iPad Gestures & Keyboard Shortcuts

iOS iPad keyboard gestures shortcut ipados

A reference guide to the gestures you can use on all iPad models to go to the Home Screen, switch between recent apps, access controls, and more. And keyboard shortcuts which will work with the iPad when using a keyboard case or Bluetooth keyboard.

Basic Gestures | Advance Gestures | Touchpad Gestures | Keyboard Shortcuts

Basic Gestures

Control the iPad using a few simple gestures: tap, touch and hold, swipe, scroll, and zoom.

Symbol	Gesture
	Tap - Briefly touch an item on the screen with one finger.
	Touch & Hold - Press an item on the screen until something happens.
	Swipe - Move one finger across the screen quickly.
	Scroll - Move one finger across the screen without lifting.
	Zoom - Place two fingers on the screen near each other. Spread them apart to zoom in, or move them toward each other to zoom out. You can also double-tap a photo or webpage to zoom in, and double-tap again to zoom out.

Advance Gestures

These gestures allow you to access many features and function of the iPad using touchscreen and button combinations.

Gesture	Action
	Unlock – Swipe up from lock screen Face ID – Will unlock automatically Touch ID/PIN – Will require touch or PIN
	Home – Swipe up from the bottom edge
	Control Center – Swipe down from the top-right corner
	App Switcher – Swipe up from the bottom edge and hold
	Switch Between Open Apps – Swipe left or right along the bottom edge
	Search – Swipe down from the middle of the Home screen
	Notifications – Swipe down from the top
	Today View – From Home, swipe to the right
	Screenshot – Press and release the top button + either volume button
	App Dock – Swipe up from about an inch above the bottom of the screen to bring up the app dock at any time
	Use Siri – Press and hold the top button Alternative, can set it to open when you say “Siri” or “Hey Siri”
	Accessibility Shortcut – Triple-click the top button Must set the short in Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut
	Turn Off – Press and hold the top button + either volume button, then use the slider
	Force Restart - In order and quickly after one another, do the following: Press and quickly release the top volume button. Press and quickly release the bottom volume button. Press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears.

Touchpad Gestures

These gestures are for the iPad's when using a connected touchpad, such as the one included with Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad.

Gesture	Action
	Left Click – Press with one finger
	Right Click – Press with two fingers Can also press Control on keyboard and do a one finger press
	Scroll – Swipe two fingers up, down, left, or right
	Click & Hold – Press and hold with one finger Can move finger in this state to move the selected item
	Home – Swipe three fingers up
	Control Center – Click on status icons at the top right
	App Switcher – Swipe three fingers up and hold
	Switch Apps – Swipe three fingers left or right
	Search – Swipe two fingers down
	Notifications – Click on status icons at the top left
	Today View – From Home, swipe two fingers right
	Zoom – Place two fingers near each other, then pinch open to zoom in or pinch closed to zoom out
	App Dock – Swipe the pointer down past the bottom of the screen Repeat when the dock appears, and you’ll go Home
	Slide Over – Swipe the point past the right edge of the screen Swipe right again to hide Slide Over

Keyboard Shortcuts

Like a Mac or PC, you can use keyboard shortcuts with an iPad. For the full range of shortcuts, you'll need the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad or a similar Apple made keyboard. You can still use some keyboard shortcuts with a generic Bluetooth keyboard.

Apple Magic Keyboard Modifier Keys

Bluetooth Keyboard Modifier Keys

When using a Bluetooth keyboard made for Windows PC, note these key swaps when used on an iPad:

Alt = Option
Windows = Command
Control = Control

Shortcut	Action
Press & hold Command	See all available keyboard shortcuts
Tab-H	See all keyboard access commands
Command-C	Copy
Command-V	Paste
Command-X	Cut
Command-F	Find
Tab	Move forward
Shift-Tab	Move backward
Space	Activate selected items
Globe-H	Home
Globe-C	Control Center
Globe-Up Arrow	App Switcher
Globe-Left Arrow/Globe-Right Arrow	Switch apps
Command-Tab	Switch to last app
Command-Space	Search
Globe-N	Notifications
Command-Shift-3	Screenshot
Command-Shift-4	Screenshot & markup
Command-Option-D or Globe-A	Show/hide dock
Globe-S	Siri

Turn On Full Keyboard Access

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboards
Tap Full Keyboard Access
Turn on Full Keyboard Access

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