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iPad

The iPad is a tablet computer from Apple that runs the iOS mobile operating system. Similar in functionality to the iPhone, the iPads purpose is often quite different, sometimes even serving as a general desktop computer replacement.

Top Disadvantages of Magic Keyboard for iPad (2025)

by Dave Johnson

At first glance, Apple’s Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro is a well-made keyboard case with a trackpad that lets you use the iPad as a kind of laptop. However, it has its disadvantages.

1. Very expensive

At $300 (or $350 for the 12.9-inch version), this is just a lot of money for a keyboard case, especially when the entry iPad costs about as much. It’s half the price of the iPad Air! It’d be lovely if a new model split the difference and became at least somewhat more affordable, because having a good keyboard on the go is increasingly useful with iPadOS.

For instance, the Logitech Combo Touch and Logitech Keyboard Folio are great options. In addition, many of these models offer viable protection for your iPad, which is not the case with the Magic Keyboard.

2. Heavy and Thick

The Magic Keyboard is built like a tank. That is both a blessing and a curse, however. There is nearly zero flex to the keyboard deck. The whole thing is stable on your lap and very well-balanced. It’s not tippy at all.

But back to that tank analogy: I don’t make it (excuse the pun) lightly. The Magic Keyboard is heavy — so heavy that when I asked Apple for the official weight for both sizes, the company declined to share.

According to my kitchen scale, then, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard weighs just shy of three pounds, about 25 percent heavier than the iPad Pro with the older Smart Keyboard. Three pounds is the same weight as the 13-inch MacBook Pro and heavier than the new MacBook Air.

As I mentioned above, the Magic Keyboard is also fairly thick. For the typing experience, that’s great. For my bag, it’s not. The whole kit is thicker than my 13-inch MacBook Pro when closed.

3. Limited Viewing Angles

Another disadvantage of Magic Keyboard for iPad is limited range of viewing and using angles.

You can tilt the screen from 90 to 130 degrees, which sounds fine on paper. But in practice, 130 degrees is not nearly enough. It can feel cramped, especially if you’re used to pushing a laptop’s screen back when it’s on your lap.

The Magic Keyboard’s odd design means it can’t fold all the way back, with the keyboard parked behind the screen. You either use it as a laptop-thing, or fold it shut. iPads are sketchpads and readers, too, and you can’t use the iPad easily for those purposes with the Magic Keyboard on. That means popping the case off (it attaches with magnets), and then you’re left holding a naked iPad. Surely Apple can figure this out? The old Smart Keyboard cover isn’t as good for work, yet was more flexible as a folio case solution. But it doesn’t work with the Magic Keyboard-compatible iPads (Air, Pro).

This point becomes even more unbearable when we consider the alternative options in the market. For example, many third-party keyboard combinations for iPad Pro and Air offer better viewing angles and create a pleasant environment to use the Apple Pencil.

4. Poor Protection

Another disadvantage of Magic Keyboard for iPad is that it does not do much to protect the tablet. The Magic Keyboard folds smaller than most other keyboard cases, wrapping tightly around the iPad. But it lacks protection for the iPad sides, and the magnets can detach when inside a bag or if you drop the iPad, knocking the entire case loose.

There is no drop protection or shock absorption due to the lack of edge-to-edge coverage. On the other hand, even some of the cheapest alternatives in the market can better protect your iPad.

The Magic Keyboard makes things even more complex in terms of compatibility. For instance, you can’t use a third-party iPad protective case if you want to connect the iPad to a Magic Keyboard. Otherwise, you must bear the annoying task of constantly removing and reconnecting the protective case.

5. No function keys

Another big disadvantage of Magic Keyboard for iPad is lack of function keys. Some iPad keyboard cases have extra rows of dedicated function keys, including volume control and play/pause buttons. I love these, and Apple oddly left them out on the Magic Keyboard. Apple has a lot of keyboard shortcuts in iOS, but dedicated function keys would be a great addition.

In the first of several “finallys” for the iPad, the keys are also backlit. They adjust automatically based on the ambient lighting conditions, and they were exactly the right brightness most of the time. However, if you just want to turn them off if you’re watching a movie in the dark or something, then you’re in for a hassle.

To fix that, you have to go to the iPad’s Settings app, then dig into General, then Hardware Keyboard, and only then will you be able to adjust the brightness using a slider. While you’re there, you may want to also remap one of your keys to Esc (I use Caps Lock) because there is no Esc key here.

Both of these hassles could have been immediately and instantly solved if Apple had simply put a function row of keys above the number row. There are plenty of system-wide buttons that would be useful there! Music controls, volume, screen and keyboard brightness, home, multitasking, search: all things for which it would be convenient to have dedicated buttons.

After giving in and providing a clamshell design and a trackpad, leaving both the Esc key and a function row out seems obstinate. You will still be reaching (or swiping) up to the Control Center to manage essential functions all the time.

These are the disadvantages of Magic Keyboard for iPad

The Magic Keyboard improves the iPad experience in only a handful of ways
The Magic Keyboard only improves a handful of those situations. It is an incredibly good, albeit expensive and heavy, way to use your iPad Pro like a laptop. If that’s what you want, this is a huge upgrade over what was available before, and you’ll love it. But what makes the iPad great is that it’s more than a laptop.

For all the other things I want to do with my iPad, the ergonomics of the Magic Keyboard are noticeably worse, which is why it’s nice that it’s so easy to remove the iPad and use it without a case at all. It makes the iPad a better iPad by its absence.

Tag: iPad Products
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12 Must Know iPad Air Tips and Tricks of 2024

by Moses Johnson

If you just got yourself a new iPad Air, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into. From arranging your homescreen widgets to taming notifications, there are plenty of cool iPad Air tips and tricks to familiarize yourself with. The real question, however, is where should you begin? Thankfully, we’ve assembled 12 best tips and tricks for iPad Air owners that will prove handy advice for anyone trying one of Apple’s tablets for the first time—and maybe even teach experienced users may a gem they weren’t aware of.

Apple tablets offers a pretty good experience right out of the box, but here are twelve iPad Air tips and tricks you can try on your shiny new device and get the most out of it.

1. Arrange your home screen widgets

Once you navigate to your iPads home screen, you’ll notice the widget layout. By default, your iPad will include the clock, notes, calendar, weather and news. You can edit this layout to best fit your needs. Even if you’re happy with the default apps in place, long-press the app to see extra customization options, or hold and drag to rearrange the widgets.

If you want to edit the widgets, swipe right on the screen and tap Edit. From here you can remove or add widgets, giving you quicker access to the e-book you’re reading or your favorite games or streaming service.

2. Check out Apple’s free trials

If your iPad is new, you’ll be thrilled to know that Apple includes a free trial for Apple TV Plus and Apple Arcade. So, in addition to downloading your favorite TV streaming apps, games and linking accounts, you can try something new.

Apple Arcade is Apple’s $5-a-month mobile gaming service. It includes hundreds of games you can play offline and more are added every week. With a new iOS device, you can try out Apple Arcade with a three-month free trial, as well as a one-month free trial for new subscribers. Apple TV Plus is Apple’s subscription video service that includes original TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Schmigadoon and The Morning Show.

3. Join the dark side

Dark mode is a hidden iPad Air trick that’s often forgotten, so be sure to set it up.

