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6 Hidden Features on iPad

Your iPad can do a lot of cool stuff, but some of its features can be a little hard to figure out intuitively. In this post, we explain a few iPad features of which you may not be aware. 

Use Your Control Centre 

Your Control Centre lets you operate lots of important features without going into settings, such as screen lock, airplane mode, the mute button, and more. To access your control centre, touch the bottom of your screen and flick up. 

Edit Your Notifications 

If you find you’re receiving too many notifications, pare them down. Go to Settings, then tap Notifications. Here you will find a list of apps along with what notifications each app gives you. For example, notifications can be badges, banners, sounds, or turned off. To edit what notifications an app gives you, tap the app on this list. Then you can change what kind of notification an app gives you, whether it plays a sound, and you may turn notifications for the app off. 

Stop Wi-Fi Prompts

If you are constantly prompted to join Wi-Fi networks you’d rather avoid, turn off these prompts. Go to Settings, then tap Wi-Fi. Here you will be shown a list of Wi-Fi networks your iPad can detect. At the bottom of this screen is an option called Ask to Join Wi-Fi Networks. Toggle this off by moving the switch such that it is no longer green.

View Apps in Operation 

If your iPad is slowing down, draining battery quickly, or using a lot of data, check to see which apps are in operation and close a few of them. To do this, double click the home button. You will be presented with a gallery of apps that are running. To close an app, just touch the screen and flick up. This will close the app you don’t need running. You can then continue to look through all the apps currently running, closing whichever you feel like by flicking up. 

Create Folders 

To create a folder for your apps, press and hold an app icon. Then, drag it over to another app. Let go, and you’ll now have a folder with those two apps inside. You can press the folder’s label text to change the name of your folder. For example, you could drag your grocery store flyer app over to your recipe app and then name the folder Food. To add more apps to the folder, just press and hold the app you want to add and then drag it over. 

Split Your Keyboard 

If you want to type on your keyboard using only your thumbs (because you’re holding your iPad up) or if you want to see more of your screen while you use your keyboard, split it in half. To do this, put one finger on the right side of your keyboard and one on the left, and just pull them apart. To put your keyboard back together, touch both sides and drag them back together. 

The Bottom Line

If you want help with other Apple devices, check out our post on iPhone tips and tricks. If you find your battery drains too fast, many of the tips in our post on how to make your smartphone battery last longer will apply to your iPad too. And digital security is pretty important, so also take a look at our post on making your phone more secure, as these tips also apply to your iPad.