6 Tips for iPad and iPhone Keyboards
Discover in this article how to make the most of the iOS/iPadOS keyboard and learn some clever tricks for even more efficient typing.
Clever Tricks for the iOS/iPadOS Keyboard
When working with adoc Studio, a lot of writing is involved, and the keyboard is an essential tool. But what about the keyboard on the iPad or iPhone? iOS/iPadOS provides a high-quality software keyboard that is easy to use. In this article, you will learn how to get even more out of your keyboard.
1. Special Characters
Special characters are not often needed, but when they are, they can be hard to find. Here's a simple trick: Hold your finger down on a key for a longer period, and a menu with the corresponding special characters will appear. This is particularly useful for accents and special characters in other languages. For example, if you want to write the word "déjà-vu" correctly, you just need to hold down the "e" key to get the "accent aigu", then hold down the "a" key to get the "accent grave". Et voilà!
This also allows you to use various types of quotation marks. Tap on "123", and then hold your finger down on the key with the quotation mark for a longer period.
Another symbol that is often sought after is the symbol for degrees Fahrenheit (°F). First, tap on "123" at the bottom left to switch from letters to numbers. Then, tap and hold your finger on the number zero "0". This will display the symbol for degrees "°".
2. Double Tap on the Space Bar
Entering a period and a space manually after every sentence can be tedious. Instead, you can use the following handy trick. To do this, activate the "." Shortcut option in "Settings > General > Keyboard". This will automatically insert a period and a space after the last typed word when you tap the space bar twice quickly.
3. Precise Cursor Control
Precise cursor control is simple with the following trick. Hold your finger on the space bar until the keyboard greys out. Keep your finger on the keyboard. Now you can move the cursor to the desired position in the text by moving your finger on the keyboard.
If you're already familiar with this keyboard gesture, you might be interested in the trick with the additional finger. Hold one finger on the space bar (1) and then tap with another finger (2) on the greyed-out keyboard area and move the finger (3) on the space bar. This way, the cursor selects text areas as you move it. This is useful for moving, copying, or deleting text passages.
Technical Writing on Mac, iPad & iPhone
4. Using Multiple Keyboard Layouts
If you use multiple languages, this feature is perfect for you. Go to "Settings > General > Keyboard" and select "Keyboards". Here, you can manage multiple keyboards you want to use. Tap on "Add New Keyboard..." to see a list of all available keyboards. Choose the desired language or quickly search for the appropriate keyboard layout. In this list, you will also find keyboards from other providers that you may have already downloaded from the App Store.
To open the different keyboard layouts, tap on the globe icon at the bottom left of the keyboard. Hold your finger on the globe icon for a longer period to open the menu. Here, you can view the active keyboards, access keyboard settings directly, and enable one-handed keyboards for right- or left-handed operation.
5. Dictating Instead of Typing
Tap on the microphone symbol at the bottom right. When you start speaking, the dictation function will immediately activate. The spoken text will be displayed directly at the cursor position. Note that the selected keyboard language, see section above, directly affects dictation. Set the English keyboard if you're dictating in English, and so on. This feature is particularly useful when you want to quickly enter a longer text without having to type it manually.
6. Correcting and More
If you've made a typo and want to undo it, you don't have to shake the entire iPhone. There's a more elegant way. Simply tap on the display with three fingers. This will bring up a menu at the top of the screen, allowing you to undo or redo actions, as well as move to the clipboard, copy, paste, or cut.
