Top iPad Tips and Tricks

These 30 iPad Tips will save you time and are invaluable if you are someone that wants to get more out of your iPad.  No matter what level of user you are, these tips are indispensable.  Enjoy these tips and if you have any others you want to share, add them in the comments at the end of the post for everyone to enjoy.

1.  A Fast Way to The Top

To scroll back to the top of a page quickly, tap the status bar (where the current time is).  You can do this with some apps such as Mail and Notes with the columns while in landscape mode.

2.  iPod Control (Fast)

If you are playing music via the iPod app, double press the home button even while using different applications like Safari, and the iPod controls will pop up for you to use.

3.  Quick Mute

Ever wanted to quickly mute your iPad? Just press and hold the volume button down and it will mute very quickly without having to press it repeatedly.

4.  Two More Dock Icons

The dock at the bottom of the screen comes with four icons by default. Did you know you can add two more?  You can have up to six!  To add two more, just hold your finger down on any of the apps until they are shaking. Then drag the one you want down to the dock, press the home button and that’s it.

5.  Take A Screenshot

If you want a screen shot of anything on the iPad or within an application so you can email it, print it or save it, just press the home button and the sleep/wake button at the same time. The screen will flash and if you have the sounds activated it will play a shutter sound.  The image is now saved in your Photos app.

6.  Pause Downloads

If you need to pause a download because your battery is running low or it is slowing your Internet down, just tap the app while it is downloading and it will pause automatically. Tap again to resume.

7.  Restarting

Sometimes it’s necessary to reboot the iPad if it is having problems that aren’t resolving.  In order to do this, just press and hold the home button and the sleep/wake button together for about 10 seconds.  Ignore the slide to power off message and your iPad shuts down.  Now turn it on as you normally do and it should work fine.

8.  Forcing A Misbehaving App To Quit

Sometimes Apps get weird.  They can freeze and stop responding. To deal with that, press and hold the Steep/Wake button until the slide to power off message appears. Let go of the button and then press the Home button for around six seconds.  This forces the current app to quick and allows you to get back to work.

9.  Starting All Over

Need to completely wipe the slate clean and restore it?  No problem.  Each time you sync, a backup is created. To restore your iPad to that last backup just connect it to your computer.  Wait for iTunes to start. Click the iPad icon and then click the Restore button to begin.

10.  iPad Not Charging?

In general it is best to always charge the iPad with the included power adapter. If you do charge it through a USB port on your computer, it will only charge when the screen is off.

11.  The Secret Behind The .com

Pressing and holding the .com button on the keyboard brings up many different options such as .co, .uk, or .net

12.  Add A Custom Wallpaper

Sometimes you might want to add your own background. It’s a great way to personalize your device and it’s really easy to do.  Just save an image by tapping on it and holding down. Choose Save Image.  Now you will find it in your Photo app and then you can tap the little arrow up in the top left of the screen and choose Use As Wallpaper. Here are 5 wallpaper resources you can use to find some great backgrounds.

13.  Shake To Undo or Redo

While typing, just shake the iPad up and sown and an option will pop up to Undo Typing or Redo Typing.  If you don’t want to shake it, then there is also an undo button on the .?123 keyboard and a redo button on the #+= keyboard.

14.  Use All CAPS

If you want to use all capitals, you can turn on the option Enable Caps Lock.  Go to Settings, General, and Keyboard.  Here you will see the option Enable Caps Lock.  Turn it on and now you can just tap shift twice for caps lock.  Tap it again to disable caps lock.

15.  Get Extra Symbols

This is a great tip for those that need to add special characters.  There are some keys you can hold down to bring up extra options.  Just tap and hold down a letter you want and if there are any extra options it will display them in a pop up.

16.  Replace

A new feature on iPad is the Replace function.  Select any word by double tapping, which brings up the option Replace.  Tap this and you will see possible replacement words – a great iPad tip that saves you a lot of time.

17.  How To Clean The iPad

Ever wonder how to clean your iPad without ruining that really nice oleophobic coating?  Officially you are supposed to clean it with only a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth.  Do not use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, abrasives, or alcohol to clean any part of your iPad.

18.  Battery Care

Ever wonder how to get the most out of your iPad batteries?  The batteries are lithium polymer (rechargeable) and eventually will wear out, but there are some things you can do to get the longest life out of them.  Keep them out of heat above 95 degrees and cold below 32 degrees.  Always make sure you have the latest software.  Make sure you go through at least one charge cycle per month (charging the battery to 100% and then running it completely down).  Turning on the EQ in the iPod settings can also drain the battery.

19.  Reply With Only Part of Your Email Message

If you want to reply or forward only a portion of an email message, you can highlight the part of the message you want to send, then just hit reply or forward and it will only send that portion.  This tip is perfect for those really long email threads that you just need a portion of.

20.  Zoom Out Fast in Maps

This is the only current app that supports this feature but if you tap a map with two fingers it will zoom out.  Use pinch for much more precise control.

21.  Compass Within Maps

You can use the compass right within the Maps application.  Press on the Find My Location button once and then press it again.  The compass will now appear showing where north is and it will also try to figure out which direction you are facing.  This is a real handy tips for travelers or if you lost.

22.  Scroll Through Calendars Quickly

Want to get to months on your calendar a lot quicker than just clicking month by month? Just hold your finger on the timeline at the bottom of the screen and scroll through to pick a month/year.

23.  Give an App as a Gift

You can give an app as a gift to someone.  Open up iTunes and search for an application you would like to give as a gift.  Next to the price you will see a little down arrow. Click on it and choose Gift This App and follow the instructions.  A great tip for the holidays or special occasions.

24.  WiFi Issues

A majority of the current “wifi” issues can be solved by raising or lowering the brightness in your iPad settings. For more ways to solve iPad WiFi issues here are 6 more tips that help you solve iPad wifi problems.

25.  Connect WiFi iPad to a 3G network

Even if you only have a WiFi-only iPad you can still connect to a 3G network by using a solution such as the MiFi from Verizon Wireless.

26.  Add A Favorite Web Page To The iPad Home Screen

If you would like to save a web page that you visit frequently to your home screen, just tap the + icon in Safari and then top “Add to Home Screen.”

27.  More Reliable WiFi Streaming

If you want to experience a more stable and reliable experience while streaming over a wireless network, use a router that supports 802.11a. It does not have the longest range but it also does not conflict with as many signals as 802.11g.  This tip is extremely useful for meetings where you want reliable and non-choppy video.

28.  Group Your Icons

There are 11 Home Screens available on the iPad.  To group your app icons just slide them all on their own screen by category such as business, music, games, news, etc.

29.  Get Free e-Books

The iPad supports the ePub format and any ebook can be installed by emailing it to yourself.  Search for “epub” or you can visit the epub books site which has a ton of free ebooks.

30. Go Dimmer

You can use the brightness setting to adjust the brightness but if you need it even more dim, then you can use the iBook app’s brightness setting which lowers the level even further.

I hope you have found these iPad tips useful and if you have any of your own, feel free to leave a few in the comments.

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