If you frequently connect a hardware keyboard to your iPad, you're probably familiar with the pain of having to lift your hands off of the keyboard to drag windows into Split View and use the app switcher or perform other touch-based tasks.
iPadOS 15 introduces a variety of new system-wide keyboard shortcuts that utilize a previously little-used key: the Globe key.
Explore this guide to learn all the new global keyboard shortcuts and find out how to use the Globe key on a keyboard that doesn't have it built in.
Meet the Globe Key
From tapping and drawing with the Apple Pencil to using multi-touch trackpad gestures, you can interact with your iPad in a variety of ways. Some of the most common iPad accessories are keyboards.
In iPadOS 15, Apple has vastly improved the iPad's keyboard accessibility, enabling users to navigate the interface and trigger many common actions using a full set of global keyboard shortcuts.
You could already use some iPad keyboard shortcuts for system actions, such as switching apps with Cmd + Tab. In iPadOS 15, keyboard shortcuts for system actions take advantage of the Globe key in the corner of Apple's first-party Smart Keyboard Folio and Magic Keyboard to unlock a new level of productivity for users who type more than they tap.
List of iPadOS 15 Global Shortcuts
Here are all the iPadOS keyboard shortcuts that use the Globe key.
System Shortcuts
There are the system-based shortcuts you can use:
- Globe + H: Go to the Home Screen
- Globe + A: Show the Dock
- Shift + Globe + A: Show the App Library
- Globe + Q: Create a Quick Note
- Globe + S: Launch Siri
- Globe + C: Open the Control Center
- Globe + N: Open the Notification Center
- Globe + M: Show available Keyboard Shortcuts
Multitasking Shortcuts
Here are the shortcuts you can use to multitask on your iPad:
- Globe + Up arrow: Open the App Switcher
- Globe + Down arrow: Show all windows
- Globe + Left arrow: Go to the next app
- Globe + Right arrow: Go to the previous app
Split View and Slide Over Shortcuts
Use these shortcuts to control Split View and Slide Over apps
- Control + Globe + Left arrow: Tile Window Left
- Control + Globe + Right arrow: Tile Window Right
- Globe + \: Show Slide Over
- Command + Globe + \: Next Slide Over Window
- Option + Globe + Left arrow: Move to Left Slide Over
- Option + Globe + Right Arrow: Move to Right Slide Over
Note: this list is based on the iPadOS 15 Public Beta and is subject to change.
Other iPad Keyboard Tips
Here are a few other useful tips for using the new keyboard control features of iPadOS 15:
- You can show all global keyboard shortcuts as a menu on your iPad by holding the Globe key. Then, you can tap an action to perform it or start typing to search the shortcuts.
- On the Home screen, you can use the arrow keys to move across and select app icons and widgets.
- Pressing Command + Option + D shows the Dock, and you can use the arrow keys to select apps once it's visible.
- After showing the app switcher, you can use the arrows to select an app or existing split view. You can even cycle through the apps in Slide Over.
Adding the Globe Key to a Third-Party Keyboard
If you like to use a third-party keyboard—perhaps a mechanical keyboard or a keyboard case—instead of Apple's first-party options, you might notice that there's no globe key to use for these shortcuts. But you're not out of luck!
iPadOS lets you remap modifier keys to a selection of alternative modifiers. For example, you can remap that Caps Lock to be the Globe key, perfect for triggering global iPadOS shortcuts, by following these steps:
- Open the Settings app and choose General.
- Then, tap Keyboard and enter the Hardware Keyboard page.
- Next, tap Modifier Keys.
- There, choose the key you'd like to change—in this example, Caps Lock Key.
- Finally, choose Globe to turn your Caps Lock Key into a Globe key.
Now, you can use the Caps Lock to quickly trigger global keyboard shortcuts.
Upgrade Your iPad Productivity With the Globe Key
Global keyboard shortcuts make multitasking and other common tasks much simpler for iPad users who frequently connect a keyboard. With the Globe key, you can access system actions without taking your hands off of the keyboard.
Global keyboard shortcuts also bring the iPad closer to a desktop-class experience. Once you've mastered them, keep exploring other ways to make your iPad feel like a MacBook.
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