Chapter 6

Working with Apps

In this chapter, you first learn to customize the Home screen, optimizing the layout of the icons you need most and organizing them into folders. You then discover how to switch instantly among the apps you are running, how to find the apps you need on the App Store, and how to update and remove apps. You also learn how to install apps provided by an administrator; use Cut, Copy, and Paste; and apply formatting.

Customize the Home Screen

Organize Apps with Folders

Switch Quickly from One App to Another

Find the Apps You Need Using Your iPad

Find the Apps You Need Using Your Computer

Update and Remove Apps

Manage Automatic Downloads and Your Apple ID

Install an App Provided by an Administrator

Enter Text Quickly in Apps

Cut, Copy, and Paste Text

Bold, Italicize, Underline, and Replace Text

Customize the Home Screen

You can customize the Home screen to put the apps you use most frequently within easy reach. When the existing Home screens fill up with icons, the iPad adds more Home screens automatically, as needed.

You can also create more Home screens — up to 11 screens total — and move the app icons among them. You can customize the Home screen on your iPad, as described here. If you synchronize your iPad with a computer, you can use iTunes instead. This is an easier way to make extensive changes.

Customize the Home Screen

Unlock the Icons for Customization

Press the Home button.

The Home screen appears.

Tap and drag left or right to display the Home screen you want to customize.

A You can also tap the dot for the Home screen you want to display.

Tap and hold the icon you want to move.

Note: You can tap and hold any icon until the apps start jiggling. Usually, it is easiest to tap and hold the icon you want to move, and then drag the icon.

The icons start to jiggle, indicating that you can move them.

Move an Icon Within a Home Screen

After unlocking the icons, drag the icon to where you want it.

The other icons move out of the way.

When the icon is in the right place, drop it by lifting your finger from the screen.

The icon stays in its new position.

Move an Icon to a Different Home Screen

After unlocking the icons, drag the icon to the left edge of the screen to display the previous Home screen or to the right edge to display the next Home screen.

The previous Home screen or next Home screen appears.

Drag the icon to where you want it.

The other icons move out of the way.

Drop the icon.

The icon stays in its new position.

Stop Customizing the Home Screen

Press the Home button.

The icons stop jiggling.

Note: You can customize the icons at the bottom of the Home screen. You can add icons, up to a total of six, by dragging and dropping them from the main part of the Home screen. You can also remove the default icons by dragging them to the main part of the Home screen.

Organize Apps with Folders

To organize the Home screen, you can arrange the items into folders. The default Home screen layout on your iPad does not include any folders, but you can create as many as you need.

You create a folder by dragging one icon onto another icon. Doing this creates a folder containing both items. You can then rename the folder and add other items to it. To run an app stored in a folder, you open the folder to reveal its contents, and then tap the app.

Organize Apps with Folders

Create a Folder

Display the Home screen that contains the item you want to put into a folder.

Tap and hold the item until the icons start to jiggle.

Note: When creating a folder, you may find it easiest to first put at least the first two items you will add to the folder on the same screen.

Drag one of the app icons you want to place in the folder and hold it over the icon of another app destined for the folder.

The iPad creates a folder, puts both icons in it, and assigns a default name based on the genre.

Tap in the folder name field.

The keyboard appears.

Type the name for the folder.

Tap outside the folder.

Note: You can also tap Done on the keyboard.

The iPad applies the name to the folder.

Open an Item in a Folder

Display the Home screen that contains the folder.

Tap the folder’s icon.

The folder’s contents appear, and the items outside the folder fade.

A If necessary, tap a dot to display a different screen in the folder.

Tap the item you want to open.

The item opens.

Add an Item to a Folder

Display the Home screen that contains the item.

Tap and hold the item until the icons start to jiggle.

Drag the icon on top of the folder, hold it there for a moment, and drop it there.

Note: If the folder is on a different Home screen from the icon, drag the icon to the left edge to display the previous Home screen or to the right edge to display the next Home screen.

The item goes into the folder.

Press the Home button to stop the icons from jiggling.

Switch Quickly from One App to Another

You can run many apps on your iPad at the same time, switching from one app to another as needed. The most straightforward way of switching from one app to another is to press the Home button to display the Home screen, and then tap the icon for the app you want to start using.

The iPad also has an app-switching screen that enables you to switch from one running app to another running app more quickly. From the app-switching screen, you can also easily close one or more running apps.

