(Credit: Eric Zeman)
The iPad Dock is a handy area that stores frequently-used and recently-accessed apps, sparing you from having to hunt through multiple screens or folders to find a certain program. It can also be helpful in multitasking between more than one app at a time. Here’s how to take full advantage of the Dock on your iPad.
1. Swipe to Access the Dock
You can access the Dock a couple of ways depending on your current screen. At the home screen, the Dock is always visible. If you're in a folder or an app and want to see the Dock, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, but not too much; just enough to trigger the Dock.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)2. Add Dark Mode to the Dock
You can give the dock, and your entire screen, a darker look through dark mode. Swipe down from the top right of the screen to display Control Center. Press down on the control for brightness, then tap the Dark Mode button to turn it on. Return to the Home screen, and the Dock now sports a dark background.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)3. Add Apps to the Dock
You can add an app or folder from the Home screen to the Dock by lightly pressing down on an icon and dragging it to the Dock. You can also long-press on the icon and choose the Edit Home Screen command from the pop-up menu, or just press down on the icon, even after the menu appears.
This will make the icons start jiggling. Hold down the icon and drag it into the Dock to the left of the vertical border separating the recently used apps. Swipe up on the screen or tap the Done button in the upper right to stop the jiggling.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)4. Reorder Your Apps
You can better organize the apps in your Dock by dragging from one spot to another. Alternatively, long-press any icon in the Dock and choose Edit Home Screen from the pop-up menu. After the icons starting jiggling, drag an icon to a different location in the Dock.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)5. Remove Apps From a Cramped Dock
As you add more icons, the existing Dock icons shrink. How many icons can you add? That depends on the size of your device. The larger the iPad, the more icons it can typically house in the Dock. If things get too cramped, you can always kick some out.
Lightly press down on an icon and drag it from the Dock to the Home Screen. You can also long-press on an icon in the Dock to display the pop-up menu, tap Edit Home Screen (or just keep pressing on the icon). When the icons start to jiggle, hold down the icon you want to remove and drag it onto the Home Screen.
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To completely delete an app nestled on the Dock, tap the minus sign in the icon's upper-left corner. You'll have the option to delete the app off the device or remove it from the Home screen but keep it in the App Library.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)6. Manage Recently Used Apps
The Dock reserves space for recently accessed or suggested apps on the right side of the horizontal divide in the Dock. As you open new apps, you'll see their icons appear. This section can hold up to three regular icons, plus one for the App Library, including those available through Apple Handoff.
Don't need to see one of those recently used apps? You can wait until it gets replaced by a new one or remove it manually. Long-press any icon, select Edit Home Screen from the menu, and then tap the minus sign. Alternatively, select Hide App from the menu, and the icon disappears.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)7. Disable Recently Used Apps
Don't want to see recently accessed apps in the Dock at all? Disable that feature under Settings > Home Screen & App Library, and turn off Show Suggested and Recent Apps in Dock. Return to the home screen, and you'll see that your recent apps no longer appear.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)8. Multitask With the Dock
The Dock comes in handy if you want to multitask with more than one app on the same screen. Head to Settings and select Multitasking & Gestures, then select Windowed Apps or Stage Manager.
Open an app and swipe from the bottom of the screen to display the Dock. Hold down the icon for the second app and move it to one side of the screen until it turns into a small vertical window. Release your hold, and the new app appears in Slide Over mode alongside the first app.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Drag the new window to the right until the other window starts to shrink and both apps fade out. Release your hold, and the window on the right slips into place in Split View mode. You can now resize the two windows by dragging the vertical center bar left or right.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)