All The Tips & Tricks You Need For The New iPad Pro

Sure, it’s got Face ID–but so much more.

This autumn Apple introduced the most radical overhaul to its iPad ever. The company announced the all-new 11in and 12.9in iPad Pro. What’s radically different about them from the previous models is that they feature an edge-to-edge display and no Home button.

The new iPad Pros also feature support for the Apple Pencil 2, Face ID, and sport the slimmest bodies of any iPad ever. And while the new iPad Pros run the same iOS as the iPhone X series and later, there are plenty of iPad Pro-only features that Apple’s new tablets include.

So without further ado, here are all the tips and tricks you need to know for the new iPad Pros.

External Keyboard Shortcuts

This is perhaps the best trick the iPad Pro has hidden in it. Though the iPad Pro still runs just iOS, Apple is secretly brought macOS-level shortcuts to the iPad–when you use it with an external keyboard that is.

All the best macOS keyboard shortcuts work on the iPad Pro, this include, but are not limited to:

• Command-Tab to switch between apps.
• Command-Space to bring up a spotlight search.
• Command-A to select all text in a field.
• Command-C to copy selected text.
• Command-V to paste selected text.

Cursor Adjustment

While the iPad Pro still does not support a mouse or pointer, there is a way you can quickly adjust where the cursor on the screen in a text field is without needing to tap it into place. By holding two finders on your iPad Pro screen you turn it into essentially a big trackpad that controls the text cursor. Just drag both fingers around to automatically move the cursor.

Text Selection

Speaking of using two fingers on the screen, in a text field place two fingers on the screen and then swipe up or down to automatically select one paragraph of text at a time.

Keyboard Key Flicking

On the iPad Pro, you can flick down on a key on the primary keyboard to insert its secondary character. This saves you from having to, for example, change the keyboard from the QWERTY keyboard to the symbols keyboard. It’s a terrific shortcut that, when mastered, saves a lot of time.

Spacebar Wake Up

Another great feature available when using an external keyboard with the new iPad Pros is that you can simply tap the spacebar on the external keyboard to wake your iPad Pro up. As long as your face is within sight of the Face ID camera, your iPad will automatically unlock.

Use An External Monitor With Your iPad Pro

The new iPad Pros feature USB-C, which means you can now use accessories that plug directly into your iPad Pro. This means you can actually plug in a 4K monitor to your iPad. You can also plug in external cameras and load the photos from their memory right into the Photos app on the iPad Pro. Sadly, plugging in an external hard drive does nothing.

Charge Your iPhone

And yep, that means you can even plug your iPhone into your iPad Pro to charge it. This is a godsend to people who travel with both devices. Now if your iPhone is low on charge, your iPad can share some of its juice with it.