Switch Quickly from One App to Another

Press the Home button.

The Home screen appears.

Tap the app you want to launch.

The app’s screen appears.

Start using the app as usual.

Press the Home button twice in quick succession.

The app-switching screen appears. This screen shows a preview of each open app’s current contents and the app’s icon below it.

Tap and drag left or right to scroll the app-switching screen until you see the app you want.

Note: If you have set the Multitasking Gestures switch on the General screen of the Settings app to On (), you can also display the app-switching screen by dragging four fingers up from the bottom of the screen. You can also swipe left or right with four fingers to switch among the running apps.

Tap the app on the app-switching screen.

The app appears, and you can work in it as usual.

When you are ready to switch back, press the Home button twice in quick succession.

The app-switching screen appears.

Scroll left and right as necessary, and then tap the app to which you want to return.

The app appears, ready to resume from where you stopped using it.

Find the Apps You Need Using Your iPad

The iPad comes with essential apps, such as Safari for surfing the web, Mail for e-mail, and Calendar for keeping your schedule. But to get the most out of your iPad, you will likely need to add other apps.

To get apps, you use the App Store, which provides apps that Apple has approved as correctly programmed, suitable for their intended purpose, and free of malevolent code. Before you can download any apps, including free apps, you must create an App Store account.

Find the Apps You Need Using Your iPad

Press the Home button.

The Home screen appears.

Tap App Store.

The App Store app opens.

Tap and drag up to scroll down.

Note: If you need to change the Apple ID for the App Store, scroll to the bottom of the App Store screen and tap your Apple ID. In the Apple ID dialog, tap Sign Out. Then tap Sign In and use the other Apple ID.

Further lists on the All Categories screen appear.

Tap the category or group you want to see.

Note: Apple ties each app you buy or get for free from the App Store to the Apple ID you use. To avoid confusion, use the same Apple ID for each app you get. When setting up the Apple ID, use an e-mail address you plan to use for the long term. If you change your Apple ID or e-mail address, you will need to re-authenticate your apps.

The category screen appears, showing its lists of apps.

Note: Tap and drag sideways to see more apps in a list, or tap and drag up to see other lists.

Tap the app you want to view.

The app’s dialog opens.

Note: To understand what an app does and how well it does it, look at the app’s rating, read the description, and read the user reviews.

A You can tap Share () to share the app’s details with others via e-mail, messaging, AirDrop, or other means.

Tap the price button or the Free button.

The price button or Free button changes to an Install App button.

Tap Install App.

If the iPad prompts you to sign in, type your password and tap OK.

Note: If you have not created an App Store account already, the iPad prompts you to create one now.

The iPad downloads and installs the app.

Tap Open to launch the app.

Find the Apps You Need Using Your Computer

If you sync your iPad with your computer, you can find, buy, and download apps using iTunes on your computer. It is best to use a recent version of iTunes for accessing the App Store.

Browsing apps with iTunes can be faster and easier than on the iPad, especially if your computer has a large screen. If the apps are compatible with other iOS devices, you can also sync them with your iPhone and iPod touch as long as these devices use the same Apple ID as your iPad.

Find the Apps You Need Using Your Computer

In iTunes, click iTunes Store on the navigation bar near the top of the window.

The iTunes Store screen appears.

Click Apps ().

The App Store screen appears.

Click iPad.

The iTunes Store displays iPad apps instead of iPhone apps.

Click .

The pop-up menu opens.

Click the category of apps you want to view.

iTunes displays the category you clicked.

Click an app that interests you.

The app’s screen appears.

Read the description of the app, view the screenshots, and read the reviews to help you decide whether to get the app.

Click the price button or Free button.

The Sign In to the iTunes Store dialog appears.

Type your Apple ID if iTunes has not already entered it.

Type your password.

Click Get for a free app or Buy for a paid app.

iTunes downloads the app.

Update and Remove Apps

To keep the apps running smoothly on your iPad, you should install app updates when they become available. Most updates for paid apps are free, but you must usually pay to upgrade to a new version of the app. You can download and install updates using either iTunes or the iPad.

When you no longer need an app, you can remove it from the iPad and recover the space it was occupying.

Update and Remove Apps

Update an App

In iTunes, click on the navigation bar.

The Apps list appears.

Click Updates.

The list of updates appears.

Click Update All Apps.

