The iPad tricks and tips thread

[iSingandiDance]

After a song or an album goes off and you don't feel like exiting what you're doing, you can enable shuffle.

Double-click on the home button, once the music controls come up, press the play button. Once the music begins playing press the previous song button. The play button will again come up. Press it once more and shuffle will be enabled.

Not really confined to just the iPad, however I did find it out while using iPad.

Countless times the music has gone off and I had to go back into music, thus exiting whichever app I may have been in at the time. If only I'd known this.

 

[tacoshell]

Question, can you rotate the orientation of a screen images, or change the way screen shot works. For some reason, when I take screen shots of apps, they appear in landscape when I hold the iPad in portrait and portrait when I hold it in landscape.

 

[jamespa66]

Moderators can you pin this topic so it's easy to find again please. Great tips so far, even for a well seasoned iPhone type like me.

 

[medicscott]

chant the words 'steve jobs' three times and then you can hold your ipad in the thin air. levitate. magical.

 

[xl1ken]

How to charge from low powered USB

I am told that if you are having problems charging your iPad from say the lower powered USB ports of your computer or from a low powered USB charger to turn the screen off on your iPad. Have not yet tried this but apparently it works. Have others tried this?

Ken

Ok - here's the place to post any cool tricks/tips you have for everyone

For example - in the YouTube app, you can pinch or "un"pinch on the video to bring it full screen and back

In Photos - you unpinch to explode your photos - when you are ON a single photo you can pinch down and it will go back to that group of photos. Do it again and it goes back to all your groups...

 

[ZBoater]

I am told that if you are having problems charging your iPad from say the lower powered USB ports of your computer or from a low powered USB charger to turn the screen off on your iPad. Have not yet tried this but apparently it works. Have others tried this?

Ken

It could be my imagination, but I used an iPod adapter to charge overnight, and it charged, but I seemed to deplete my battery faster than when I charged with the iPad adapter. Completely anecdotal, but still, wont be using the iPod charger anymore...

 

[wgary]

As a PC user I find Xmarks.com to be an awesome solution to keep my internet bookmarks synced between my multiple pcs (using ie and ff). Then, on my iPad, I bookmark the Xmarks page and they have an iPhone formatted page that works great on the iPad.

Note that MobileMe keeps bookmarks synced between multiple computers, ipads, iPhones, etc. using Safari. Works!

 

[reppans]

Some free cloud back-ups for iPad/iPhone: Google sync for email, contacts and calendars (all push capable) and simplenotesapp.com for notes. Makes it super easy switching platforms too.

 

[ZBoater]

Note that MobileMe keeps bookmarks synced between multiple computers, ipads, iPhones, etc. using Safari. Works!

Yeah, but Xmarks keeps them synced between Safari, Firefox, IE and it's free.

 

[VanNess]

Go to the iBookstore, search for "iPad"

You should see Apple's manual for the iPad as a free book. Download and enjoy!

 

[zukernik]

Everyone probably knows this but I will post anyway. If you hold the .COM button down .NET, .ORG, ect will show up.

Having owned an iPhone for 2 years I already knew most of the tricks in this thread but this blew me away! I would have saved so much time if I had realized that a bit earlier!

 

[KneelbfZod]

Go to the iBookstore, search for "iPad"

You should see Apple's manual for the iPad as a free book. Download and enjoy!

Awesome thank you!!

 

[zukernik]

Holding your finger on a location for 2 seconds in Maps will drop a purple pin on it. Pressing the red icon in the pin's menu will turn on Google Earth.

 

[KneelbfZod]

Holding your finger on a location for 2 seconds in Maps will drop a purple pin on it. Pressing the red icon in the pin's menu will turn on Google Earth.

That's not Google Earth. That's Google Street View.

 

[VanNess]

Another iBooks trick. This one might even qualify as an Easter egg.

Open the iBook app. When the shelves and books appear, drag the shelves down as far as they will go. You'll see the Apple logo carved on the wall.

 

[tonyburkhart]

Both shift keys simultaneously = Caps LOCK

to download a web pdf (for example) simply type a 'g' in front of the http and Goodreader will automatically download it.

e.g.: ghttp://.......

Sweet and sweet! Thanks

----

My tip...


When you're in Maps, hold down the "cross-hairs" or location circle at the top, for three seconds, it turns into compass mode for the map

 

[JayMysterio]

Go to the iBookstore, search for "iPad"

You should see Apple's manual for the iPad as a free book. Download and enjoy!

That rocks! Once I went back to the store, I noticed it's now listed on the bottom of the screen.

 

[avaloncourt]

When you're in Maps, hold down the "cross-hairs" or location circle at the top, for three seconds, it turns into compass mode for the map

You don't have to hold it. Two taps give you the compass. That would be quicker than holding it for three seconds.

 

[Peter Harrison]

That rocks! Once I went back to the store, I noticed it's now listed on the bottom of the screen.

How is the manual? Detailed?

 

[snapper07]

It's ok quite detailed it kinda goes over most of the obvious stuff and all the unusual features are covered on this thread.

Worth getting for trouble shooting.

 

[KneelbfZod]

Sweet and sweet! Thanks

----

My tip...


When you're in Maps, hold down the "cross-hairs" or location circle at the top, for three seconds, it turns into compass mode for the map

Gret tip! I am wondering though how does this work on the Wifi only iPad? I only have the 16GB model and I was under the impression it did not have a true GPS and compass. Is this just using Wifi to interpolate?

 

[avaloncourt]

Gret tip! I am wondering though how does this work on the Wifi only iPad? I only have the 16GB model and I was under the impression it did not have a true GPS and compass. Is this just using Wifi to interpolate?

No need to be "under the impression," the specifications page spells it out.

http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

All iPads have a compass.

The wi-fi model does not have any form of GPS. The best you'll be able to get out of it for location purposes is the Skyhook system which identifies known access points. That has been around and in use on Apple devices since the original iPhone.

 

[iSingandiDance]

to download a web pdf (for example) simply type a 'g' in front of the http and Goodreader will automatically download it.

e.g.: ghttp://.......

This actually drove me to purchase GR.

Thanks.

 

[tbayrgs]

Double click brings up the small music controls if you have music playing.

Triple click brings you to search.

That is customizable under Settings / General / Home.

You can customize the triple click to switch to toggle white on black (switch from 'day' to 'night' mode) under Settings > General > Accessibility. Great feature for reading or browsing at night with dim or no lighting--much easier on the eyes.

 

[vini-vidi-vici]

Question, can you rotate the orientation of a screen images, or change the way screen shot works. For some reason, when I take screen shots of apps, they appear in landscape when I hold the iPad in portrait and portrait when I hold it in landscape.

Not sure, but you can flick the orientation-lock button for a couple seconds and solve that problem...