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How-To: Use iPad keyboard shortcuts in iOS 9 and work more efficiently (Cheat Sheet)

iPad Pro Magic Keyboard 16-9

Yesterday I mentioned a useful tip for using physical keyboards with iPads in my guide to unlocking the full potential of the iPad Pro. The tip actually works with all iOS 9 iPads connected to external keyboards over Bluetooth, Lightning, or the Smart Connector: hold Command (⌘) to see a list of supported keyboard shortcuts for the Home screen or app you’re in.

This works in most of Apple’s built-in apps and plenty of popular third-party apps as well, but it can be monotonous prompting that sheet in each app to get a sense of what keyboard shortcuts work. Instead, I’ve compiled a cheat sheet of which keyboard shortcuts work in all the system apps and several popular third-party apps. Whether you’re using Apple’s Smart Keyboard for the iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, Logitech’s excellent K811, or any other physical keyboard, these will make you more efficient when working on your iPad.

Enter the shortcuts by holding down the ⌘ (command) and, if applicable, shift or option keys together, then hitting the letter, number, or symbol. So for ⌘ shift H, hold down ⌘ and shift, then hit H to execute the shortcut.

App Switching + Search

  • shift H — Go to Home Screen (iOS 9.3 removed the need for shift)
  • ⌘ space — Search
  • ⌘ tab — Switch App

Calendar

  • ⌘ N — New Event
  • ⌘ F — Search
  • ⌘ T — Show Today
  • ⌘ R — Refresh Calendars
  • ⌘ 1 — Go to Day View
  • ⌘ 2 — Go to Week View
  • ⌘ 3 —  Go to Month View
  • ⌘ 4 — Go to Year View

Camera

  • Volume +/- to take a photo or start/stop a video recording

Contacts

  • ⌘ N — Create a New Contact
  • ⌘ F — Search for a Contact

Mail

  • ⌘ R — Reply
  • ⌘ shift R — Reply All
  • ⌘ shift F — Forward
  • ⌘ shift J — Mark as Junk
  • ⌘ shift L — Flag
  • ⌘ shift U — Mark as Unread
  • ⌘ up arrow — Go to Previous Message
  • ⌘ down arrow — Go to Next Message
  • delete — Delete Message
  • ⌘ shift N — Get All New Mail
  • ⌘ option F — Mailbox Search
  • ⌘ N — New Message

Maps

  • ⌘ 1 — Switch to standard
  • ⌘ 2 — Switch to Transit
  • ⌘ 3 — Switch to Satellite
  • ⌘ F — Begin Search

Messages

  • return — Send
  • ⌘ N — New Message

Notes

  • ⌘ B — Bold
  • ⌘ I — Italics
  • ⌘ U — Underline
  • ⌘ option T — Title
  • ⌘ option H — Heading
  • ⌘ option B — Body
  • ⌘ option L — Checklist
  • ⌘ shift U — Mark as Checked
  • ⌘ N — New Note
  • ⌘ F — Find Note

Reminders

  • ⌘ N — Create New Reminder
  • ⌘ control I — Show Reminder Details

Safari

  • ⌘ R — Reload Page
  • ⌘ [ — Back
  • ⌘ ] — Forward
  • ⌘ F — Find…
  • ⌘ L — Open Location…
  • ⌘ T — New Tab
  • ⌘ W — Close Tab
  • control shift tab — Show Previous Tab
  • control tab — Show Next Tab
  • control shift \ — Show All Tabs

Pages

  • ⌘ F — Find
  • ⌘ shift W — Show Word Count
  • ⌘ N — Create Document

Keynote

  • ⌘ N — Create Presentation
  • ⌘ F — Find
  • ⌘ shift K — Add Comment
  • ⌘ option P — Play Slideshow
  • ⌘ option A — Show Transitions and Builds
  • ⌘ option N — Show Presenter Notes

Numbers

  • ⌘ N — Create Spreadsheet
  • ⌘ F — Find
  • ⌘ option C — Copy Style
  • ⌘ shift N — Insert Sheet

You may discover that additional keyboard shortcuts you’re familiar with from the Mac also work, including ⌘ plus X/C/V for cut, copy, and paste, while some shortcuts within apps only work in certain parts of those apps. Several popular apps from the App Store also support external keyboard shortcuts. Just hold the Command ⌘ key for a few seconds in each app to find out, or try out shortcuts you know from other apps if you don’t see a list. Here are some examples from popular apps:

