Review 242: 20.11.2021 at 07:00 am
Whether you like Apple or not, no one can deny that the iPad is a excellent and beautiful device. But are we fully taking advantages of its capabilities?
In this review, I’ll explain very important points about this device that you should know about. I’ll discuss productivity and ease of use. I’ll also discuss how to protect your kids. Those who own an iPad or are thinking of owning one should reading this review as we’ve work hard to bring these information to you. If you’d like us to make similar reviews to other device, then let us know in the comments.
But first, your Coffee and let’s start, There are two important points about iPads. The first point is that, similar to all other devices, iPads should be regularly updated to the latest OS version. Software updates bring more security enhancements against bugs that might cause hacking. Second, is that these updates bring new helpful features to users. To update your iPad, go to Settings, General, Software Update. And then download the update.
If you have an older iPad, some of the features in this review might not work on your device. The latest software for the iPad is the iPadOS 15.1 If you have a new iPad, then most, if not all, the features in this video will work on your device. iCloud account is very important to keep your data safe. Everything on this device is connected to the iCould.
If you decided to move to a newer iPad, you’ll need the iCloud account, which is an email service similar to Gmail. But in this case, the iCloud belongs to Apple. Make sure to make your own iCloud account by yourself. Don’t go to shop to make it for you. It is easy to do. If you let someone else make an iCloud account for you, then they might be able to reach your files and photos.
There will be a great ecosystem if you have other Apple devices, like a MacBook, iPhone, iMac or headphones when using the same iCloud. We might make a dedicated video to explain Apple’s ecosystem. There are features in this review between different devices that require the same iCloud account.
Let me now start to discuss the features that you should know about iPads. I decided to leave the children safety section at the end so that we can enjoy it together. Let me start with the notifications. You can manage notifications for each app separately. You can do that by going to the Settings, Notifications, Scheduled Summary. And then it is up to you to decide which notifications are less important. And you can choose the time where a summary of the notifications can be displayed. Or you can visit the app’s page and entirely close notifications. Or you can use specific methods to show notifications for certain apps.
Let’s now move to the new Focus feature. This feature was known before as Don’t Disturb. The idea behind Focus is to focus on certain things in certain times. It is not like the older Don’t Disturb mode. You can choose different modes, like Studying, Working, Sleeping or Personal. You can customize these modes as you prefer. Go to the Settings, Focus and you can edit the modes or add new ones. For the sake of this video, let’s choose the Reading mode. You can then allow notifications from certain contacts or apps. You can also let others know that you’re busy reading. You can also schedule the mode to start in certain times. There are other settings that you can check, too. There’s a Share Across Devices button, too. When enabled, the focus mode will be shared with all Apple devices using the same iCloud account.
The iCloud account is important. The next feature is multitasking, which is important for studying and working. When you open an app on iPad, a three dot button will show up at the top of the screen. These three dots are meant for multitasking. The first option is to use the app in full size. Or you can choose the Split View mode. This allows you to add another app, and if you do, the screen will be split into two halves. But you can still maximize or minimize an app however you prefer. The second option is to choose Slide Over, which allows a certain app to float on top of the other apps. You can merge these three apps to work together. Most of the apps support this feature, but not all of it.
The next feature is to create folders to organize apps. Each of your kids will have their own folder and their apps in it. The OS UI will show you all the installed apps. Which could be bothersome sometimes. This also might be distracting and time wasting. Making a new folder is easy. Keep holding your finger on the app until it enters the wiggle mode. Place the app on another app that you want to create a folder with, and then the folder will be created. The system will suggest a name for the folder depending on the category of the apps inside. But you can change the name of folder however you prefer. When in the wiggle mode, you can change the name of the folder.
I advise you to make a shared folder that includes common apps and games. Do you know that you can add shortcuts to your favorite websites and add it to the desktop?
The shortcut will appear on the main screen, and when you click on it, it’ll take you to Safari and open the link in it. It is very convenient for certain websites. All you have to do is open Safari, go to the website you prefer, click on the Share button and choose « add it to the desktop ». You can also rename the website to make it easier for you. You can also add it to a folder if you prefer. iPads come with certain apps similar to Microsoft’s Office app and Google’s Workplace apps. These apps can also be downloaded from the App Store. These apps include the Pages app, which is the alternative to MS Word and Numbers, which is the alternative to Excel. And there’s also the Keynote app, which is the alternative to the MS PowerPoint.
These apps work the same as MS Office and Google apps. But there are differences. Apple usually make their apps faster and less complicated. But some might ask how to send a file written on Pages to someone using MS Word?
You can export your the files to other extensions. You can export a Page file as a MS Word file. The same thing applies to Numbers and Keynote. The Notes app is the alternative to Microsoft’s OneNote. I decided to separately discuss this app because it is amazing. It is easy to use. You can pin certain important notes to the top of the app. You can make tables, achieved points and so on using this app.
Whatever you write on this app will be available in all other devices using the same iCloud. You can also password protect certain notes that contain sensitive data. If you have an Apple Pencil, then you can easily use it with this app. But I’ll discuss the Apple Pencil later in this review.
Using this Apple Pencil, you can write a note even if the iPad is locked. From the Settings app, you can choose to open a new note or continue with the previous note. You can write a quick note by swiping for the bottom right of screen. If you swipe from the left bottom corner of the screen, you can take a screenshot. The content of any of these apps can be opened on any Apple device with the same iCloud account.
You can also start a note on the iPhone and continue it on the iPad and so on. You can share the files on these apps with anyone who has access to them. You can allow others to only read the files or even edit them. In the last couple of years, Apple added an official File Manager app. Apple took a lot of time to add it. Before you needed a third party app to organize and locate downloaded files, but there’s no need for it anymore. With the Files app, you can locate and organize your files. With this app, you can easily locate your downloaded files. You can add files from Google Drive and any third-party files app or even external storages. You can also add colored tags to downloaded files to make it easier for you to locate them.
