8 Hidden iPad Secrets That Will Turn You Into a Pro

Each year, Apple releases a new version of the operating system that runs the iPad. And with each new version, features are introduced that can increase productivity by helping you do certain tasks faster and more efficiently.

There's only one problem: Not everyone knows about them. Here are a few of the secret features that arrived with the original iPad and some that were added throughout the years to help you navigate the iPad like a pro.

Forget Scrolling: Tap the Title Bar

We'll start with a secret tip that can really help speed up your ability to manipulate your iPad. Have you ever scrolled down a long list or been at the bottom of a large web page and needed to get back to the top? There's no need to scroll.

To return to the top, tap the title bar or quickly double-tap the top of the app or web page to return to the beginning of the list. This trick works with most apps and most web pages, although not every web page is designed to be iPad-friendly.

Skip the Apostrophe

Skipping the apostrophe is also a great time-saver and ranks as our number one keyboard tip. While the auto-correct feature on the iPad can be more annoying than helpful, it can also save you some time by doing the typing for you.

The coolest trick is the ability to insert an apostrophe for most contractions like "can't" and "won't." Type the words without the apostrophe and auto-correct will usually insert it for you.

Launch the Virtual Touchpad

Possibly the number one thing people miss about their desktop computers is the mouse. The ability to tell your tablet what to do by touching the screen is great for ordinary uses, but when you want to do a lot of typing, the ability to move the cursor with a touchpad or mouse is ... well, there are few substitutes.

This might be why Apple added a virtual touchpad to the iPad's on-screen keyboard. This often-overlooked secret can make a world of distance if you frequently create long messages or lists using the iPad.

To use it, hold two or more fingers down on the on-screen keyboard and move your fingers without lifting them from the display and a cursor within the text will move with your fingers. 

Multitask With Split View

To view information in multiple apps at once, make the best of your iPad's screen real estate with the built-in Split View multitasking feature.

To begin, open an app and bring up the Multitasking menu by tapping the Multitasking button (three horizontal dots) at the top of the app. Choose Split View to size down the current app and move it to one side of the display to make room for another app right beside it.

Another option is to add a second app from the dock. Begin by opening an app. Next, launch the Dock and hold and drag and app icon up and next to the open app screen to launch it in Split View.

It's possible to add a third app or make one app full-screen and the second app smaller by selecting Slide Over instead of Split View. Slide Over transforms an app to about half the size of one of the Split View windows and allows you to move the app around the screen.

Other options for opening second or multiple apps, include:

• From Spotlight: Tapping and holding an app from the Spotlight search results bar and dragging it beside the current app.
• From the App Library: Tap and hold an app icon from the App Library in your Dock and drag it to a Split View or Slide Over window.

Use It As a Second Display

Another way to extend the practicality of your iPad is to use it as a second monitor with your Mac using Sidecar.

First, make sure both devices are using the same Apple ID and that they meet the minimum requirements. Then you should be able to drag windows from your Mac display to your iPad.

To change the display options from mirroring or extended display, visit your Mac's Display options from Settings or the Display menu, or use the Screen Mirroring menu.

Another feature that goes hand in hand with using your iPad as a second display is the sidebar. In dual-screen mode, the iPad shows various Mac-related controls along the left edge of the iPad screen.

These controls include a Dock show-or-hide menu, Shift, Control, Option, and Command keys, and an Undo button.

Create Safari Profiles

If you use your iPad for school or work and personal use, there's a way to separate Safari browsing through the use of profiles.

To create a new profile, tap Settings > Safari > New Profile. Enter a name and assign a folder color for the profile and then choose a Favorites folder and the start page for new tabs.

When you're ready to assign Safari activity to a profile, tap the sidebar icon in Safari > Profile and select the relevant profile.

Move an App to the iPad's Dock

Do you hate scrolling through multiple screens of apps looking for your favorite one? There are a number of tricks for finding an app on your iPad quickly, including using Spotlight Search, but one of the most overlooked tricks is simply docking your favorite app.

The dock is the final row of apps at the very bottom of the iPad's display. These apps are always present on the Home screen, which means you don't have to scroll through page after page to find them.

And the best part is that you can move any app you want to the dock. You can even move an entire folder full of apps there.

To place an app on the dock, activate edit mode by touching and holding your finger on the app, then drag it to the dock. Place it between two existing apps and wait until they move apart to provide space for the app you want on there.

Let Your iPad Read Selected Text to You

Do you want to give your eyes a rest? Let your iPad do the heavy lifting—or, in this case, the heavy reading—for you. The iPad can speak selected text to you, but first you need to turn this feature on in the accessibility settings. 

The text-to-speech feature is designed to help the vision impaired, but it can be very useful to most people. For example, the iPad can allow you to multitask by reading an interesting news article to you while your cook dinner. 

To turn on the iPad's text-to-speech feature, go to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Speak Selection slider to turn it on. This setting adds a new Speak option to the menu that appears when you select text.

You can also change the voice text-to-speech uses by tapping the Voices button within the Spoken Content settings. Meanwhile, the Speaking Rate can be adjusted to have the iPad speak faster or slower. 

If you think you may use this feature often, you can also turn on Speak Screen. This features allows you to slide two fingers down from the top of the display to read the entire screen to you. 

Speak Screen doesn't work so well with web pages where the top of the screen is filled with menus, but it works well with other apps like Mail.