  1. Go toSettings.
  2. Tap Display & Brightness
  3. Choose Dark.

You can also set custom schedules (like your screen dimming at sunset), and use True Tone, the feature that automatically adjusts your screen’s brightness based on current ambient lighting.

4. Split screen

Split screen is a cool iPad Air trick that can come in handy during those times when you want to keep a reference image nearby when you are working on a drawing in the Procreate digital illustration app. But you can use split screen with just about any combination of apps. A common use might be opening your calendar app while writing out a to-do list in the reminders app. To start a split view, follow the steps below:

  1. Open an app.
  2. Tap the small horizontal trio of dots at the top of your screen and choose the layout you want.

5. Scribble for Apple Pencil

If you use an Apple Pencil with your iPad Air, the Scribble feature, introduced in iOS 14, lets you do more without having to put your pencil down. The feature converts your handwriting, letting you write in text fields that you’d previously type in. This iPad Air trick allows you to quickly jot down notes or put a personalized touch on things. For example, if you’re sketching in Procreate and need a reference image, you can open Google, jot what you’re searching for (just as you’d type it) and get the result — all without putting down your Apple Pencil.

6. Save time with Touch ID

If your iPad Air offers a fingerprint sensor, it’s possible to enable Touch ID during your initial device setup. It’s not a requirement, but it can make signing in, as well as confirming purchases and downloads a bit quicker. If you want Touch ID on your iPad Air, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Select Touch ID & Passcode. The device passcode is one of the first things you’re prompted to set up after turning on your iPad, but you can change or turn off the passcode here as well.
  3. To set up Touch ID, tap Add a Fingerprint and follow the prompts. Afterward, you can customize what your Touch ID can be used for, like unlocking your device and password autofill.

7. Use Sign in with Apple

Sign in with Apple is an iPad Air trick to be aware of and use, rather than a setting to adjust on your device. The tool is another layer of defense for your security, like adjusting your device’s privacy settings or using privacy tools like a virtual private network or DuckDuckGo.

When you create a new account for an app or website, you can choose Sign in with Apple instead of signing in with Facebook, Google or email. The tool creates a random email address that can only be used for one specific app. The app or website will use the generated email, but Apple will forward any correspondence to your real email, protecting your identity. You can reply to whichever emails you like without exposing your personal email address.

There’s also the Hide My Email option. Apple creates a random email address for you to use when signing up for any service — you’ll recognize it by the unique alphanumeric string followed by @privaterelay.appleid.com.

8. Speech to text

If your ideas are flowing faster than you can use this iPad Air trick. The dictation feature on iPad Air works across email, text messages and notes. For example, you can open the Notes app and tap the microphone icon on the keyboard. Apple will ask if you want to enable dictation; tap yes. Now when you tap the microphone when it’s available on the keyboard, you can use speech to text. If you use speech to text in third-party apps, you may have to grant additional permissions.

To turn off speech to text, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Keyboards.
  3. Scroll down and toggle off Enable Dictation.

9. Learn more about your photos

The iPad photos app has a handy tool that works a bit like Google Lens.

  1. Open up the photos app.
  2. Select an image and tap the little “i” in the upper-right corner.

A panel will open and you can see details like camera spec information, as well as when the photo was taken. You can also add a caption and the location of the image.

You can also learn more about what’s in your photo. Tap the Look Up option in the info panel and your iPad will offer information from Siri, the web and maps (if applicable).

10. Minimize distractions

Your iPad Air should be at your service, not the other way around. To avoid being destructed often, customize your notifications by using this iPad Air trick. Follow the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap Notifications.

Return things back to the essentials. Use the most discreet alerts wherever possible, and it’s good to avoid sounds except for apps you genuinely need to respond to immediately. Think of your iPad like your MacBook—you’re going to want to keep working or playing as long as possible without getting interrupted.

11. Protect your privacy

The iPad is without a doubt an excellent device if you want to safeguard your data, habits, and personal details.

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy & Security.

Here you can fine-tune your setup.

The list of privacy settings here isn’t organized by app (a list of which would be overwhelming), but by what the apps are requesting access to. Select Camera, for example, and you’ll see a list of all the apps currently accessing it and you can tap the green toggle to deny this access from now on.

Pay particular attention to the Tracking entry near the top. This is for apps that have asked to track your activity across other apps and websites. We routinely deny this request (and recommend having the global toggle for “Allow Apps to Request to Track” turned off) but this menu makes it easy to withdraw permission retroactively.

12. Level up your keyboard

In landscape orientation especially, the iPad’s keyboard takes up a lot of screen space. Thankfully, you can use an iPad Air trick to shrink it down to a more manageable size.

  1. Pinch inwards with two fingers (the same gesture you’d use to zoom out of an image). The smaller floating keyboard can sit anywhere on the screen, just use the bar at the bottom to move it around.
  2. If you want to go back to the full-size keyboard, do a “pinch out” gesture using two fingers.

A third option is the split keyboard, although bear in mind that not all iPad Air models support this feature. To turn this on, go to Keyboard Settings (either via Settings > General > Keyboard or by tapping and holding the emoji key) and toggle Split Keyboard to On.

Finally and perhaps most useful of all, your iPad’s onscreen keyboard can also serve as a trackpad. Tap and hold the keyboard with two fingers and the keys will all gray out. and a cursor will appear in the text Then move your fingers to control the cursor and find the text you want to edit. Hold still for about a second and the cursor will change shape to indicate that you’re now in text selection mode.

It’s just like having a trackpad.
Foundry

Tag: iPad Tips
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13 best iPad Pro Tips and Tricks You Should Know in 2025

by Dave Johnson

Did you buy a new iPad Pro over the holidays or get one as a gift from a friend? Well, congratulations, and we hope you like it and are excited to try out all the fun new features. If you’re new to the world of iPadOS, then you may find all the new settings and features a bit overwhelming. Apple does a pretty good job of walking you through all the basic steps during the setup, so we doubt you’ll have any issues setting things up and getting to the homescreen. But once you’re done with the setup, there are several iPad Pro tips, tricks and hacks that can help you make the most out of your device. That’s exactly what we’re going to help you with. So, grab your tablet, sit back, and check out the best tips and tricks for iPad Pro!

1. Use a Mouse and Keyboard With Your iPad Pro

If you want to turn your ‌iPad Pro into a replacement for a Mac when you’re working at a desk, you can do so with a mouse and a keyboard.

As with a Mac, you can connect any Bluetooth mouse, keyboard, or trackpad to your ‌iPad Pro‌ to use those inputs as an alternative to the touch screen. It’s really as simple as opening up Bluetooth and initiating the pairing process.

With Universal Control, a feature that Apple introduced in iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3, you can use a single mouse or trackpad across all of your iPad Pros and Macs, making it even simpler to control your ‌iPad Pro‌ if you’re using it alongside a Mac.

2. Use App Library to Keep Your Home Screen Clean

Have an ‌a Home Screen that’s cluttered up with all manner of apps? Well, this iPad Pro trick can get rid of that problem. The App Library offers you instant access to a well-organized list of all the apps on your ‌iPad Pro‌.

To access it, just swipe all the way over to the end of your ‌Home Screen‌ pages. App Library will automatically organize your apps into various categories such as Games, Entertainment, Health & Fitness, Social, and more.
You can scroll through the categories and tap into each one to see all the apps listed there, or you can simply use the search feature.