This Files app allows you to have all the settings you need. Apple sells two different Apple Pencils, which are the first generation and the second generation. There’s a list of devices that support the first generation Apple Pencil and devices that support the second generation Apple Pencil. To make it simpler, any iPad with flat edges, then it supports the second generation Apple Pencil. And any iPad with a lightning port, then it supports the Apple Pencil first generation.
This will make it easier for you to know which Apple Pencil is supported with your iPad. There are also other third-party options. You can find these accessories in Apple’s official stores and other big stores. But some of the features that are supported on these third-party accessories might not work.
The Apple Pencil will help you with lots of things. You can use the Apple Pencil to navigate the iPad as if it is a mouse. When taking a screenshot, you can use the Apple Pencil to write different notes on the screenshot. You can use the Apple Pencil with Apple’s app and other painting apps. Artists enjoy using this Apple Pencil as it supports high sensitivity. It works as if it is a real pencil.
There are lots of app for coloring and studying that you can use the Apple Pencil with. Both Apple Pencils support quick charging through the iPad. The Apple Pencil is amazing, but you might not need it. Before you decide to buy, try it in Apple Stores. It is an expensive investment, though.
Also ask other users who own the Pencil about their experience with it. The Apple Pencil must always be charged. It shouldn’t be left uncharged for long periods of time. The Apple Pencil first generation comes with a tool in the box to recharge it if the battery runs out.
I advise you to keep these Pencils charged. These Pencils don’t come with a warranty.
Let’s now discuss the mouse and keyboard support. With the iOS 13 and above, iPads started to support full keyboards and mouse. Apple offers their own accessories, but third-party options are still supported. This helps users do their work better. There are accessories that doubles as a protective case with a touchpad and a keyboard.
Apple sells their own Magic Keyboard but third-party companies also do the same. The market is full of such accessories that you can choose from. On iPhones and iPads, you can drag a photo from the browser and drop it in another app. You can select a photo or multiple photos from Photos app and drop them in another messaging app. You can also share photos directly from the Photos app without having to copy them.
Try it with your iPhones and iPads. You can copy a photo from the browser and paste it on WhatsApp for example without having to save it. iPads and iPhones now support transferring speech into a text. But some languages like Arabic isn’t yet supported. But Apple is working on supporting Arabic and other languages. You can open the camera app, direct it towards a text and then select the text on the screen. This Live Text feature is only supported on newer devices. You can also select text from photos stored in your Photos app. You can use the iPad as a secondary screen to the Mac. This feature is called Sidecar. But you should enable it on the Mac first. It’s also best for both devices to have the same iCloud account.
Websites are full distracting and time wasting ads Safari browser comes with great feature called Reader Mode. When enabled, you’ll only see the news and pictures. Safari browser will remove anything else. It’ll feel like you’re reading from a book.
Let’s now discuss Guided Access. This feature is great for kids and studying, When enabled, you’ll be able to use on app only. If you open a website and enable the feature, the kids won’t be able to open a different website or any other app. They even won’t be able to go back to the home screen. You can also lock certain parts on the screen. You can enable this feature from Settings, Accessibility, Guided Access.
Let’s now discuss the Screen Time feature. It is one of the most important features on Apple devices, and I wish that more companies would adopt it. It is available on all Apple products and some Android devices.
This feature allows you to calculate how much time you’ve spent using a certain Apple device. It’ll show you what apps consume your time the most. This is not only great for kids, but also even great for adults, too. It is important that parents enable this feature on their kids’ devices. This feature will allow parents to know what apps their kids use and how much time they’ve spent using them.
For my kids, if the app is educational, then they can use however much they prefer. But if the app is a game, then it has a time limit. And I can adjust the settings accordingly. With this feature, you can exactly know how much your kids spent on certain apps. You cam also separately give each app a time limit. You can allow apps to work only 1 hour per day.
When surpassing this time limit, the app will be locked. The app will work again the next day for another 1 hour. But there’s also another option to allow certain apps only to work in any given time. You can allow only reading apps to work before bedtime, for example. You can also allow limits for content and privacy, which is very important, especially for your kids.
You can change your kids’ behavior while using the iPad. You can protect them from unwanted content. You can lock online multiple games. Or you can only your kids to play with their kids. You can also block strangers from messaging your kids. There are a lot of other useful options for parents. What if apps were locked until tomorrow?đ€
You can unlock the app again using the passcode. But don’t share it with your kids.
đ Let me now give you some general advises on how to use the iPad or any other device with a screen:
First, take breaks from using your device to protect your eyes. Use the 20/20/20 method. The method is as follows: If you spend 20 minutes looking at the screen, then look for something that is 20 feet (6-7m) away from you for 20 seconds. Don’t use your devices two hours before bedtime. Try to use protective eye drops if your eyes get tired. Make sure that your screens are spotless. This will ensure that your eyes won’t get tired.
Also enable the blue light filter. Avoid bright light. Make sure that there’s a light in the room other than the light from the iPad itself. Make sure the font size of the iPad is suitable. Also, make sure not to bend your neck while using the device. I use this method with my kids. The device should be a bit far from your eyes.
I notice that parents give iPads to their kids while in the car. This will affect the kids’ health. There are plastic bases that can be installed in the car. They can be installed on the back of the front seats. This will ensure a better healthier position to use the iPad with.
This review is full of useful information. Share this review with anyone who you think will benefit from it, this is the end of this review guys.
See you laterđ
Written by:

CEO of OTTO Magazin