Your ideal iPad experience isn't complete without the Apple Pencil and keyboard accessories. If you don't plan to write much on your iPad, you're perfectly fine without a keyboard. But for most, investing in an Apple Pencil is essential for a flawless iPadOS experience. Apple has packed the Pencil with useful extra features to take advantage of the larger screen. Here are the 8 best hidden Apple Pencil features you should be using.
If you're still not convinced about getting an Apple Pencil for your iPad, the hidden Apple Pencil features below will push you toward hitting the buy button. Let's talk about them.
1. Take quick notes
This is very useful for Apple Notes users. Starting with iPadOS 15, you can jot down quick notes with your Apple Pencil without opening the default Notes app.
If you frequently take notes on the go, follow the steps below to take notes with Apple Pencil.
Step 1: Scroll Apple Pencil tip On the lower right corner of the iPad screen. A pop-up menu will appear indicating taking notes. Click on it.
Step 2: will appear Quick Notes Window To write down things to remember.
The good part is that the Quick Notes window comes with a feature-rich text editor and allows you to add tables as well.
There's only one drawback. The quick note trick is limited to the Apple Notes app only. If you use Apple Notes alternative like OneNote Or Evernote, you can't jot down quick notes using the same trick. Hopefully, we'll see Apple allow third-party developers to implement the same in iPadOS updates.
2. Take screenshots and perform quick annotations.
This is another neat addition for those who take frequent screenshots on their iPad. Apple has implemented a screenshot gesture in the lower-left corner.
Use your Apple Pencil and swipe it from the bottom-left corner to take quick screenshots. iPadOS will open the screenshot editor with annotation tools like the pen, highlighter, and more. Make any necessary changes, tap the Done button at the top, and save it to Photos or Files, or delete the screenshot.
3. Take notes from the lock screen
The quick notes gesture mentioned above is only useful when your iPad screen is primarily on. What about taking notes from the lock screen? The Apple Pencil has you covered, too.
Turn on the Lock screen and double-tap the Apple Pencil tip. iPadOS will take you to the Notes app for jotting down ideas. Those using the iPad Mini (the more portable version) will find this trick easy to get the job done.
4. Scrape with an apple pencil.
With Scribble, you can convert your handwritten notes into text in any app. For example, you can open Twitter and start writing a tweet using your Apple Pencil. The Scribble feature on your iPad will convert your messy handwritten tweet into text for sharing on social media.
Likewise, you can use the same trick in any note-taking app or text field on your iPad.
5. MASTER SCRIBBLE Gestures
If you plan to use the Scribble feature of your Apple Pencil a lot, it's time to learn some nifty gestures to improve your writing experience.
For example, you can circle text to highlight the entire sentence, and delete text to remove embarrassing typos. You can also touch and hold where you want to add a word and insert text.
If you want to add a space between two words, draw a line between the words and separate them.
6. Replacing the Apple Pencil tip
This trick applies to even the most advanced Apple Pencil users. Over time, due to heavy use, your Apple Pencil tip may have worn down. You may experience problems with writing, especially drawing, as pressure sensitivity plays a key role in creating eye-catching designs.
The Apple Pencil comes with extra tips for replacement. Unscrew the existing tip and replace it with a new one. If you run out of tips to use, you can purchase new ones from Apple's website for $19 (for four tips).
7. Take advantage of the pressure sensitivity of the Apple Pencil
Pressure sensitivity support sets Apple Pencil apart from other standard styluses on the market. While drawing, you can apply pressure to draw thicker lines, tilt the pencil to draw shadows, and more. In short, Apple Pencil perfectly mimics the experience of a standard pen while drawing.
8. Use the double-tap gesture.
Instead of constantly using the eraser tool to fix your drawings, you can double-tap the surface to switch to eraser mode and erase mistakes. If the double-tap gesture disrupts your workflow, you can disable it from the Accessibility menu.
Step 1: Open Settings On iPad.
Step 2: Go to Accessibility Menu and select Apple Pencil.
Step 3: disable Double Tap Gesture to switch or slow down Double-tap gesture duration.
Discover Apple Pencil on iPad
As you can see from the list above, the Apple Pencil isn't just for navigating iPadOS. It's so much more, and we can't wait to see how Apple improves the entire experience in the next generation of Apple Pencil and iPadOS updates.
