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The iPad is great for watching YouTube or web browsing, but it’s increasingly common for people to use it instead of a laptop. Having a keyboard changes the game, and some great keyboard shortcuts can save you time when working.
The arrival of the iPad Pro and a keyboard that you can attach to the tablet 24/7 brought with it a change in approach for Apple. No longer is the iPad only a media consumption device; having a keyboard always at hand transforms the iPad into a more-than-capable computer. If you’re a long time Mac user who knows just which keys to press to bend macOS to your will, you’ll feel like a fish out of water when tapping away at an iPad. But that needn’t be the case.
Here, we’re going to run through twenty of the best keyboard shortcuts---ones that everyone who is serious about using an iPad instead of a laptop really ought to know.
Let’s get started!
System Level Shortcuts
- Cmd+Space: Opens Spotlight from anywhere in iOS
- Cmd+H: Returns to the Home screen.
- Cmd+Tab: Opens the iOS app switcher from anywhere in iOS and behaves similarly to the app switcher in macOS.
- Shift+Cmd+3: Takes a screenshot.
- Shift+Cmd+4: Takes a screenshot and immediately enters markup mode.
- Option+Cmd+D: Opens the Dock when inside an app.
- Press and hold Cmd: Displays a list of shortcuts for the app that you are currently using.
Text Editing Shortcuts
- Cmd+Up Arrow: Jumps to top of the page.
- Cmd+Down Arrow: Jumps to bottom of the page.
- Cmd+A: Selects all.
- Cmd+C: Copies the selected text.
- Cmd+X: Cuts the selected text.
- Cmd+V: Pastes the contents of the Clipboard.
Safari Shortcuts
- Cmd+F: Opens the "Find" dialog.
- Cmd+N: Opens Split View.
- Cmd+T: Opens a new tab.
- Cmd+W: Closes the current tab.
- Cmd+R: Refreshes the current tab.
- Cmd+[: Goes back a page in the current tab.
If You're Using a Hardware Keyboard
- Press the Down Arrow, then tap and hold the keyboard icon on-screen: Switches to the software keyboard, perfect for accessing the emoji picker.