85 must-try ipad tricks

23 min read

Are you getting the most from your amazing Apple tablet?

Image credits: Apple Inc.

BACK WHEN THE iPad was first released in 2010, it was criticized as being a decent device for consuming media, but not much use as a productivity machine. Now, almost a decade and a half later, things have changed dramatically.

There is so much you can do with your Apple tablet. In fact, it’s so versatile, some people decide to use it as an alternative to a desktop computer. And why not? Simply connect it to a keyboard case and you have a perfectly viable notebook.

If you need more storage, you can use a USB–C flash drive or portable drive. Pair an Apple Pencil, and you’ve an excellent digital drawing tool. And with Apple’s Pages, Numbers and Keynote productivity apps, you can work on the go too.

The iPad is perfect for the creative user. There’s plenty of powerful, capable art packages available, as well as in–depth photo editors that go above and beyond the already impressive editing tools offered by the Photos app. For musicians, there’s GarageBand and for video editors iMovie, with third–party apps for those who need a little more. And yes, the iPad is great for watching and streaming videos, reading ebooks, playing console–quality games and more.

In this feature, we take a look at what you can do with your trusty iPad, whether you’re working on the go, creating fine art, making a movie or simply enjoying your hobbies. With our help, you can get the most from your Apple iPad and the latest version of its operating system, iPadOS 17.

Multitasking for greater productivity

You can get a lot more done if you master these important iPad features

ON YOUR iPAD, there are several ways you can multitask. The most obvious is Split View, whereby you divide the screen, with one application on one side and another on the other. You can then drag content between them, quickly and easily. You can even open the same application twice if you choose.

To open a second app in Split View, drag up from the foot of the screen to open the Dock, and either drag a second application out of the Dock onto the left or right side of the screen, or tap the App Library, and drag an app to the left or right. You can drag the line dividing the two apps to resize them. You’ll need an iPad Pro, 5th gen iPad or later, iPad Air 2 or later, or iPad mini 4 or later.

Alternatively, Slide Over lets you open a second application in a smaller floating window, which is by default on the right side of the screen but can be moved to the left. You can have multiple apps open in Slide Over mode; to switch between them, simply drag the line at the foot of the Slide Over window upwards and hold it until the apps appear as thumbnails. Then just tap the one you want.

Watch a video or FaceTime while using another app.

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