iOS 13 brings new gestures for cursor navigation, text selections, quick undo/redo, effortless cut/copy/paste more

No to a greater extent than shaking that iPad equally iOS thirteen too iPadOS convey out novel ways to brand quick text selections, including three-fingered productivity gestures for cut/copy/paste too undo/redo.

Text editing too navigation receive got been modernized inwards iOS thirteen too iPadOS, past times a large margin.

iOS too text selections

Dynamic spider web layouts too HTML advances receive got made selecting text difficult. iOS hasn’t actually innovated inwards price of multitouch text selections for years now, exacerbating the problem.

But amongst the changes to cursor navigation, scrolling, selecting too manipulating text inwards iOS thirteen too iPadOS, yous tin in conclusion select chunks of text, glue selections into other apps too to a greater extent than without the bubble carte getting inwards the way. Aside from navigation too making selections, in that place are too novel productivity-boosting gestures for cut/copy/paste too undo/redo.

The iOS thirteen update for the iPhone too iPod comport upon devices, equally good equally the novel iPadOS software for iPad tablets, released for developers testing next the June 3 keynote verbalise at WWDC.

The updates volition unloose commercially this fall.

iOS thirteen & iPadOS: text selections made easy

The improvements inwards both iOS thirteen too iPadOS brand everyday operations similar scrolling long documents, moving the cursor, selecting chunks of text too manipulating text selections faster too means to a greater extent than accurate than always before.

Fast cursor navigation too scrolling

Rather than tap too concur to demo the loupe, which thus lets yous motion the cursor where yous like, yous tin exactly pick the cursor too drag it to where yous desire without anything getting inwards the way. The novel gesture takes a niggling flake of getting used to but 1 time it does, you’ll never await back. As yous motion the cursor, it volition automatically snap to lines too betwixt words.

As yous tin come across for yourself, moving the cursor inwards iOS thirteen ands iPadOS is real natural.

Pick upward the cursor too drag it to where yous want, it’s that easy.

When yous remove to scroll through tons of content, similar a actually tall page inwards Safari or a complex document inwards Pages or a long chat inwards Messages, yous no longer receive got to resort to rapid swiping. In iOS thirteen too iPadOS, yous tin only drag the scroll bar too scrub it similar a boss.

In iOS thirteen too iPadOS, yous tin in conclusion drag the scroll bar.

In instance yous forgot, the iOS scroll bar appears when yous get-go scrolling thus yous may remove to scroll a niggling past times swiping inwards lodge to demo the scroll bar.

Easy text selections

Aside from navigation improvements, selections receive got been vastly improved amongst the might to select passages of text amongst exactly a swipe. In other words, iOS thirteen too iPadOS allow you quickly select a custom block of text just by dragging your finger over it.

You tin too usage the next shortcuts to brand quick selections:

• Select a word: double-tap on it.


• Select a sentence: tap on the text amongst 3 fingers.


• Select a paragraph: tap on the text amongst iv fingers.


• Bubble menu: convey upward the shortcuts carte past times tapping 1 time amongst 3 fingers.


• Select multiple contiguous items: tap amongst ii fingers, thus drag to chop-chop select emails, files too folders.

iOS’s algorithm analyzes what you’re tapping to brand selecting Data Detectors fifty-fifty easier.

Drag your finger over the text to brand an arbitrary selection.

A double-tap chop-chop selects an address, telephone number, electronic mail address or other string that appears equally a Data Detector-powered hyperlink. H5N1 unmarried tap on such a link executes default action, similar before. For example, tapping an address opens the underlying place inwards Maps, but double-tapping the link selects the address thus yous tin re-create the underlying text.

New cut/copy/paste gestures

You tin usage the novel time-saving gestures for cut, re-create too glue operations.

• Cut: pinch upward amongst 3 fingers ii times inwards a row to cut.


• Copy: pinch upward amongst 3 fingers to copy.


• Paste: pinch downwards amongst 3 fingers to paste.

These novel cut, re-create too glue gestures piece of occupation across all organisation too third-party apps.

Apple hasn’t innovated copy/paste for a long fourth dimension thus this is a welcome addition.