Tip: You can delete your ‌Home Screen‌ pages in bulk or rearrange them by long pressing on an empty area of the ‌Home Screen‌ and then tapping on the row of dots at the bottom of the display. You can drag ‌Home Screen‌ pages to rearrange, or tap on the checkmark and then the “-“ to delete them.

3. Drag and Drop Text Between Apps

If you want to move text from one app to another on the ‌iPad Pro‌, such as pasting some text from Safari into Notes, you can easily do so with a drag-and-drop gesture.

  1. Select the text that you want to move from one app to another by long pressing. Drag the two little bars to get exactly the text you want.
  2. On the highlighted text, press and hold to pull it up from the page.
  3. Keep your finger on the text while you use another finger or your other hand to open up the app you want to move the text to.
  4. When the text is situated in the app where you want it to go, lift your finger and it will be pasted over.

Tip: This drag-and-drop text gesture is easiest to use in multitasking mode, where you have two app windows open side by side.

4. Use an Apple Pencil

Without a doubt, an Apple Pencil is one of the best tool that you can get to use with an ‌iPad Pro‌. If you didn’t purchase an ‌Apple Pencil‌ alongside the iPad Pro‌, consider doing so.

An ‌Apple Pencil‌ lets you sketch and draw within drawing apps, note-taking apps, and more, but you can also use it for navigation‌ and you can write in any text field on the ‌iPad Pro‌, with the ‌iPad Pro‌ translating it into typed text.
In the built-in Notes app, for example, you can open it up and just start writing with the Pencil. The same goes for Safari searches, Calendar events, Messages, and so much more.

The ‌Apple Pencil‌ comes in two different versions, so the model you need will depend on which iPad Pro you have. To see your ‌iPad Pro‌ model, launch the Settings app, tap on “General” and then tap on “About.” Your model is listed under “Model name.”

‌Apple Pencil‌ 1 Devices

  • 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ (1st and 2nd Gen)
  • 10.5-inch ‌iPad Pro‌
  • 9.7-inch ‌iPad Pro‌

‌Apple Pencil‌ 2 Devices

  • 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ (3rd Gen and Newer)
  • 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ (All models)

5. Take Advantage of Widgets

Many of Apple’s apps and third-party apps come with widgets, which you can place on your ‌Home Screen‌ or view in the Today Center to get information at a glance. Adding a widgets on the homescreen is a cool iPad Pro trick you shouldn’t fail to try.

Follow the steps below to add a widget to your ‌Home Screen‌:

  1. Long press on an empty space on the ‌Home Screen‌ until the app icons start wiggling.
  2. Tap on the “ ” button located at the upper left hand corner of the screen.
  3. Scroll through the widget suggestions, or simply search for a specific widget.
  4. Tap on the widget you want, and then swipe through the the different options. For many widgets, you can choose a size, and for others, you can customize the function.
  5. After customizing your widget the way you want, tap “Add Widget.”
  6. It will be placed on the ‌Home Screen‌, and from here you can drag it into the position that you desire.
  7. Hit “Done” when you’re through.

Tip: On the ‌iPad Pro‌, you have access to XL widgets, a larger-sized widget that’s not available on the iPhone. You can also add widgets to the Today View by going to your first ‌Home Screen‌ page and then swiping again from left or right to open the Today View interface.

Add a widget by long pressing on the display and then tapping the “ ” button as outlined above. You can drag and drop widgets to rearrange them, or pull one out from Today View to your ‌Home Screen‌.

6. Use Quick Notes

This ‌iPad Pro‌ trick lets you jot down notes without having to open up the Notes app. Quick Notes can be used with or without an ‌Apple Pencil‌, and you can access the interface at any time with a simple gesture.

  1. In any app, or on the ‌Home Screen‌, swipe up diagonally from the right hand corner of the screen.
  2. You can perform the diagonal swipe in either portrait or landscape mode – it works the same.
  3. Type down your notes or write using an ‌Apple Pencil‌.
  4. Swipe to collapse the Quick Note to the side if you want to hide it temporarily and bring it back to look something up.
  5. Hit “Done” when you’re finished.

Tip: You can also access Quick Notes from the Control Center by tapping on the Notes icon, or by using the Globe key Q keyboard shortcut. If you have an ‌Apple Pencil‌, you can also tap it on the ‌iPad Pro‌’s locked screen to bring up a note.

7. Use Your iPad Pro as a Second Screen

If you own a Mac and it’s not too old, you can use your ‌iPad Pro‌ as a second screen with Apple’s Sidecar feature. A cool iPad Pro trick, isn’t it?

To use Sidecar, you just need to access the display section of the Control Center on your Mac and beaming your screen to your ‌iPad Pro.

Sidecar‌ requires a Mac compatible with macOS Catalina or later, and it works with the following MacBooks:

  • MacBook Pro launched in 2016 or later
  • MacBook launched in 2016 or later
  • ‌iMac‌ (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015)
  • ‌iMac‌ Pro
  • Mac mini launched in 2018 or later
  • Mac Pro launched in 2019

8. Enhance Safari With Extensions

Safari on the ‌iPad Pro‌ works with all of the same extensions that you might get on your Mac, so you can download extensions for turning all webpages to dark mode, using password managers, avoiding AMP pages, and more.

To get Safari Extensions, simply open the Settings app, go to Safari, select Extensions, and then tap on More Extensions to get to the Extensions section in the App Store.

9. Multitask with Stage Manager

iPadOS 16 brought a multitasking interface which Apple called Stage Manager, which is meant to be more like Mac multitasking. Some people like ‌Stage Manager‌, while others hate it, but you should definitely try it out to see how it works for you.

Here’s how to turn ‌Stage Manager‌ on and off on iPad Pro‌:

  1. Swipe down from the right corner of the screen to bring up the Control Center.
  2. Tap on the ‌Stage Manager‌ button that resembles a rectangle with three squares on the left of it. You can tap it to toggle ‌Stage Manager‌ on or off.
  3. Alternatively, launch the Settings app, select ‌Home Screen‌ and Multitasking, and then Choose ‌Stage Manager‌ to turn it on or off.

10. Find Anything With Spotlight

If you don’t already use Spotlight on your ‌tablet‌, it’s actually the best iPad Pro trick to find just about anything. To open it, just navigate to the ‌Home Screen‌ and swipe down.

In addition to Siri Suggestions, which offers up apps you might want to access based on your usage history, Apple provides a search bar. If you tap into it, you can search for anything you want. Here are just a few things you can use Spotlight for:

  • Finding and opening apps you have installed on your iPad
  • Finding new apps in the ‌App Store‌
  • Rearranging apps (search for an app and then drag it out of Spotlight to the ‌Home Screen‌)
  • Installing apps on your iPad (after a search, tap on “Get”)
  • Deleting apps on your iPad (long press and choose delete)
  • Looking for photos (search by date, person, or object in the photo)
  • Facts about actors, actresses, and other well-known people
  • Information on contacts
  • Web images (search for [subject] images)
  • Converting measurements right from your iPad
  • Converting currency
  • Performing simple calculations
  • Finding content in Notes, Messages, and other apps

Tip: If you swipe down from the Lock Screen on your ‌iPad Pro‌, you can get to a Spotlight Search interface without having to unlock your device.

