iPad Basics
Using the Keyboard
Using the keyboard
The iPad has a built-in virtual keyboard that you can use to input text on your device. Although you can purchase a physical keyboard to attach to your iPad, the virtual keyboard has everything you need, including convenient shortcuts to make typing easier.
To access the keyboard:
The iPad's virtual keyboard will appear whenever you tap a text field. For example, the keyboard will appear when composing an email, writing a note, or entering a website address.
Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using the iPad's virtual keyboard.
The Cursor
The cursor indicates where the text will appear.
Space Bar
Tap the space bar to add a space.
You can also double tap the space bar at the end of a sentence to automatically add a period.
Letter Keys
The main part of the keyboard includes the letter keys and the space bar. Tap these keys to add the desired text.
Hide Keyboard
Click here to hide the keyboard. You can click any text field to make the keyboard reappear.
Backspace Key
Tap the Backspace key to erase the character to the left of the cursor.
Press and hold the Backspace key to delete entire words.
Shift Key
Tap the Shift key and then tap a letter to insert a capital letter or alternate character.
Double tap the Shift key twice to turn on Caps Lock.
Number Keys and Special Characters
Tap here to switch the keyboard from letters to numbers and special characters. Tap the button again to switch back. It will also switch back when you add a space after a character.
You can also tap the #+= button to access more special characters.
Keyboard features
The iPad's virtual keyboard includes several features that make typing on your device faster and easier.
Suggestions
The iPad will offer suggestions for certain words as you type. When typing, simply tap the space bar to use a suggestion. In the example below, we used the suggestion to change agreem to agreement. To dismiss a suggestion, tap the X.
Auto-Correction
The iPad will correct commonly misspelled words automatically. For example, teh will be corrected to the.
While it's a powerful feature, Auto-Correction isn't perfect. And because it happens automatically, you may not always notice when something is changed. You should always review your text to make sure it's correct.
Spell check
In addition to Auto-Correction, the iPad will note spelling errors as you type. Any misspelled words will be underlined in red. To view possible suggestions for a spelling error, tap the word. A list of possible spellings will appear. Simply tap a suggestion to replace the existing word.
Moving the cursor
Sometimes you may find that you want to edit something at the beginning of a sentence or paragraph. Rather than deleting the existing text and starting over, you can move the cursor to the desired location. To move the cursor, simply tap the desired location. If you need more control, press and hold the screen, then (without removing your finger) drag the magnifying glass to choose a location for the cursor.
To copy and paste text:
If you want to move text from one location to another, you can copy and paste it. This is especially helpful if you want to move text between different apps. For example, you might find some useful information in Safari and then copy and paste it into the Notes app.
- First, you'll need to select the text you wish to copy. Double-tap the screen next to the text you wish to select, then drag the blue selection handles to select the text.
- Menu options will appear above the selected text, including Cut, Copy, and Paste. We'll tap Copy.
Copying text
- Double-tap the desired location for the text, then tap Paste.
Pasting text
- The copied text will appear.
More keyboard tips
The keyboard has lots of other features that aren't immediately obvious. We've listed some of the most helpful ones below:
- Screen orientation: You can rotate the iPad to change the size of the keyboard. The keyboard will use about half of the screen in landscape mode and about a quarter of the screen in portrait mode.
- Alternate characters: You can press and hold certain letters and symbols to add accents or alternate characters.
Inserting an alternate character
- Undo button: Rather than deleting text manually, you can use the Undo button. Just tap the Number button, then select Undo.
Using the Undo button
- Slide and type: If you only need to insert one number or special character, press and hold the Number button, then select the desired character without removing your finger from the screen.
- Voice dictation: This feature allows you to enter text without having to use the keyboard. Tap the microphone icon on your keyboard, then start talking. (This feature is only available for devices with Siri.)
Using Voice Dictation
Keyboard settings
If you want even more control over the keyboard, you can customize its settings. To do this, open the Settings, then tap Keyboard.
The keyboard settings will appear. From here, you can turn certain keyboard features (like Auto-Correction) on and off, add another keyboard language, create custom text shortcuts, and much more. Take some time to explore these settings to see if any will be helpful for you.