Select a whole paragraph amongst iv taps.

Pictured below: the novel re-create gesture.

Copy alternative amongst a three-finger pinch (do it twice to cutting instead).

Here’s the novel re-create gesture inwards action.

And this is the novel three-fingered glue inwards iOS thirteen too iPadOS.

Drop the text downwards amongst 3 fingers to paste.

Check out a video below of what pasting looks similar inwards iOS 13.

You tin undo almost anything inwards iOS thirteen too iPadOS without using the milk shiver to undo gesture, a remnant from the iPod days that makes me await peculiarly featherbrained when invoking it on my iPad.

New undo/redo gestures

Boost your productivity amongst these gestures for undo too redo.

• Undo: swipe to the left amongst 3 fingers to undo.


• Redo: swipe to the correct amongst 3 fingers to redo.

You tin too usage a three-finger doublet tap to undo.

Undo/redo amongst a uncomplicated three‑finger swipe to the left/right.

Here’s a video showing iOS 13’s redo inwards action.

The copy/paste too undo/redo features from prior iOS editions were thus convoluted that developers of pro apps similar Procreate receive got implemented their ain gestures for those functions. This is bad from a user sense standpoint because third-party gestures alone piece of occupation inwards their intended apps. That beingness said, it’s definitely nifty that Apple has updated cut/copy/paste too undo/redo for the modern age.

iOS thirteen & iPadOS: text editing changelog

Here are all the novel text-selection features inwards iOS thirteen too iPadOS.

• Scroll bar scrubbing: Instantly navigate long documents, spider web pages too conversations past times dragging the scroll bar.


• Cursor navigation: Moving the cursor is faster too to a greater extent than precise now—just pick it upward too drag it to where yous want. It volition automatically snap to lines too betwixt words.


• Text selection: Select text exactly past times tapping too swiping. For quick judgement too paragraph selection, triple or quadruple‑tap.


• Intelligent selection: Double‑tap to chop-chop select addresses, telephone numbers, electronic mail addresses too more.


• Cut, re-create too glue gestures: New gestures brand cut, re-create too glue a snap. Pinch upward amongst 3 fingers to chop-chop copy, pinch upward amongst 3 fingers ii times to cutting too pinch downwards amongst 3 fingers to paste.


• Undo too redo gestures: Undo amongst a uncomplicated three-finger swipe to the left or redo past times swiping 3 fingers to the right.


• Multi-select: Quickly select electronic mail messages, files too folders past times tapping amongst ii fingers too dragging.

These novel gesture, including cut/copy/paste too undo/redo, too piece of occupation on iPhones.

iOS thirteen & iPad OS compatibility too availability

iOS thirteen is compatible amongst the next Apple smartphone models:

• iPhone XS


• iPhone XS Max


• iPhone XR


• iPhone X


• iPhone 8


• iPhone 8 Plus


• iPhone 7


• iPhone vii Plus


• iPhone 6s


• iPhone 6s Plus


• iPhone SE


• iPod comport upon (7th generation)

For more, read Apple’s iOS thirteen press release or see apple.com/ios/ios-13-preview.

And now, sentinel our video overview of the novel iPad-only updates embedded below.

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iPadOS is compatible amongst these iPads:

• 12.9-inch iPad Pro


• 11-inch iPad Pro


• 10.5-inch iPad Pro


• 9.7-inch iPad Pro


• iPad (6th generation)


• iPad (5th generation)


• iPad mini (5th generation)


• iPad mini 4


• iPad Air (3rd generation)


• iPad Air 2

For more, read Apple’s iPadOS press release or see apple.com/ipados/ipados-preview.

Your take

How practice yous similar the novel text selection, copy/paste too undo/redo gestures?

I retrieve they’re great. I practice or thus low-cal piece of occupation on my iPad, but forthwith I’ll last doing lots to a greater extent than because the novel quick-selection methods too the copy/paste/undo/redo gestures are nifty fourth dimension savers.

How practice yous similar these improvements? What’s your favorite novel gesture inwards iOS 13, too why?

Let us know past times leaving a comment below.

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