11. Use the Freeform App

After upgrading to the latest iPadOS 16.2 update, you can access Freeform, a blank canvas whiteboard style app where you can create anything. Freeform is installed automatically with iPadOS 16.2, and there’s nothing else that you need to do besides open it up and experiment.

The app has various drawing tools that are similar to those available in the photo editing interface, along with options to add hundreds of shapes, stickies, photos, scans, documents, and more. You can have multiple boards and even collaborate on projects with other people, and all edits and changes are shown in real time.

12. Try Some Karaoke With Apple Music Sing

This iPad Pro trick turns your ‌tablet into a little karaoke machine if you’re an ‌Apple Music‌ subscriber. Using the built-in lyrics feature, the ‌Apple Music‌ Sing option lets you sing along with a song, with your voice replacing the song’s vocals.

Vocal volume can be adjusted, and there are settings for duets, plus a ton of playlist options highlighting the best ‌Apple Music‌ Sing songs in the ‌Apple Music‌ app.
‌Apple Music‌ Sing is available on these iPad Pros:

  • ‌iPad Pro 12.9-inch (Fifth-generation and newer)
  • ‌iPad Pro 11-inch (Third-generation and newer)

Follow the steps below to use ‌Apple Music‌ Sing on iPad Pro:

  • Launch the Music app on your ‌iPad Pro‌ and start playing a track.
  • With the fullscreen playback controls open, tap the Lyrics button (the quotation mark speech bubble) in the bottom left corner (if it’s available for the song).
  • Tap the Sing button (the mic and stars) on the right, just above the track progress bar. If you don’t see it, the Sing feature isn’t available for this song.
  • With the track playing, press and hold the Sing button, then drag the slider up or down to adjust the volume of the vocals.

13. Check the Weather

There’s a dedicated Weather app on the ‌iPad Pro‌ as of ‌iPadOS 16‌, so you can get all the weather info you’re used to seeing on your ‌iPhone‌ on your ‌iPad Pro‌.

Just launch the Weather app to see the weather in your location or a location of your choice, with 10-day forecasts, precipitation charts, and other modules that show you in-depth information on metrics like humidity, air quality, wind speed, sunset/sunrise times, pressure, visibility, and more.

Tag: iPad Tips
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12 Amazing Advantages of Having an iPad in 2025

by Dave Johnson

Many people wonder Whats the use of an iPad if you have both an iPhone and a MacBook. Owning an iPad comes with a lot of benefits like multitasking, taking and editing photos and videos, portability, use of Apple Pencil to draw or write on the screen and many other benefits we are going to discuss below.

Advantages of iPad

Here are just but a few advantages of having an iPad in 2025

1. Multitasking

You can use multiple Apps on your iPad at the same time. Multitasking on an iPad is more intuitive and powerful than ever. Your iPad offers two ways of multitasking, that is, slide over and split view. Split view allows you to display two or three apps on the screen in their own resizable panes. While Slide Over lets you view two apps on the screen with one App in a narrow pane floating on the top of the other. Also you can drag and drop content between apps with touch or a trackpad.

2. Apple Ecosystem

Are you an Apple products fan? If yes, then the Apple Ecosystem is one thing to enjoy. Like, you can connect your iPhone with your iPad and transfer iCloud space and some Apps from iPhone to your ipads, connect your iPad with your Apple TV for larger screening or play some music to your HomePod by connecting your iPad with HomePod.

3. Portable

Portability in iPad is achieved in many ways. For example, you can be traveling and you need to move from location to location thus carrying your laptop with you will be tedious. So having an iPad with you it’s more advantageous because of it’s size and weight and still can perform many things like your laptop.

Also at the comfort of your house using iPad is more light and portable to move it across the house.

4. Use of Siri

Siri is among the most outrageous and creative advantages that the iPad provides. You can use the magic words “Hey Siri” to do a lot of things in your iPad. iPad user can dictate voice command that can guide in typing messages, replying to mails, play music and opening games.

5. Use of Apple pencil

The Apple Pencil allows you to take notes, draw, keep a journal, mark up documents and many other things on your iPad screen. iPad is always ready to capture your brightest ideas which you can easily share them, build on them and bring them to life. With Apple Pencil, you can write on your iPad screen and your handwriting can be just as powerful as a typed text, you copy it and paste as a typed text.

6. Easy to use

iPad has the same touchscreen features as the iPhone. This makes it easier to use. It has a larger display and bigger screen than the iPhone, thus those with sight problems don’t need to zoom in to see the screen because words and letters are big enough for them to see clearly.

7. Never leave an App again

When using an iPad, after leaving an App and opening other Apps, you don’t have to go to the homepage to open it again. You just need to scroll on the screen and find the app that u had opened earlier, this is because the Apps are saved on the screen. For example, you can be playing games and you leave the page to reply to a mail, then a Facebook notification pops in and you need to reply. After replying you want to go back again to games. So you don’t need to go to the homepage again and open the games app but you just need to flap on your screen to see the previously opened Apps and open the games App again.

8. Battery

It can be so boring having to carry your charger or power Bank anywhere you go just to charge your device when it’s out of power. But with the Apple iPad you can travel or use it for many hours without it getting out of the power. This makes it more loved by a lot of people.

9. GPS replacement

With data connectivity, you can use your iPad to show direction on your car or when you are traveling. Maps App which comes with your iPad helps you to navigate places easily due to its large display.

10. Taking and editing photos or video

You can take pictures or video using your iPad. They are of high quality because of high quality camera lenses. Also you can edit your pictures and videos using your iPad.

11. Use of e-book

Owning an iPad allows you to take your books with you and read them anywhere as e-books. E-books come in a variety of formats that might require you to use different applications in order to view and read them. E-books can be read using Apple Books, Amazon Kindle and as a PDF.

12. Better for gaming

iPad having a larger display makes it good for gaming. You can find games for action, adventures, racing, puzzles and many more in your App Store. You can also play with your friends, earn achievements, and compete on leaderboards using Game Center.

See also: A few reasons the iPad Pro can’t replace the MacBook, even with the Magic Keyboard

These are advantages of having an iPad

With numerous benefits of having an iPad, it’s easy to figure out why iPads are preferred more. When it comes to recommending a friend or family member if they need to buy an iPad, the answer is yes. With an iPad you can multitask, use it for games, use an e-book and many more benefits that we have discussed above.

See also: Can You Use an iPad as your Main Computer? Know Here

Tag: iPad Products
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iPad Pro 10.5 Battery Drain Fast? Fix

by Moses Johnson

If you own an iPad Pro 10.5, then there are probably all sorts of things that you like to do on it. Maybe you enjoy playing games, watching movies or shows, or doing some schoolwork. Whether you use your tablet for play or work, though, it can be pretty infuriating if your iPad Pro 10.5 battery drain fast than it used to. What might be the cause of this, and what can you do about it? Let’s take a moment and examine each of those questions.

Sometimes, your iPad Pro 10.5 battery drain faster than you would like – even if it lasts 10 hours, you would love to see it survive a little longer.

So since it’s possible, why not try a few things to fix iPad Pro 10.5 battery draining quickly issue?