Facebook Messenger

  • ⌘ N — New Message
  • return — Line Break
  • ⌘ return — Send

Fantastical

  • left arrow — Previous
  • right arrow — Next
  • up arrow — Earlier
  • down arrow — Later
  • ⌘ return — Accept
  • esc — Cancel
  • ⌘ N — New Event
  • ⌘ S — Save
  • ⌘ delete — Delete
  • ⌘ F — Search
  • ⌘ R — Reminders
  • ⌘ I — Get Info
  • ⌘ , — Preferences
  • ⌘ shift F — Full Screen
  • ⌘ T — Go to Today
  • ⌘ K — Toggle Type

Google Chrome

  • ⌘ T — New Tab
  • ⌘ shift N — New Incognito Tab
  • ⌘ shift T — Reopened Closed Tab
  • ⌘ L — Open Location…
  • ⌘ W — Close Tab
  • ⌘ D — Bookmark This Page…
  • ⌘ F — Find in Page…
  • ⌘ R — Reload
  • ⌘ left arrow — Back
  • ⌘ right arrow — Forward
  • ⌘ Y — History
  • ⌘ shift . — Voice Search

Hipchat 

  • ⌘ F — Search chat history
  • ⌘ option 1 — Chat tab
  • ⌘ option 2 — Info tab
  • ⌘ option 3 — Files tab
  • ⌘ option 4 — Links tab
  • esc — Dismiss

Microsoft Outlook

  • ⌘ up arrow — Select Previous Message
  • ⌘ down arrow — Select Next Message
  • ⌘ R — Reply
  • ⌘ shift R — Reply All
  • ⌘ J — Forward
  • ⌘ 1 — Switch to Mail
  • ⌘ 2 — Switch to Calendar
  • ⌘ 3 — Switch to Files
  • ⌘ 4 — Switch to People
  • ⌘ 5 — Switch to Settings
  • ⌘ N — Create New Message
  • ⌘ shift N — Create New Event

Slack

  • up arrow —Move Up
  • down arrow — Move Down
  • option up arrow — Jump to previous channel
  • option down arrow — Jump to next channel
  • option shift up arrow — Jump to previous unread channel
  • option shift down arrow — Jump to next unread channel
  • option ` — Toggle the channel list
  • ⌘ K — Show the Quick Switcher
  • ⌘ T — Show the Quick Switcher (two ways!)
  • ⌘ F — Perform a search
  • ⌘ W — Close window

Tweetbot

  • ⌘ 1 — Timeline
  • ⌘ 2 — Mentions
  • ⌘ 3 — Messages
  • ⌘ 4 — Stats
  • ⌘ 5 — Search
  • ⌘ 6 — Faves
  • ⌘ 7 — Profile
  • ⌘ 8 — Lists
  • ⌘ 9 — Mutes
  • ⌘ N — Compose

Does your favorite app support keyboard shortcuts with iOS 9 on iPads? If you know about additional keyboard shortcuts hidden in iOS, let us know in the comments.

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Comments

  1. Thank you for this elaborate list of shortcuts. I just bought my iPad Pro and waiting for my keyboard to arrive. :-)

  2. chrisl84 - 8 years ago

    Nice

  3. islandgirl45 - 8 years ago

    Does the Command + Delete = Forward Delete on this keyboard, since there’s no FN key? Or, is there another key combo performs that function?

    • islandgirl45 - 8 years ago

      *which performs that function?*

      • Unfortunately, no. Which is frustrating. While there are several shortcuts I miss, this is a big one (another one I wish for if there was a key combo for volume… in fact, I don’t know why there isn’t the option to create our own key combos).

  4. Robert - 8 years ago

    John Gubers iPad Pro review discusses keyboard shortcuts in a lot of detail. He critical, and rightly so, that a number of useful keyboard shortcuts are missing. Apple have a lot to do here since moving your hand between the keyboard and screen is ergonomically awkward, still this is a good start.

    Thanks for the list

    • Zac Hall - 8 years ago

      iOS 9.2 beta 4 still has the awful space bar page jumping in Safari. Hope that’s fixed soon.

  5. Wooden U Recover - 8 years ago

    Would LOVE to see some sort of shortcut for enabling “dictation” when the smart keyboard is attached! Has anyone found one?

    • I was asking myself the same question, plus what’s the shortcut to call SIRI?

    • Here is a work around for dictation.

      1. Press the emoji keyboard button in the bottom left corner of the Smart Keyboard that looks like a globe icon.
      2. Tap the “space” command at the lower right of the keyboard. Third command from the right.
      3. Immediate press the “delete” command (looks like a left arrow with an x in it) directly to the right of the “space” command to return your curser to the beginning of your desired dictation placement.
      4. Then press the “ABC” command on the bottom left.

      Now your soft keyboard should stay active so you can press the microphone icon and begin dictation.

      Not optimal by any means, but at least it’s a way to activate dictation. Hope this helps.

    • “Hey Siri” only works with the iPad plugged in to power and doesn’t work for general dictation.

