Using a tablet in the office or for business can help you be more productive or at the very least can make your job easier. One of the most popular tablets is the iPad, with many owners swearing that it has made them more productive. One common gripe however is that the keyboard isn't the best for efficiency. There are some features that help though.
Here's a tip on how you can improve typing on your iPad through the use of keyboard shortcuts.
What are they? Keyboard shortcuts are a built-in feature of iOS that allow you to type in a few letters and have your iPad input full sentences or words. This is similar to a Web browser's autocomplete feature which will fill in forms when you enter a few letters or even a word.
How it works Keyboard shortcuts require manual setup, you will have to set a phrase, sentence, word, etc. as well as the letters that will input the phrase. For example you can set the letters 'beml' to be a shortcut for your business email; when you type 'beml', your iPad will input your email address.
These shortcuts could be quite useful, especially if you find yourself continually entering the same word or sentence. This will make you more productive and, as long as you have the correct information, will ensure that there are no typos in important words or phrases. How to set it keyboard shortcuts Taking the business email example from above, here's how you can set keyboard shortcuts. Note: These instructions relate to iOS 6.1 (the latest version of the operating system.)
- Open the Settings app (gray box with three cogs).
- Select General followed by Keyboard.
- Scroll down and select Add New Shortcut.
- Enter the full word/phrase/sentence in the Phrase section. In this case you would enter your full email address.
- Enter the shortcut letters that will be related to the Phrase. In this case you would enter beml.
- Tap Save in the top-right of the window.
How to edit keyboard shortcuts You may notice that when you navigate to the Keyboard section in the Settings app, there is a number of existing shortcuts. You can edit these by:
- Opening the Settings app (gray box with three cogs).
- Selecting General followed by Keyboard.
- Tapping Edit and selecting the shortcut to edit from the Shortcuts box.
- Editing the phrase and shortcut associated to it in the window that opens.
- Pressing Save in the top-right of the window.
If you are looking to learn more about the iPad, or how using one can help improve your productivity at work, please contact us today.

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