How Long Can the iPad Pro 10.5 Battery Life Last?

Like most consumer electronics, the iPad Pro 10.5 uses a lithium-ion polymer battery. It’s a lightweight rechargeable battery with a flexible case. It may come in almost any desired shape, and it’s a fair bit safer than the lithium-ion battery.

According to Apple, the battery life of its iPad Pro 10.5 tablet is slated to last up to 10 hours of continuous use. However, one common issue that iPad users encounter is a battery that rapidly drains, limiting what they can do when they’re on the go. Just because you have an iPad Pro that’s constantly drained of juice doesn’t mean it’s a dead product. There are some simple changes you can make to ensure your battery lasts longer.

Tips to fix iPad Pro 10.5 battery draining fast issue

There’s no low power mode on the iPad, but you can tweak your device to extend your iPad Pro 10.5 battery life. Try a few of these suggestions and see how things improve:

1. Adjust Screen Brightness & Turn On Auto-Lock

Like the iPhone, if your iPad’s screen is on for a long time and it’s too bright, the battery percentage of your iPad Pro 10.5 will drain fast. So don’t forget to adjust the brightness to a proper level. And turn on Auto-Lock if you don’t want the screen to stay on unless you lock it.

2. Use and Store Your iPad in the Right Temperature

The average temperature operating range for the iPad is 32° – 95° F. Heat and cold can affect battery performance and permanently damage the battery. Avoid using or storing your iPad in the sun or places where the temperature could fall out of that range. More importantly, don’t charge the device when it’s hot, or remove the case if it’s thick or doesn’t dissipate heat well. If you use a super-slim, lightweight case, then it should be fine.

3. Keep Your iPad Updated

Apart from new features, the latest iPadOS software usually includes bug fixes that improve battery consumption, so it’s always a good idea to have your iPad updated.

4. Use Wi-Fi instead of LTE Data

Connecting to an LTE network consumes more power, given the fact that LTE data is more powerful and has a more complex design. Whenever possible, stay connected to a Wi-Fi network to fix iPad Pro 10.5 battery draining fast issue. If it’s not available, turn it off.

5. Limit Activities You Don’t Need

There are software and settings that you can use to conserve battery life, but the more powerful the iPadOS device becomes, the more energy it needs. The thing is, sometimes you don’t even notice that you have so many things running.

Here are some settings that you might want to check: Background App Refresh, Motion, Share iPad Analytics, Notification, Location Services, Fitness & Activity Tracking. Get rid of what you don’t need or use often.

Still, iPad Pro 10.5 Battery Drain Fast?

After implementing the tips above, your iPad’s battery life will improve. However, if you still find your iPad Pro 10.5 battery draining quickly, there may be a deeper software issue. Try the following:

1. Restart Your iPad

Restarting your device is the easiest yet often the most useful tweak to fix iPad Pro 10.5 battery draining quickly issue. Giving your iPad a fresh start can fix problems you often didn’t know about.

2. Check Battery Usage

When you are using your iPad Pro 10.5 as usual, but the battery drains significantly, something is probably going wrong. You can check by going to Settings ->Battery ->Battery Usage ->Show Detailed Usage to get a clear idea about the overall power usage. You might find software that you don’t use much is a big power consumer. Remove it as it could be malware.

3. Reset or Erase All Settings

Reset all means wiping out all your settings without erasing user data/media. This option could be useful when your iPad Pro 10.5 is experiencing a battery drain issue. If it doesn’t solve the problem, you may go one step further – erase all content and settings. It’s like restoring your iPad to factory settings, which can be painful and time-consuming, so if you don’t want to start from scratch, back it up first.

If the problem still exists, make a Genius Bar reservation and have them test the battery as it may need replacing.

iPad Pro 10.5 battery draining quickly? Problem fixed

An iPad can be used in many situations. It’s more powerful, but it’s not a patch on the iPhone when it comes to battery life. If your iPad Pro 10.5 battery drain fast, I hope the tips above will improve your battery life.

Tag: Battery
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6 Best iPad Keyboard Tips and Tricks

by Moses Johnson

Here are the best tips and tricks for the iPad keyboard.

The Cupertino based Company has gone out of its way to make the iPad a powerful competitor against PCs and laptops. Even if you don’t own an iPad Pro, every iPad is a great device for students and professionals alike. Not only do you get a powerful device capable of editing video and photos just as well as some other computers out there, but you can also carry it around anywhere at any time. With the Magic Keyboard’s addition, Apple turned the iPad into an actual laptop replacement. Of course, not everyone wants or needs a Magic Keyboard. Sure, having a physical keyboard is wonderful, but the iPad’s digital keyboard is just as great. All you need to do is learn a few iPad keyboard tricks and shortcuts to make it really work for you. If you want to make the most out of your tablet, continue reading to learn six iPad keyboard tricks you didn’t know about.

See also: Top 10 iPhone Keyboard Tips and Tricks You Should Know

iPad keyboard tips and tricks

Here are the best iPad keyboard tips and tricks in 2021:

Split in Half

Granted, you might have come across this feature by accident while using your iPad, but it’s still worth mentioning. Apple makes it easy to split iPad keyboard in half to improve typing experience. Please follow these steps to enable this feature:

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Go to General.
  3. Tap Keyboard.
  4. Make sure Split Keyboard is enabled.

Here’s how to split or undock your keyboard.

  1. Start any app you want to type in.
  2. Once your keyboard appears, press and hold the keyboard key located at the bottom right of your keyboard.
  3. Tap on the word Split.
  4. If you want to go back to normal, just tap the same keyboard button one more time and tap on Merge.

Please note, although the Split Keyboard feature isn’t readily available in the 12.9″ iPad Pro models. Why I hear you ask? Beats me. But there may be an easy workaround.

Use Hidden Keys When Using a Split Keyboard

Now that you tried using the Split Keyboard on your iPad, you’re probably having some issues typing certain letters. You might want to type the letter T with your right hand, but the key is on your left side.
Pretty annoying, right? Well, Apple actually thought of this and added some extra hidden keys on the Split Keyboard to make it easier to type.
When you’re using the Split Keyboard, try pressing next to the letter Y with your right hand, and you should see that you actually type the letter T in the text field. The same goes if you try to type the letter Y by pressing next to the letter T on your left side. How cool is that?

You Can Also Make Your Keyboard Float

Not only can you split your iPad keyboard, but you can also make it float as a smaller keyboard that’s better to write with one hand.
To try using the floating keyboard, just do the following:

  1. Tap on any text field until your keyboard shows up.
  2. Put two fingers on the keyboard and pinch it to make it smaller.
  3. Drag your keyboard to your desired location.

Pro tip: You can also slide your finger on the floating keyboard to write without actually tapping. Your iPad will help you by auto-correcting what you write.
If you want to make it go back to normal, just put two fingers on your floating keyboard and spread them apart to enlarge it back again to its full size.

Use Your Keyboard as a Trackpad

As you can already tell, the iPad keyboard is packed with features to make your work as easy as possible, but the great news is that it can also work as a trackpad.
That’s right! You don’t need to get a fancy new Magic Keyboard or another Bluetooth mouse for your iPad. All you need to do is place two fingers on your keyboard when it appears. Your iPad’s keys will disappear, and you’ll be able to navigate any chunk of text by sliding your fingers.
Using this method also makes it easier to select text with your keyboard. Just tap twice with two fingers and immediately hold. You should see the iPad highlights one word from the text. You can slide to the left or right to keep selecting more text.

