Mostly everyone that uses an iPad knows all the basic tricks, like using the multitasking bar at the bottom, grouping apps into folders, taking a screencap, etc. But there are still some new tricks I’ve learned that make using an iPad even easier than it already is.
1. Status Bar – tap to go to top
This first tip I can’t believe I never knew until recently. There’s a shortcut to move back to the top of a page or list, no matter what app you’re using. If you click on the black status bar at the top, the one that has the WiFi signal, time, battery left, etc., it will automatically scroll back to the top. If you’re using an app like Pages or Safari, it will carry you back to the top of the page. If you’re using an app like Mail, clicking on the side above the listing of emails will take you to the top of your list, and if you click on the side above the text of the email, it will take you to the top of the text.
2. Add more apps to dock
I’ve known about this trick for some time as I use it on my iPhone as well as my iPad. A friend who also had an iPhone showed me this one a long time ago. You don’t have to keep the same apps in your dock that Apple sets there. Additionally, you can add even more apps into the dock than just the four it comes shipped with. You can have up to six. I’ve added and re-organized to use the apps that I want that easy access to.
3. Force quit an app
Everyone knows how to do a force quit on their desktop or laptop computer, but it was unclear for quite awhile how to do that on an iPad. When an app freezes up, the only action that was known to do was to do a complete restart on the iPad by holding down the Restart and Home Buttons. But there’s a way to quit just the offending app without doing that complete restart. Hold down just the restart button until you see the slider asking you to shut off your iPad. Let up on the buttons and press the Home button alone this time. This takes you back to the Home screen and quits the app that was frozen, allowing you to restart to try to get back to where you were.
4. Search on page
On a desktop browser, you can search for blocks of text on a page. On the iPad, when you click on the Google search in the top of Safari, it actually opens a smaller box on the bottom to “Find on Page.” You don’t have to retype it here though. There’s also an option in the list it opens up. Searching for my name, it came up with a list of Lauras I could be searching for on Google, as well as “On This Page,” where it is already showing me two places my name is mentioned.
5. Not so simple passcode
The iPad presents with an option to use a four-digit passcode, but you can also change it to use a longer passcode of your choosing that would be much harder for strangers or sneaky children to guess. If you open the “Settings -> General -> Passcode Lock”, you can choose to turn off “Simple Passcode.” This allows you to create your own longer passcode using both letters and numbers.
6. Attaching photos in emails
This tip might seem simple, but it’s involved enough to where it’s just not something you think of as an option. Emailing photos is easy – you simply find the photo you want and hit the Sharing button. What about attaching a photo on a composed email? There is no “Attach” option like there is on a computer. Here is what you need to do: go to the Photos app and select the photos that you want to attach. Tap the “Copy” button, then go back to your Reply Email and paste in the pictures.
I bet that there are still plenty of tips/tricks that I have not discovered in the iPad. I will definitely share them when I found them. Meanwhile, what is your little “unknown” tips/tricks with your iPad? Image credit: By Pedro Eugenio Antunes