Note: If iTunes displays the Sign In to the iTunes Store dialog, type your Apple ID and password, and then tap Sign In.

A iTunes downloads the updates.

Connect the iPad if it is not already connected.

If the iPad does not sync automatically, click iPad () on the navigation bar, and then click Sync to start synchronization.

Remove an App from the iPad

Press the Home button.

The Home screen appears.

Display the Home screen that contains the app you want to delete.

Tap and hold the item until the icons start to jiggle.

Tap on the icon.

The Delete dialog appears.

Tap Delete.

The iPad deletes the app, and the app’s icon disappears.

Note: To remove an app from the iPad using iTunes, connect the iPad to your computer and click on the navigation bar in iTunes. Click Apps in the left pane bar to display the Apps screen, and then click Remove next to the app in the Apps list. Click Sync to apply the changes.

Manage Automatic Downloads and Your Apple ID

Once you have set up your Apple ID on your iPad, the iTunes Store and App Store apps can automatically download music, apps, and books for you. Downloading these items automatically can be convenient, but you can turn off this feature if you prefer to run your downloads manually. If your iPad has cellular capability, you can choose whether to allow the iPad to download items over the cellular network. From the iTunes & App Store screen in the Settings app, you can also view the details of your current Apple ID and switch from one Apple ID to another.

Manage Automatic Downloads and Your Apple ID

Choose Which Items to Download Automatically

Press the Home button.

The Home screen appears.

Tap Settings.

The Settings screen appears.

Tap iTunes & App Store.

The iTunes & App Store screen appears.

Set the Music switch to On () or Off (), as needed.

Set the Apps switch to On () or Off (), as needed.

Set the Books switch to On () or Off (), as needed.

Set the Updates switch to On () or Off (), as needed.

If you have a cellular iPad, set the Use Cellular Data switch to On () or Off (), as needed.

Switch Apple ID or View Its Details

On the iTunes & App Store screen in the Settings app, tap Apple ID.

The Apple ID dialog opens.

To switch the Apple ID, tap Sign Out.

Tap Apple ID and type the e-mail address for the Apple ID you want to use.

Tap Password and type the password.

Tap Sign In.

Your iPad signs in using the Apple ID.

To view the details of your current Apple ID, tap View Apple ID.

The Account Settings dialog appears.

Examine the Apple ID as needed:

A Tap Apple ID to display the My Apple ID web page in Safari.

B Tap Family Sharing to display your Family Sharing information.

C Tap Payment Information to display the Account dialog, which contains your credit- or debit-card details.

D Tap Country/Region to change your country or region.

Tap Done when you finish reviewing your Apple ID.

Install an App Provided by an Administrator

If you use an iPad administered by a company or organization, an administrator may provide apps for you to install using iTunes. You will usually copy the app’s file from a network drive, but you may also receive it attached to an e-mail message.

To install the app, you add it to iTunes on your PC or Mac, and then sync the iPad with iTunes.

Install an App Provided by an Administrator

Add the App to iTunes

Click File.

The File menu opens.

Click Add File to Library in Windows or Add to Library on a Mac.

The Add To Library dialog opens.

Note: If you receive the app’s file attached to an e-mail message, save it to a folder, and then use the Add To Library dialog to add it to iTunes. In Mail on a Mac, you can simply click an attached app’s file to add it to iTunes.

Open the folder that contains the app’s file.

Click the app’s file.

Click Open.

A The app appears in the Apps list in iTunes.

Sync the App to Your iPad

Connect your iPad to the PC or Mac via the USB cable.

Click on the navigation bar.

Note: You can also install an app provided by an administrator by syncing wirelessly.

The iPad control screens appear.

Click Apps.

The Apps screen appears.

Click Install for the app (Install changes to Will Install).

Note: You can also drag the app from the list of apps to the Home screen on which you want to place it.

Note: You can also click Automatically install new apps ( changes to ) to make iTunes automatically sync all new apps.

Click Apply. If you have not made changes, this button is named Sync.

iTunes installs the app on your iPad.

Enter Text Quickly in Apps

Even though your iPad does not have a physical keyboard, it offers powerful time-saving features that enable you to enter text quickly in the apps you use. You can split and reposition the on-screen keyboard to make it easier to use, or keep it in its standard docked position. You can enter words more quickly by accepting predictive text suggestions. And you can configure keyboard settings and create your own shortcuts to enter boilerplate text quickly.