Use Key Flicks to Type Faster

to save time typing on the iPad, you need to master it.
To use Key Flicks on iPad, all you have to do is drag any key down on your keyboard and then release it. You’ll see that the “second key” from your keyboard immediately appears.
The iPad’s Key Flicks are enabled by default, but if you want to make sure you haven’t disabled it, or in case you want to, here’s what you need to do:
Open the Settings app on your iPad.
Go to General.
Tap on Keyboard.
Make sure Enable Key Flicks is turned on.

Undo and Redo with Three Fingers

If you’re used to typing each day, one of your favorite keyboard shortcuts might be Command + Z or Control + Z.
Unfortunately, the iPad’s keyboard doesn’t have a Command key, although that would be a game-changer. Instead, you need to use a different way to Undo or Redo a misspelled word.
The good news is that it isn’t hard at all, and there are different ways to do it.
If you want to undo something you just typed, instead of deleting it, you can simply place three fingers on the iPad’s display (it doesn’t have to be on the keyboard itself), and swipe to the left. This will undo your most recent text.
Pro Tip: There’s another way to undo what you just wrote. All you need to do is shake your iPad, and a pop-up message will appear asking if you want to undo the last thing you wrote.
Now, if you want to redo something you just undo, you can use the same trick, only instead you have to do it the other way. That is, to redo, all you need to do is place three fingers on your iPad’s screen and then swipe to the right. A small message will appear at the top saying “Redo” or tell you that there’s nothing to redo at the time.

Your Favorite iPhone Keyboard Tricks

What are some of your favorite tips and tricks for the iPad keyboard? Share with us in the comments below.

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5 Hidden iPad tips and tricks you Didn’t Know About

by GeeksModo Staff

This article explains five iPad tips and tricks most people don’t know about.

Hidden iPad tips and tricks

With price points for every consumer and widespread adoption both in businesses and in schools, Apple’s iPad is more than just a niche product. It’s a productivity tool by day and an entertainment center by night. It’s so versatile and chock full of features that you may only be scratching the surface of what you can do with an Apple iPad. We’re here to show you the best iPad tips and tricks to take your tablet to the next level. Read on to learn five iPad tips and tricks that most people don’t know about.

Best iPad tips and tricks

Work with Two Apps simultaneously

I exercise at home and enjoy watching YouTube on my iPad. At the same time, I need to have a timer to see how long I have to hold my wall sits. You can switch between the apps, but this pauses the YouTube video, which is quite annoying.
With this iPad trick, though, I can use Slide Over to keep both apps open simultaneously with the clock app overlaying the YouTube window. This configuration gives me the ability to reset my timer every 30 seconds and follow my YouTube video streaming without interruption.
It’s easy to use Slide Over

  1. Start by placing the app you want to overlay in the dock
  2. Now, launch your first app, so it fills the whole display.
  3. Next, swipe up to bring up the dock.
  4. Tap on the app you want to overlay and drag it to the left or the right side of your Display. The app will open in a small window that overlays the primary app.

Both apps will be available to you, and any media streaming will continue without pause. You also can swipe the window away and then swipe it back again when you need it.

Take a Screenshot of an Entire Page, Save as PDF

This iPad trick allows you to capture the full length of a webpage and then save it as a PDF file that you can access in the Files app.
Take a screen capture, tap the thumbnail in the lower-left corner, then look for the options “Screen” and “Full Page” at the top to choose whether you want just the contents of the screen or A whole page.
This iPad trick works in Safari, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Mail, or Apple Maps.

Use a Trackpad to Control Your iPad

Before iOS 13.4, you could use your mouse or trackpad with your iPad, but the feature was limited. Now, the settings for your mouse and trackpad have a dedicated entry under General > Settings.
Connect your mouse or trackpad to your iPad using Bluetooth and launch the settings app to enable mouse support.
And this isn’t some dumbed down feature. The iPad supports an array of gestures that you commonly use with a mouse or trackpad. You can left-click, right-click, click and hold, click, hold and drag, and a whole lot more.

Jump to the Top of Any Web Page

Hidden iPad tips and tricks

This iPad trick is pretty basic but extremely useful. When you’ve scrolled to the bottom of a long web page and want to jump to the top, don’t waste your time scrolling back upwards. Just tap the top of the title bar, and you will jump instantly into the top of the page.

Undo Mistakes with Three Fingers

Hidden iPad tips and tricks

When you want to undo a mistake in typing, you can use a few simple three-finger gestures to undo and redo your mistakes. If you need a simple re-do, you can quickly tap your three fingers on the screen and then select Undo. You also can use your three fingers to swipe left and then use a triple finger swipe right to redo.

Best iPad tips and tricks? Now you know!

Have we missed some iPad tips and tricks here? let us know in the comments section below.

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Three ways the iPad beats the Laptop

by Dave Johnson

You probably use a laptop as a primary productivity tool, since it’s powerful and makes any task possible. And you probably think the iPad is a gorgeous tablet that is useful for people who don’t work with numbers, and who don’t multi-task between powerful apps to get work done. Which was the case until a few years ago. Since I replaced my laptop with an
iPad Pro
a few months ago, it was surprising to see how the iPad somehow managed, ten years later, to become a better productivity tool than a laptop.

1. The physical structure

The physical structure of the iPad Pro is a significant evolution from laptops. The iPad Pro is a tool that can be used in an array of contexts. First, the iPad Pro can have a similar setup to laptops, where it’s attached to the keyboard. The
Smart Keyboard Folio
resembles a toy, but is surprisingly fan to type on. The keyboard is narrow, so the hands can easily reach for the screen. The keyboard attaches magnetically to the back of the iPad Pro, making it easy so it’s practical to alternate between holding the iPad by hand, and attaching it to the keyboard. And that’s one aspect of the evolution. I use the keyboard to type, then hand hold the iPad to read and produce media. It’s no problem at all to keep alternating between the keyboard and the hands in one sitting. It might sound silly, but it’s very pleasant to sit back on a sofa, attach the keyboard, and edit a movie. This is particularly for the 12.9 inch screen, and might not hold true for the 11 inch. Since iPad OS uses the large Display size efficiently, I rarely think about a smaller Display. A nice side effect here is how portable this device is. Suddenly the train table is quite spacious. The backpack space needed for the iPad, keyboard and charger is negligible.
See also:
Why I Choose the Smart keyboard Folio for the iPad Pro!
The last physical piece of the evolution is the Applepencil. I thought it’s just for artists. Turns out it’s well integrated with iPad OS in helpful ways. Touching the pencil while iPad is turned off automatically presents you with a blank note you can sketch on. You can also use the pencil to annotate screenshots. Move the pencil from the side of the display to
take a screenshot,
then draw directly on it. If you do that in Safari, you can take a whole webpage screenshot, then save it as a PDF. You can also pull up any PDF, then use the pencil to highlight things or fill out a form just like you would on paper. Sketch an idea effectively in a Keynote presentation, or review a
Microsoft Word
document by using the pencil directly on text. In Adobe Lightroom, you can use the pencil to selectively edit parts of a photo, and move the sliders with more accuracy.

