10 Tips and Tricks for the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard

 


Here's a rundown of our favourite tips and tricks that you need to know if you've just picked up Apple's new Magic Keyboard for your 2018 or 2020 iPad Pro.

1. Use Your Free USB-C Port


In order to incorporate a USB-C port into the side of the Magic Keyboard, Apple made a neat design decision. This allows you to power the connected iPad Pro through pass-through charging, leaving the onboard USB-C port of your tablet free to plug in other accessories, such as an SD card reader or a digital camera. From the free USB-C port, you could even charge an Apple Watch, or attach your iPad Pro to an external monitor.

2. Reclaim the Escape Key

An Escape key is missing from the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, but there are a few ways you can get around this. Try hitting the Command key and the combined time key. You can use an option in iPadOS 13.4 that allows you to remap modifier keys for different actions if that doesn't fit in the sense that you need the Escape feature.
settings


To do this, first make sure that your Magic Keyboard is connected to your iPad Pro, then open the app Settings and select General-> Keyboard-> Keyboard Hardware. Choose the Modifier Keys option, then select the modifier key that you want to use as the Escape key. On the next screen, pick the Escape action, and you will be good to go.


3. Gain Quick Access to the Virtual Keyboard


Tap the down arrow key on your Magic Keyboard, then press and hold the downward-facing chevron in the bottom-right corner of the iPad screen if you need to use the onscreen virtual keyboard to do stuff like type accented characters or use dictation. Tap the key in the bottom-right corner of the screen to cover the keyboard again.

4. Control Touchscreen Actions With Keys


Using the keys on a Magic Keyboard, you can mimic many of the functions and actions if you have trouble using the touchscreen on your iPad Pro. Open the Settings app with the Magic Keyboard attached, and pick Usability-> Keyboards-> Complete Keyboard Access.

Toggle the switch next to Complete Keyboard Access, and many keyboard shortcuts can be managed and customised to mimic a variety of functions, motions, interactions, gestures and more.

5. Adjust Backlight Brightness

Perhaps the only downside of the Magic Keyboard is that it lacks a row of function keys in its layout. This leaves users with no dedicated keys, including keyboard backlight brightness, to change any device settings.

In reality, the Magic Keyboard utilises the sensors of the iPad Pro to detect the lighting in your environment and change the backlit keys accordingly. But if you find it too bright or too dark for any reason, then you can manually change it. Granted, when you want to watch a video with the lights out, it is not as easy as pressing a key, but at least it's there.
settings
Start the Settings app, pick General-> Keyboard-> Hardware Keyboard, then simply drag and drop the Keyboard Brightness slider to the left or right to make the keys brighter or dimmer.

IOS Shortcut magician Federico Viticci from MacStories has also developed a handy shortcut that directly launches the Settings section of the Hardware Keyboard. The most useful way to use it is as a widget on the home screen of the iPad, as Viticci suggests.

6. Customize Cursor Behavior


IPadOS provides options that allow you to customise the round cursor appearance and actions of the trackpad. These involve the the contrast of the cursor, adjusting its colour, making it bigger or smaller, changing the pace of scrolling, and disabling after inactivity the auto-hide. In the Settings app, these settings can be found under Accessibility-> Pointer Function.

7. Tap-to-Click and Two-Finger Secondary Click

If you own a Mac, you probably already know about Tap to Press. It allows your trackpad to record a tap as a virtual click with a single finger, allowing you to do things like launch applications and open menus without pressing the pad physically.


In iPadOS 13.4, Apple has included the same functionality, so that you can use it with your Magic Trackpad. Open Settings and pick General-> Trackpad, and then move to Tap to Press next to the toggle. You can now tap the surface of the trackpad with one finger to register a click, instead of physically depressing the trackpad.

A two-finger tap or click can also act as a secondary click (or right-click, if a two-button mouse is used). On the same Trackpad settings screen above, simply activate the Two Finger Secondary Click toggle.


8. Trackpad Gestures

As you would imagine, on iPadOS 13.4, the Magic Keyboard supports the new trackpad gestures. For instance, by sliding the cursor over to the right side of the screen or dragging an app over from the Dock, you can enter the Slide Over multitasking gui.

Two- and three-finger movements can also be used. For instance, a two-finger swipe downward on your trackpad will bring up Spotlight search on the home screen. You should pinch in and out to monitor the photo zoom while you are using images. When navigating a web page in Safari, you can also use two fingers to scroll up or down.


Try swiping downward with three fingers, no matter what you do on the iPad, to be brought back to the home screen. Likewise, the iPadOS multitasking interface can open up with a three-finger swipe on the trackpad. And swiping with three fingers to the left or right will also turn between your open settings.


9. Access Emoji Keyboard

While using the Magic Keyboard, accessing emoji is easy. Press the globe key at the bottom-corner of the keyboard layout whenever you are in typing mode.


The emoji keyboard will appear on the computer as long as you only use English. Only tap the globe key on the keyboard once more to make it vanish again.

10. "Easel Mode" and Other Orientations

In landscape orientation, keep your iPad Pro, prop the bottom side against the ridge below the buttons, and rest the top side against the cover of the Magic Keyboard. You now have an elevated stable drafting stand or "easel," ideal for drawing.


In portrait orientation for some FaceTime, you can also try this stand trick, or whenever you want to get the screen closer to you. This isn't quite as stable, but it does work. (Hat tip for this one to MacRumors forum member GrindedDown.)

Alternatively, try turning the Magic Keyboard over backwards with the iPad Pro attached in the usual way, then take your iPhone and slide it between the keyboard and the top of your iPad, and you'll have another good angle for drawing.

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