Enter Text Quickly in Apps

Undock and Split the Keyboard and Use Predictions

In an app that supports text input, tap a text field.

The keyboard appears in its docked position at the bottom of the screen.

Tap and hold Hide Keyboard ().

The keyboard pop-up menu opens.

Tap Undock.

The keyboard moves up the screen.

Start typing a word.

Predictions appear.

Tap the prediction you want to insert.

Tap and hold .

Tap Split.

The keyboard splits.

Note: With the keyboard split, you can type using “ghost” keys on the opposite side of the keyboard. For example, tap to the right of the T key to type Y, and tap to the left of the Y key to type T.

Note: Tap and drag to move the undocked or split keyboard up or down.

Tap and hold .

Tap Merge or Dock and Merge, as needed.

Configure Keyboard Settings and Create Shortcuts

Press the Home button.

Tap Settings.

Tap General.

Tap Keyboard.

Set the Auto-Capitalization switch, Auto-Correction switch, Check Spelling switch, Enable Caps Lock switch, Predictive switch, Split Keyboard switch, and “.” Shortcut switch to On () or Off (), as needed.

Note: The “.” Shortcut switch enables you to type a period by pressing twice in quick succession.

Tap Shortcuts.

Tap Add ().

Type the word or phrase.

Type the shortcut to use for entering the word or phrase.

Tap Save.

Note: To prevent the spell checker from querying a word, create a shortcut with the word as the phrase text but with no shortcut. The spell checker then accepts the word as correct.

Cut, Copy, and Paste Text

Your iPad enables you to copy existing text and paste it elsewhere. For example, you can copy text from a note and paste it into an e-mail message you are composing.

If the text is in a document you can edit, you can cut — remove — the text from the document instead of copying it. If the text is in a document you cannot edit, you can copy the text but not cut it. The technique you use depends on whether you can edit the document.

Cut, Copy, and Paste Text

Select and Copy Text You Cannot Edit

Note: An example of text you cannot edit is a web page you open in Safari.

Tap and hold in the text you want to copy.

A selection highlight with handles appears around the text. The Copy button appears above the selection.

Drag the handles of the selection highlight around the text that you want.

Tap Copy.

Your iPad places the text on the Clipboard, a hidden storage area.

Select and Copy Text You Can Edit

Note: An example of text you can edit is a note you create in Notes or a message you compose in Mail.

Tap and hold until you see the magnifying glass and then release.

A bar appears containing the Select button and Select All button. The Insert Photo button may also appear.

Tap Select.

Note: Tap Select All if you want to select all the text.

Blue selection handles appear around the current word, and more options appear on the selection bar.

Tap and drag the selection handles around the text that you want.

Tap Copy or Cut, as needed.

Note: This example uses Copy instead of Cut.

Your iPad places the text on the Clipboard.

Paste the Content You Have Copied or Cut

Open the app in which you want to paste the text.

Note: This example shows text being pasted into a new message in the Mail app.

Tap where you want to paste the text.

Tap Paste.

Bold, Italicize, Underline, and Replace Text

Some apps enable you to add formatting such as boldface, underline, and italics to text to make parts of it stand out. For example, you can apply formatting in e-mail messages you create using the Mail app and in various apps for creating word-processing documents.

To apply formatting, you first select the text, and then choose options from the pop-up formatting bar. Some apps also offer other text commands, such as replacing a word or phrase from a menu of suggestions.

Bold, Italicize, Underline, and Replace Text

Apply Bold, Italics, and Underline

Tap and hold the text to which you want to apply bold, italics, or underline.

A pop-up bar of text options appears.

Tap Select.

Part of the text is highlighted and handles appear.

Drag the handles to select the text that you want to bold, italicize, or underline.

Tap the BIU button in the pop-up bar.

The pop-up bar displays formatting options.

Tap Bold, Italics, or Underline, as needed.

The text takes on the formatting you chose.

Tap outside the selected text to deselect it.

Replace Text with Suggested Words

Double-tap the word you want to replace.

Note: You can tap and hold in the word, and then tap Select on the pop-up formatting bar to select the word.

Selection handles appear around the word.

The pop-up formatting bar appears.

Tap Replace.

The pop-up formatting bar displays suggested replacement words.

Tap the word with which you want to replace the selected word.

Your iPad replaces the word.