6 Apple iPad life hacks for beginners

When I type a long message, it often takes a long time. Typing on a touchscreen isn't as efficient as typing on a real keyboard. I'll can divide the Apple iPad keyboard in 2 parts with a simple movement.

• I place 2 fingers on the keyboard and swipe them apart, left and right.
• I hold my Apple iPad with 2 hands and type using my thumbs.

Note: this feature doesn't work on Apple iPad Pro 11 inches and 12.9 inches.

I regularly refresh the news throughout the day, but also watch live sports results on another website regularly. I hold down one of the 2 tabs in Safari and drag it to the side of the screen. Then, I let go of the tab so that Safari divides both tabs on the screen. Now I can read the news on one half, while changes sports scores remain visible on the other half. On my Apple iPad Mini, this only works in horizontal mode.

When I read a longread from The Guardian, I sometimes have to scroll for a long time to get to the top of the page. Fortunately, iPad has a trick that prevents me from scrolling endlessly.

• I click the bar at the top of the application, this is the bar that also shows the time and the battery level.
• After I tap the bar, the page I am on automatically scrolls up. This doesn't only work in the browser, but also on social media apps such as Facebook and Instagram.

My cousins sometimes play a game on my iPad. To ensure that they don't mess with the settings, I ensure that they cannot leave the games app.

• I open Settings → General → Accessibility → Guided Access
• In this menu, I tap the Guided Access slider and activate the function.
• Now I open the game for my nephews and press the home button 3 times (on-off button on the iPad Pro 2018) and start guided access. I can let my nephews play without having to worry. They can only leave the app with my access code.

In the evening, I often watch my favorite series in bed. Previously, I had trouble falling asleep after bingewatching. This is due to the bright blue light of the screen. Thanks to Night shift, I no longer suffer from this. This filters the blue light from my screen, which is calmer for my eyes and brain.

• I open Settings → Display and brightness → Night shift.
• Here, tap the slider of Night shift and activate the function.

I use some apps and settings often and I want to adjust or operate them quickly. I do this via the control panel. I bring out the control panel by briefly swiping down from the battery icon. I set up the control panel with my most used functions and settings.

• I open Settings → Control panel.
• Then I click Adjust controls.
• I add controllers by pressing + and - and Remove to remove controllers.