External keyboard commands for iPad, with separate notes for device buttons
The keyboard commands on this page focus on iPad with a connected external keyboard. They are not a promise of the same behavior on iPhone. Touch gestures, hardware buttons, and keyboard commands are different ways to control a device. Check which device and input method an instruction requires.
Open a disposable note and type a sentence. Select the sentence before pressing Command + C: copy needs a selection. Switch to your destination note, tap where the text should go, and press Command + V. If the text lands in the wrong place, use Command + Z immediately and place the insertion point again. Practice with sample text before trying this in an important document.
On iPad, Command + Shift + 3 takes a screenshot. Command + Shift + 4 takes a screenshot and opens Markup for editing; it does not launch the Mac's drag-to-select capture tool. Use the editor's crop controls if you only need part of the image. Review the result before sharing it, including notifications or account details around the edges.
First check that the keyboard can type in a note. If typing fails, check its connection and power. If typing works but shortcuts do not, check the modifier-key mapping under the hardware keyboard settings. A key labelled for a different operating system may be mapped differently. App-specific commands also depend on which app and text field currently have focus.
Source: Apple's iPad keyboard shortcut guide. Available commands depend on the app and iPadOS version. Content revised 22 October 2026. For iPhone touch workflows, see the iPhone guide.