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Top Tricks for a Pro User
So Apple has the new Magic keyboard available for the 2018 or 2020 iPad Pro and it’s pretty awesome. But with this article you will discover how it’s even more awesome than you may have realized, because we’re about to share some of the top tricks for what you can do with the iPad Pro Magic keyboard.
Extra USB-C Port
Are you like most of us who are always needing an extra USB-C port? Good news. Apple has made a pretty neat design inclusion on this keyboard that integrates a USB-C port on the side. You can use this to charge your iPad Pro with pass-through charging. If you use this port, it leaves your other onboard ports able to be used to plug in other accessories like your Apple Watch or a digital camera. It’s always nice to have extra USB ports.
Emoji Keyboard
Here’s a fun one! You can access the emoji keyboard on your Magic Keyboard. Go to the typing mode and press the globe key in the bottom corner. If you’re only using English, the emoji keyboard should come up on the screen automatically. Tap the globe again to get rid of the emoji keyboard.
Virtual Keyboard
If you have the Magic keyboard you can completely ignore it while you use the virtual keyboard. So you might not see a need for a virtual keyboard, but it’s handy if you need to type an accent or use dictation. Simply touch the down arrow key on your Magic Keyboard and then touch the chevron looking shape that’s on the bottom corner of the screen. You can hide the keyboard by tapping the key in the bottom corner on the right.
Adjust Brightness
You can change the brightness of your backlight. You don’t have to just stick with what your setting is coming from the factory just because there are no function keys. Although the Magic Keyboard uses sensors in the iPad Pro to adjust lighting automatically, if you prefer to have your lighting darker or brighter you can adjust your lighting manually. Go to Generalà Keyboard à Hardware Keyboard. Then drag the brightness to the right or left to brighten or dim your screen.
Trackpad Gestures
Trackpad gestures are supported in iPad OS 13.4. You can move the cursor to the right side of the screen and enter the Slide Over interface. There are also two and three finger gestures. On the home screen a two finger swipe down will bring up the option for a spotlight search. You can use photos to pinch and zoom pictures, among other options.
Adjust Cursor
You can adjust your trackpad’s cursor appearance and behavior. You can change such things as the color, size, or speed of scroll. Go to the settings app and look underneath accessibility and pointer control.
Change Orientation
You can change the orientation with your Magic Keyboard. Prop the bottom side up against the keys and place the top against the Magic Keyboard cover and you will have it in easel orientation. This is great for an artist who wants to use their screen to draw on.
Control Touchscreen Actions
You can control touchscreen actions with keys if that makes things easier for you. If you have a hard time using the screen on your iPad Pro- and everyone does sometimes- you can use your keyboard to do many of the functions that you normally do onscreen. Launch the Settings app and choose accessibility, then keyboards, and then full keyboard access. There you’ll be able to control movement, gestures, functionals, and interactions.
Add the Escape Key
Here’s another neat thing you can do with the Magic Keyboard. You can unveil the escape key. So this might not be the biggest deal to most people, but if you hit the Command key and the period key the escape key will be revealed.
You can, alternatively, use an option in iPadOS 13.4 that will let you remap your modifier keys for different actions. To make that happen, launch the Settings app and choose General à Keyboard à Hardware Keyboard à and Modifier Keys. Then you can pick which key you want to use as the escape key. Easy!
These are just a few of the awesome tricks you probably missing out and can do with the Magic Keyboard. What tricks have you found on your own?
