Screen

Here’s a situation I reckon we’ve all been  in with our iPads from time to time. I’ve got  

a bunch of apps on my main home screen,  but then if I swipe to the next screen,  

I’ve got a bunch of apps there as well,  and I'd prefer to have them all together  

on one screen. I think what most people do is  they will tap and hold to enter jiggle mode,  

then use their finger to drag each app  manually from one page to the next.

Here’s a much easier way of doing it.  Tap and hold to enter jiggle mode. Tap  

on one of the apps as if you’re going  to move it from one screen to the next,  

but keep your finger pressed down on the app. Then  use another finger to tap on all of the other apps  

on this page. You can see that this creates a  stack of apps under your original finger. Then,  

once you’ve got all of your apps selected,  use your other finger to swipe back to the  

original page. Then let go of the stack of  apps to drop them all on the first page.

# Easily complete PDF forms

So long as you're running at least iPadOS 17,  

there is a feature that makes it extremely  easy to complete PDF forms using your iPad.

So here, for example, you can see that  I've been sent a PDF for a fun run with  

spaces to fill in as part of the signup.  When I open the PDF in Preview on my iPad,  

you can see that an option appears at the  top of the screen that says 'autofill can  

assist with filling in this form'. This  is because your iPad can intelligently  

identify forms that can be completed,  even on PDFs that have been scanned in.

Tap on autofill form, and your iPad will move  to what it believes is the first field to be  

filled in. However, you can override this by  tapping on one of the fields. When I tap into  

the name column, for example, my iPad not  only recognises that this is a field that  

requires information, it also recognises  that this is a name field and therefore  

it will try to input my name automatically.  The same goes for email address and phone  

number in this particular example, but this  works on lots of different types of fields.

Once you're happy, choose Done,  and the form will be saved,  

complete with the information that you've just  input. You can then forward this on to somebody,  

save it to the Files app, print it,  or whatever it is that you need to do.

# PDF Shoutout

By the way, if you prefer to have content like  this in a written format, there’s a PDF version of  

this video, complete with screenshots, and you can  access it, along with all other PDFs I’ve created,  

plus future ones, for just $5 a month. You  can either scan the QR code that you can  

see on-screen, or follow the link in the  description of this video to learn more.

# Quickly create Notes

If you go to Settings, then Notes, and scroll  all the way to the bottom of this page,  

you'll see an option called  "Access Notes from Lock Screen".

If you don't have an Apple Pencil,  you would do this by accessing the  

Control Centre and tapping the Notes button in  there. If you have an Apple Pencil, however,  

you can do this by double-tapping the locked  screen of your iPad with your Apple Pencil.

So, notice back on the settings page that  you have two options to choose from here.  

You can choose to either always create a  new note or to resume the last note that  

you were working on. Which one you choose  is really up to you and how you tend to  

take notes. I find that resuming the last note  is more often than not the option that I want,  

and you can always tap the new  note button if you like anyway.

Also, notice that if you choose this option, you  have some additional options. You can specify  

whether the last note that you're resuming should  be the one that you created on the lock screen  

or the last note that you were working on in  the Notes app. You can also specify whether  

or not a new note should automatically  be created after a set period of time.

One last setting to show you here, on the Notes  page of settings, scroll to the middle of this  

page and look for the Quick Notes section. You can  see an option here called "Corner Gestures". Tap  

into this, and you can see that you can enable a  corner swipe to access notes. I've got mine set  

to right corner swipe. What this means is that any  time I can swipe up from the bottom right corner,  

and it will create a new Quick Note for me.  This is handy if you're using the iPad and  

suddenly decide that you want to make  a note of something. If you're browsing  

Safari when you do this, you'll see that  the Quick Note has an 'Add Link' button,  

and tapping on that adds a link to the current  Safari page to your Quick Note. If you've got  

an email open, it will show a button to  allow you to add a link to the email.

# Get the Escape Key back

This tip is exclusive to people who use an  external keyboard like the Magic Keyboard case,  

but I'm including it because I think  a lot of people use their iPad in this  

way and this is good to know. You might find  that the small form factor of iPad keyboards  

means that you're missing important  keys like the Escape key. Thankfully,  

there is an easy way to get this back,  although there is kind of a trade-off here.

Open Settings, choose General, and then Keyboard.  

Choose Hardware Keyboard and then choose  Modifier Keys at the bottom of this page.

You can see that there are five modifier  keys on an Apple keyboard: the Caps Lock key,  

the Control key, the Option key, the  Command key, and the Globe key. By default,  

these are configured to their default function.  In other words, tapping the Caps Lock key will  

enable or disable Caps Lock. However, you can  change the function of these if you wish. So,  

for example, if you choose Caps Lock, you can  see that in here you have Escape as an option.

The trade-off that I mentioned is that  by enabling Escape on one of these keys,  

you are disabling its default use. So, this is  going to be a case of you identifying which of  

these five keys you utilise the least and  putting the Escape key there. For example,  

I would never put the Escape key on the Command  button because I use the Command button all the  

time. The Globe key could be a good option  if you prefer to keep Caps Lock as is.

# End

So there you go, 8 more tips and  tricks for the iPad. What do you think,  

anything in here that you didn't know  about? Oh and check out my previous video,  

there's 8 more tips and tricks for the iPad  in there too. Any tips that weren't included  

in either video that you thought should  be? Drop me a comment and let me know.

And as ever, if you found this video useful,  do please consider leaving me a like,  

and subscribing to my channel for  more content like this in the future.

See you on the next video.

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