  6. Chuck Fisher - 8 years ago

    Thanks for the list Zac, I already copied and pasted it into a Note for use on my iPad Pro.

    Actually there are more shortcuts available. The list generated by holding down the command key is contextual. For example, in Numbers with a spreadsheet cell selected, there are additional shortcuts for adding additional rows and columns. So this method may be more helpful rather than perusing menus in a desktop app. Consider Zac’c list as a starting point and be prepared to discover new shortcuts based on what actions you are retaking.

  7. fredrikseglem - 8 years ago

    Everything except the app switcher works on the iPhone as well. CMD + Tab.
    Does anyone know how to do it on the iPhone if it works at all?

  8. Are they only available for iPad Pro? There’s no reason not to bring them to the other iPads models.

  9. Here’s where this will become most useful: AppleTV OS — wonder how long it will take to enable this there? I’ve not looked at the OS differences, but would hope keyboard support is relatively simple if not already built in with the common OS.

  10. Louis Romero (@Arcank) - 8 years ago

    Chrome for iOS also has shortcuts that don’t appear in the HUD:

    Tab and window shortcuts:
    ⌘+N – Opens a new tab.
    Press ⌘+Option and the right arrow together – Switches to the next tab.
    Press ⌘+Option and the left arrow together – Switches to the previous tab.
    ⌘+n (1 – 8) – Shows the n-th tab (1 – 8)
    ⌘+9 – Shows the last tab
    Press ⌘ and the left arrow together
    ⌘+[ – Goes back.
    ⌘+] – Goes forward.

    Google Chrome feature shortcuts:
    ⌘+, – Opens the Settings page.
    ⌘+? – Opens the Help page.
    Press Esc – Dismisses the possibly presented modals, or the highlight on the URL.

    Webpage shortcuts:
    ⌘+. – Stops the loading of your current page.

  11. Ian Paston - 8 years ago

    Great very helpful

  12. Jason Bernstein - 8 years ago

    In Chrome, Command + any number will jump to that tab number. Wish there were a way to switch back and forth between the next tab though.

  13. Stephen Krivitsky - 8 years ago

    I’m interested in a shortcut for taking a screen capture when the iPad Pro is connected to the keyboard. You can still use the traditional HOME and Power button, but would be interested in a shortcut like on a Mac – COMMAND + SHIFT + 3 or something. When using power point, if you’re in presentation mode, you can use the apple pencil to make notes on the slides themselves… But all is lost when you leave the presentation view. It would be helpful to be able to capture the notes written on the slide. Does anyone have any other options or ideas? It is just awkward to use the traditional method when working with the keyboard. Thanks for the help.

  14. I am using the Apple keyboard. Very frustrated that when the keyboard is deployed, I cannot access the microphone (for voice recognition) that is displayed on the on screen keyboard. Therefore, with keyboard deployed, I cannot utilize the dictation feature.

  15. Adrian Schönig (@nhawk) - 8 years ago

    Here’s another OS-level one which took me frustratingly long to find: Fn + Space to change the language of the hardware keyboard. E.g., to switch from English Qwerty to German Qwertz.

    • Before it was COMMAND+SPACEBAR. Now it’s CTRL-SPACEBAR or the Fn key by itself, which makes it (the Fn key) useless.

      Now we can’t use the Fn key to change the behavior of the Functions keys when using LogmeIn or any other Remote Control app.

      That was plain stupid from their part, rendering useless 13 keys.

  16. Christine Humphrey - 8 years ago

    I don’t see anything about shortcuts accents for foreign languages. On iOS devices and the MAC keyboard you can at least hold down a letter and choose from the accent symbols that pop up. When I write in French, there are none on the English keyboards. And the French Awerty keyboard is useless unless you have a diagram next to you to know which keys to hit for which letters and punctuation. So, it seems better to use the software keyboard for this purpose, unless I’m missing something, but then again, so was Apple when I called to ask and they didn’t know either. I submitted my concerns to Apple Feedback.

  17. Joe Savage - 8 years ago

    How can I use voice detection when I use the Apple keyboard on my iPad Pro

  18. peter (@goth_vader) - 8 years ago

    Option+arrow up/arrow down shifts the page you’re on in Safari down 80% to the next view.

  19. katzbiker - 8 years ago

    I just cxonnected a magic keyboard and straightly use this list: wonderful!
    Makes my iPad Pro even ebtter!
    Rainer , Hamburg, Germany

  20. dogmatix76 (@dogmatix76) - 8 years ago

    Is there a short cut for screen capture / screen shot??

  21. Ruth Meszaros - 7 years ago

    Still, I don’t find any way to do BACKSPACE.

  22. Benjamin Golinvaux - 7 years ago

    I would add cmd + option + left and right arrows to navigate in Chrome tabs.

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.