Oprah claims that the iPad is considered to be the greatest invention of our modern world. If you have just discovered it, it can be overwhelming to figure out what features you want and what you can do with this great device. In this article, we will help you with some handy and practical iPad tips.

Did you accidentally launch an app that makes a lot of noise? Here is how to mute volume quickly: Press and hold the volume button. Your sound will be turned off fast. If you use mute often, you can set your lock orientation button as a muting alternative.

A lot of people aren’t very good at typing on a tablet, even though it gets easier later. The iPad actually has a speech recognition function. Simply depress your home button two times, and hit the small microphone icon. When you finish talking, press the icon button again and you will see your words appear as text.

When you receive a new email, your iPad’s default setting is for you to see two lines prior to opening it. It is helpful sometimes to get a preview of the email contact. Go to ‘mail’ under ‘settings’. After you go to “mail”, choose “contacts” and “calendar” in order to see additional lines of text before opening your messages.

To get a copy of the user’s manual, download one for free. It is easier for Apple to make it a download than to print a manual for every product.

Shortcuts let you send messages quickly. Pushing the space bar two times gives you a period at the end of a sentence. You won’t have to add it yourself and the time you save can mean more messaging to family and friends.

If you want to keep current pages open, just open new ones in a different tab. If you use Safari, tap the link and hold it until the menu option becomes visible. You will be given the choice to open the website of choice in an additional tab in the pop-up menu.

Does the battery charge icon distract you on your iPad screen? If you want, you have the power to turn that off. First enter the Settings menu. Locate the Usage setting under the General settings. You should be able to figure out how to turn off the battery percentage display on this menu.

Want to be able to find your iPad if you lose it? Then you must go to iCloud, by going to Settings, then iCloud. Add your account’s Apple ID and turn on the app. This will allow you to find a lost iPad by going to iCloud.com.

If you want to mute the volume on the iPad, try this. All you need to do is press and hold volume down for a couple of seconds. That is easier than adjusting your volume time and again. Hold it another time to get the volume level back to where it was.

Because iPads are expensive, it is a good idea to care for them properly. A lot of people get screen protectors. This is plastic which adheres to the screen and protects it. Clean the screen only with a soft, damp cloth. Never clean your iPad with a glass cleaner or all purpose cleaner.

Go to the apps that you need to use frequently! You simply have to quickly click the home button twice to bring up a list of running apps. Using this one little trick can save a lot of time instead of having to scroll through all of the screens to find something.

A lot of people know about the iTunes store, but they aren’t always well-versed on the features that are available. One feature that many people don’t know about is called iTunes U (U = university). This section has educational podcasts about all types of professoinal subjects and can be a great way to increase your know-how.

Forums online are a great way to learn more about your iPad. There are sites available to help you learn about this popular device, and help you become an iPad whiz. Introduce yourself and search through the forums to see if you can find things that you didn’t know about before.

You should always use the security feature in your iPad even if it feels like you don’t need it. You don’t know when you could lose it by accident and someone could find it and access your bank information, addresses, phone numbers, emails, etc.

Manage notifications yourself. If tons of applications are on your device, you probably deal with lots of notifications. Go to Settings/Notifications to control them. You can determine which apps you want a notification for and which ones you aren’t worried as much about. This will keep your alerts for things that actually matter.

Have you thought about hooking your iPad up to a television? There are a great many benefits to doing so. There is a separate adapter that allows you to connect the two devices. Seek out a digital AV or an Apple VGA adapter. Both will work out just fine.

Is your screen getting scratched up? The iPad can withstand quite a lot of wear and tear, but a protector is a good purchase if you are seeing small scratches showing up on your screen. This gives your iPad some protection, but it also prevents miniature cuts on your fingers.

Now that you’re familiar with the iPad, it’s time to get your feet wet and start using it! Make use of the advice you have learned from the above article to use your iPad easily and efficiently. The more you learn the more you’ll get out of this powerful device!