2. The internal hardware

The power that comes from such a small device is surprisingly impressive. This thing is a beast, even compared to MacBook Pros. Intensive apps like Lightroom and LumaFusion works quite smoothly, even as they are exporting videos and raw photos simultaneously. Even without a fan, the iPadPro hardly heats up.

The multiport adapter offers quite a number of opportunities too, because it has HDMI, USB-old-school, as well as USB-C ports. There’s the traditional things such as connecting an SD card and a hard disk. But more interestingly, by connecting the HDMI adapter, I can mix live audio and video from Algoriddim’s djay app, while at the same time previewing the next song on my headphones. Various apps make use of the multi-port adapter. For instants, Luma Fusion can play a 4K video preview on the TV, while keeping the editing interface on the iPad itself. And the USB ports can be connected to a hard disk and SD card, giving me the ability to import photos into Lightroom.

The battery power of an iPad Pro surpasses that of a Macbook by far. I don’t have to worry about forgetting to carry my charger. Apps like Google Hangouts, which generally drain macbook batteries, perform much more efficiently on the iPad Pro (by the way, screen sharing to a Hangouts call is so easy). Lastly, compared to a Macbook or Surface, the iPad’s cameras have better resolution, the speakers produce great sound, and the mic is more accurate. It’s funny that a Device smaller and thinner than a laptop performs better in every aspect when it comes to what needs space the most – hardware.

3. The operating system

It took ten years, but iPad OS is now an evolution of desktop-based systems. Especially for multi tasking. It always seemed that the way desktop systems do multi tasking is the right way. I never questioned the time it takes on desktop to setup apps side by side, dragging and resizing them until I see all the necessary content. And even then, there is so much wasted screen space left because of how apps organize content. content. Then I need to resize a window to reach an item in the toolbar. And even then I always ended up with wasted screen space. Or if not wasted, it would be another app on the back of the screen that adds clutter and makes it harder to navigate my way through the many windows. If i want to drag an image to an app, I have to align the finder and app so I can move things around.

I don’t know if the iPad engineers questioned these drawbacks, or if they were trying to come up with multitasking within the existing iPad operating system. But it looks like they hit the jackpot. The way multiple windows work together is an evolution in the efficiency of multitasking. Apps use all the properties of the screen and the system makes it easy to work with a few apps at a time. That is without ending with a stack of apps on top of each other that I eventually navigate like a maze. Two apps can be displayed simultaneously using drag and drop. I have control over which app takes up more space, and I don’t have to constantly resize each side of a window to display that last button in the toolbar. If I need a separate app for quick reference, as I often do with Google Keep or Slack, I can turn it into a slide over app, which I can slide in and out when I need it. And if you switch from Netflix to another app, the video will continue to play on the side, taking up only the space of a video. With all that said, it actually feels like a desktop system is completely unaware of how we all use multitasking these days.
The iPad system benefits significantly from drag-and-drop interactions, and not just for setting up multiple windows. It uses people’s ten fingers and that natural gesture to make moving things powerful. For instance, grab a file from the Files app. Or multiple files by keeping the first file handy and tapping the other files you need. You can even browse folders and choose files from different places, as long as the selected files are at hand. Then feel free to browse further to the desired folder, and have the files ready so that they all go there. Did you actually want to put these files in another app, for example to send them by email? You can keep the files in place, quit the files app, go to the Mail app, tap to create a new email and drop the files there.

The power to keep items on hand is not limited to files. I can grab an image in Safari with one finger, switch back to Google Docs with another finger, and drop the image into a document. Or grab some videos in Photos, switch to LumaFusion and drop the videos in the edited timeline. Or select a sketch I drew in Notability, grab it and straighten it in a Google Slides presentation.

Being a bit of a powerful user, the Shortcuts app is the last piece that really makes the iPad system powerful. My workflows often include small technical things, such as encoding an audio file to a different format, converting a PDF to images or combining 3 screenshots into just one image. There are apps and websites that accomplish these little technical things. But the experience of finding these services and having to go through ads is not productive or enjoyable.
Shortcuts
allow me to quickly save a series of powerful actions that complete many of these technical things. So far this is comparable to the Automator app on Mac OS. But Shortcuts goes further. You will find that installed apps can also add their own actions, making it easy to perform a series of actions involving multiple apps. And since shortcuts appear in the shared sheet and within Siri, it’s much easier to activate a shortcut.
So this is how the iPad redefined the main tool I use for learning and producing. Ten years after the launch of iPad, it now stands as the evolution

Tag: iPad Pro
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How to be More Productive With iPad Pro

by GeeksModo Staff

With the right tools and the right adjustments, the iPad Pro can become a productivity workhorse. In this article, i’ll show you exactly how to be more productive with iPad Pro.

We keep hearing stories that the iPad Pro can be even more capable than a laptop to get things done. It’s very tempting to switch from a computer to Apple’s top of the range tablet, as it’s often described as the best portable computing device. It has a stunning Display, fantastic processing power, all packaged in a small, light mobile design.
However, even if the device is marketed as a “Pro” machine, it can be heard to know if the iPad Pro will be sufficient to get your job done. Depending on the review and experiences you read about, people are either in love with the device or consider it as a toy only suited to play a few games and watch Netflix.
In this article, I’ll give you some of my favorite iPad pro productivity tips, as I’ve been using this device as my primary computing device for an array of tasks for the past six months.

The iPad Pro’s Design Limits Distractions

The first thing I loved about the iPad Pro was how it focuses on single tasks. Apps display fullscreen, the dock is hidden, and if you get rid of notifications (which you should do), you can’t be distracted by anything else than what you are currently doing.
Although The Cupertino based brand has been putting a lot of effort on the multitasking features of the iPad Pro, I think the split-screen features aren’t that easy and smooth to use. I find it quicker just to hit the command + tab shortcut on my keyboard to switch between to apps than having to place to windows side-by-side. While this may look like a drawback, I think it helps you concentrate on your tasks without being distracted ever. The amount of effort you have to put out to be able to multitask or switch apps is higher than on a laptop, which makes focusing on a single task in a single app a lot more practical to do.
Notification settings are also a lot more flexible than on a desktop device. You can choose just to disable banners but still see notifications in the notification center of your iPad Pro. This way, you eliminate the interruption of a banner at the top of the Display, while still being able to stay up to date with whatever app or conversation you are having.
The iPad Pro’s design makes it a lot easier to do deep work than a laptop experience. Distractions are easily expunged, and staying on one full-screen app is incredibly fantastic.

