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Table of Contents

Type and edit text on iPad

You can use the onscreen keyboard or an external keyboard, a stylus, or your finger to add and edit text in iPad apps.

Enter text using the onscreen keyboard

In any app that allows text editing, open the onscreen keyboard by tapping a text field. You can pinch closed to shrink the keyboard, then tap individual keys to type, or use QuickPath (not available for all languages) to type by sliding from one letter to the next without lifting your finger. To end a word, lift your finger. (If you tap after sliding to type a word, it deletes the whole word.)

You can drag the smaller keyboard from the bottom to move it wherever you want for easy one-handed typing.

To return to the full-size keyboard, pinch open. On the full-size keyboard, you tap keys to type (rather than slide). You can also use an external keyboard to enter text on iPad.

While entering text, you can do any of the following:

Type uppercase letters: Tap Shift, or touch the Shift key and slide to a letter.
Turn on Caps Lock: Double-tap Shift.
Quickly end a sentence with a period and a space: Double-tap the Space bar.
Enter numbers, punctuation, or symbols: Tap the Number key or the Symbol key .
Undo the last edit: Swipe left with three fingers or tap or .
Redo the last edit: Swipe right with three fingers or tap .
Enter emoji: Tap or to switch to the Emoji keyboard.
Enter accented letters or other alternate characters: Touch and hold a key, then slide to choose one of the options.
Hide the onscreen keyboard: Tap the Keyboard key .

You can also dictate text or use an external keyboard (available separately) to enter text.

Select and revise text

To insert, revise, or replace text, do any of the following:

Navigate a long document: Touch and hold the right edge of the document, then drag the scroller to locate the text you want to revise.
Insert text: Tap to place the insertion point where you want to insert text. You can also move the insertion point precisely by dragging it. Then start typing.
Select a word: Double-tap the word with one finger.
Select a sentence: Triple-tap the sentence with one finger.
Select a paragraph: Quadruple-tap with one finger.
Select a block of text: Touch and hold the first word in the block, then drag to the last word.
After selecting the text you want to revise, you can type, or tap the selection to see options.
- Copy: Tap Copy or pinch closed with three fingers.
- Cut: Tap Cut or pinch closed with three fingers two times.
- Paste: Tap Paste or pinch open with three fingers.
- B/I/U: Format the selected text.
- Replace: View suggested replacement text, or have Siri suggest alternative text.
- View more options.

With Universal Clipboard, you can cut or copy something on one Apple device and paste it to another. You can also move text within an app.

Set typing options

You can turn typing features, such as spell check and auto-correction, on or off.

While typing text, touch and hold or , then tap Keyboard Settings, or go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
In the list, turn special typing features on or off.

Correct spelling

If you see an incorrectly spelled word underlined in red, you can correct it.

Tap the underlined word to see suggested corrections.
Tap a suggestion to replace the underlined word.
If the word you want doesn’t appear, type the correction.

Turn your keyboard into a trackpad

Touch and hold the Space bar with one finger until the keyboard turns light gray.
Move the insertion point by dragging around the keyboard.
To select text with drag points, continue holding the keyboard until drag points appear on the insertion point, then move your fingers.
To use the trackpad to move the insertion point, drag the insertion point to a new location before drag points appear.

Helpful?

iPad User Guide