How to Find iPad Keyboard Shortcuts

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Did you know that your iPad has a list of shortcuts all its own and that you can access it any time you're using an external keyboard? This means the world of iPad keyboard shortcuts is at your fingertips, so you don't have to memorize them! We'll show you how to use keyboard shortcuts on iPad the easy way.

Why You'll Love This Tip

• Easily access a cheat sheet of available keyboard shortcuts while in an app or on the Home screen.
• Instead of memorizing every iPad keyboard shortcut available, you only have to remember how to access the keyboard shortcut menu.

How to Use iPad Keyboard Shortcuts

Unfortunately, this tip only works if you have an external keyboard, whether it be Apple's Magic Keyboard or a different external keyboard. It will not work with the on-screen iPad keyboard. Different apps have different shortcuts, so play around with this tip to see what shortcuts are available in all your apps! To learn more about how to use your iPad keyboard, check our Tip of the Day newsletter.

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Apple Magic Keyboard or iPad Smart Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Hold down the Command key to see a list of in-app shortcuts while you are using an app or on the Home Screen.
   
   
2. Hold down the Globe key to see a list of universal shortcuts.
   
   

Related: What iPad Do I Have? How to Identify Apple's Different iPad Models & Generations

iPad Keyboard Shortcuts on Third-Party Keyboards

If you don't have an Apple external keyboard, you might not have a Globe key. While the control key on third-party keyboards functions the same way the Command key does on an Apple keyboard, you will need to program a workaround to make another key function like the Globe key. Here's how to program a Globe key for a third-party iPad keyboard.

1. Open the Settings app.
   
   
2. Tap General.
   
   
3. Select Keyboard.
   
   
4. Tap Hardware Keyboard.
   
   
5. Tap Modifier Keys.
   
   
6. Select a key to act as the Globe key. In this case, I’ll choose the Option key.
   
   
7. Tap Globe.
   
   

Now the Option key will function on your external keyboard like the Globe key functions on an Apple Magic Keyboard, and you can pull up your iPad keyboard shortcuts as normal!