Getting the Best Keyboard and Mouse for the iPad Pro

You won’t manage to accomplish many tasks if you don’t have, at least, a hardware keyboard for your iPad Pro. Apple has improved the virtual keyboard of the iPad over the years and is now better than ever, but it’s not sufficient if you have to produce content, and it doesn’t allow you to use any keyboard shortcuts that simplifies and streamlines your workflow.
The good news is that there is an array of options out there now. Apple has the
Smart keyboard Folio
which is great and Super portable, but it doesn’t offer a great typing experience. They recently released the
Magic Keyboard
for iPad, which appears to be way much better but is quite heavy and very expensive. My personal preference goes to the
Canopy
by Studio Neat, which is a keyboard case for the Apple Magic Keyboard that opens up as a stand for the 12.9 iPad Pro. To me, it’s a way lighter, cheaper, and more portable option than the Magic Keyboard for iPad.
See also:
The Cheapest iPad Pro keyboard that Doesn’t Suck
As far as the mouse is concern, I have been using my Logitech MX Anywhere 2X for a while, and I’m fine with it. I don’t think the mouse is as necessary as a keyboard. If you know your keyboard shortcuts pretty well, you can navigate on the iPad Pro without having to touch the screen much. But having a mouse or a trackpad can help you with some tasks like formatting or editing.
If you are considering the iPad Pro to get work done, you need to have at least a keyboard and maybe a BlueTooth mouse to go with it. Spend a little extra time finding the right keyboard for you, you won’t ever use your iPad if you hate using it and typing on it.
See also:
Why I Choose the Smart keyboard Folio for the iPad Pro!

Using the Right Apps on the iPad Pro

This part will be the toughest to cover, as getting the appropriate iPad Pro productivity apps depends a lot on your current workflow and your personal preferences.
Actually, most apps on a Mac have a proper iPad version or an equivalent that will cover, at least, most of the basic features you need to get your work done. Depending on the tools you use, you will have to do some research to figure out if the iPad will be limiting you in any way or not.
In my case, I create content using the minimalistic writing app Bear. That’s where I take my notes, brainstorm, write my blog content. I edit my website using Squarespace on Safari, even if it is a bit limited. I edit my other sites directly on WordPress, and everything works pretty well. I edit my pictures in Lightroom and Photoshop. Photoshop isn’t as complete as on a Mac, but for Basic photo editing, it works just fine. I edit 4K videos in Lumafusion. It’s enough for short, not too ambitious, social media videos and stories, and it works incredibly well. I can also manage my Google Drive as well as on a Mac, manage my files directly in the Files app, and even do backups and file management on external hard drives.
The only job that I needed a desktop for, was to do some editing on my Squarespace website, which i trust will be possible sooner than later after a few updates and patches.
There are numerous resources online now about professionals going deep into details about their workflow since many people have fully transitioned to the iPad Pro already.
It’s worth noting that that your workflow will have to change a little bit from the one you are used to on desktop, but ultimately, you should be able to be as productive on the iPad Pro as you are on a laptop, but with even fewer distractions and unnecessary features.
The iPad Pro is a very powerful device if you commit to it, and if you spend some time adapting your workflow. If you don’t spend this time and effort, the iPad Pro will only appear like a little cool toy that won’t get you anything done. But with a good keyboard and mouse, with an adapted workflow, and with some smart notification setups, the iPad Pro can become the ultimate productivity machine.
It’s a very minimalistic Device. Push aside all the details and things that don’t matter. With the iPad Pro, you can totally focus on the 20% that contribute to 80% of your results.

Tags: iPad Pro, Productivity
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iPadOS 14 Supported Devices List

by GeeksModo Staff

iPadOS 14 is here, and it looks gorgeous. Not only does it revamp the user interface in desktop-like ways that take advantage of its mammoth display, but it makes the Apple Pencil far more valuable as an accessory.

Revealed at WWDC 2020 on June 22, we’ve just gotten our first look at the how the iPad stands out from the iPhone — though the iPad has also received some of
the best new iOS 14 features
as well. The iPad also feels more productive than ever, thanks to the ability to choose third party apps for certain features.

These features add up to a mighty healthy iPad update.
iPadOS 14
also receives a lot of macOS interface changes, for search and more — where iPadOS 14 is making the iPad look a lot like a MacBook.

In previous years, iPads would get big updates every other year, with those off-years providing merely minor tweaks, which may be over as a rule. That era appears to be over. Here’s everything we know about iPadOS 14 so far.

iPadOS 14 release date

According to Apple, iPadOS 14 will come out in fall 2020. That’s like likely around September, as Apple tends to release major updates alongside its new hardware. This will likely follow a long string of beta releases (more on that next).

We are got our first official look at iPadOS 14 at the WWDC 2020 keynote. There’s a seasonal gap between the reveal and release because Apple gives developers advance time to get their apps ready for any changes.

iPadOS 14 beta

You can now download the iPadOS 14 beta, but it’s the developer version. That means it’s going to be a little more risky of a download than normal. It also costs $100 to gain admission into the Apple Developer Program. This version is the least stable of them all, and should only be installed by people willing to take a risk — and who have already backed up their device.

Starting from this month (July 2020) a public beta testing process will begin, delivering the preview version of iPadOS 14 to more adventurous types. Throughout the summer, Apple will release updates for each beta version, and bloggers will try and read between the lines of code in the updates to see what’s going to be announced in the fall.

iPadOS 14 supported devices

iPadOS 14 is compatible with all the iPads that supported iPadOS 13. This seemed like a sure thing, but the iPad mini 4 (from 2015) and iPad Air 2 (2014) were so old that it would not have been surprising to see them lose support.

Below is the list of iPadOS 14 supported devices:

  • iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2020)
  • iPad Pro (11-inch, 2020)
  • iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2019)
  • iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2019)
  • iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2018)
  • iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2017)
  • iPad Pro (10.5-inch, 2017)
  • iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
  • iPad (7th generation)
  • iPad (6th generation)
  • iPad (5th generation)
  • iPad mini (5th generation)
  • iPad mini 4
  • iPad Air (3rd generation)
  • iPad Air 2

iPadOS 14 features

iPadOS 14 gives you the ability to scribble to type, as Apple’s new Scribble feature turns hand writing into text. This allows you to markup your to do’s on the fly.

Moreover, you’ll be able to move your handwriting around in notes, like groups of objects. It’s also possible to copy and paste handwritten notes between apps.

Want to erase text? Simply “scratch” your Pencil tip over the text to erase it. You can even select and alter a large group of items you’ve written, with your pencil, like a more powerful cursor.

iPadOS looks a lot like macOS now, starting with redesigned search has been redesigned. The new search field looks and acts a lot like Spotlight on the Mac, and you can use it to find content in documents, find apps and facts.

Moreover, many apps, such as Photos and Notes, will get a left-side menu, that makes them look a lot like their Mac app versions. Items can be dragged and drop through this menu. Calendar is also getting more powerful menus connected to toolbar buttons.

In the music app, you’ve got a new redesigned way to listen to your music. After you start playing, you can get a full-screen player mode, making lyrics a lot larger than before.

Phone calls now appear as notifications at the top of the screen, so your entire screen isn’t taken over. Siri appears in the corner of the screen as well, adding to what you see, and not obfuscating your screen.

The old way phone call notifications worked, where they took over your whole screen, felt like iPadOS was holding onto the iPhone’s interface. Now, all three devices are unified, as the Mac has always had its call notifications in the top right corner.

We noticed that in the background of the iPadOS 14 features slide, the company revealed that you’ll be able to set new default email and web browser apps.

This is a long overdue option for both iOS and iPadOS, and the iPhone gets it too. We’re still waiting for options for a default calendar app and a default maps app.

The iPad also inherits new features from iOS 14.
Those include widgets, which stay inside the smart stack, and don’t get to go into the apps section of the home screen like they do on iOS 14. There’s also device dictation, group photos in Messages and pinned conversations in Messages (for your favorite people you don’t message all the time).

Tag: iPadOS
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