> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.cleftnotes.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# iPadOS

> Voice notes on iPad — multi-window capture, Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and the iPhone feature set on a bigger canvas

Cleft on iPad is the iPhone app, scaled up. Same recording, same widgets, same Siri — with a two-column layout, multi-window, Apple Pencil, and Magic Keyboard on top. Read on one side, capture on the other; squeeze the Pencil to start a thought without putting your tea down.

<div
  style={{
backgroundColor: 'var(--gray-100)',
borderRadius: '16px',
padding: '2rem',
marginTop: '2rem',
marginBottom: '2rem'
}}
>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cleft/s7VDIRvLHYsQgpWz/images/screenshots/platforms/ipados/cleft-ipados-zapier-menu.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=s7VDIRvLHYsQgpWz&q=85&s=7911f7e24c7136d47f00cb4c77cea1ec" alt="Cleft on iPad in landscape with notes list on the left and a call-notes summary on the right" style={{ width: "100%", maxWidth: "900px", height: "auto", margin: "0 auto", display: "block", borderRadius: "12px", boxShadow: "0 15px 35px rgba(0,0,0,0.15)" }} width="2500" height="1917" data-path="images/screenshots/platforms/ipados/cleft-ipados-zapier-menu.png" />
</div>

## Start fast

Five ways to begin a note without stopping what you're doing:

<div
  style={{
backgroundColor: 'var(--blue-100)',
padding: '1.5rem',
borderRadius: '8px',
marginTop: '1rem'
}}
>
  <ul style={{ marginTop: '0', marginBottom: '0' }}>
    <li><strong>Apple Pencil Pro squeeze</strong> — squeeze the barrel to start a voice note (iPadOS 17.5+, Pencil Pro only)</li>
    <li><strong>Lock Screen widget</strong> — long-press the lock screen → Customize → add Cleft</li>
    <li><strong>Control Center tile</strong> (iPadOS 18+) — pull from the top-right, tap Cleft Record</li>
    <li><strong>Magic Keyboard</strong> — open Cleft, hit <strong>+</strong>, or use <code>⌘ + ⏎</code> in the editor</li>
    <li><strong>Siri</strong> — "Hey Siri, new Cleft note"</li>
  </ul>
</div>

Once recording starts, the timer sits in a Live Activity on the lock screen and the Dynamic Island (M4 iPad Pro). Tap to stop or save without opening the app.

## Record a note

<Steps>
  <Step title="Tap +, squeeze the Pencil, or ask Siri">
    Cleft starts a recording in the foreground while you keep doing whatever else you were doing — reading a PDF in Split View, typing in another app, sketching in the Pencil Pro grip.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Talk, then stop">
    Pause and resume as you go. Use **Space** to pause/resume, **Esc** to cancel, **Return** to finish — when you have a Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard attached.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Read the formatted note">
    A summary, key points, and any action items are waiting on the right pane. Edit with Pencil Scribble or Magic Keyboard, send onward.

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cleft/w9PRxfZXWgql_beE/images/screenshots/platforms/ipados/cleft-ipados-portrait.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=w9PRxfZXWgql_beE&q=85&s=e77cc9f23ac2d7584046b1f71fc45e21" alt="Cleft on iPad in portrait with notes list on the left and a formatted note with headings, bullets, and action items on the right" style={{ width: "100%", maxWidth: "500px", height: "auto", marginTop: "1rem", borderRadius: "8px" }} width="2300" height="3000" data-path="images/screenshots/platforms/ipados/cleft-ipados-portrait.png" />
  </Step>
</Steps>

For mic technique and language settings, see [Recording Voice Notes](/user-guides/recording-voice-notes).

## What iPad is best at

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Two windows at once" icon="window-restore">
    Stage Manager and Split View let you keep a source document open while you draft a note in Cleft right next to it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Apple Pencil capture" icon="pen">
    Squeeze Apple Pencil Pro to start a voice note. Use Scribble to handwrite edits straight into the editor.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Magic Keyboard control" icon="keyboard" href="#all-keyboard-shortcuts">
    Format, send, and navigate with shortcuts — no trackpad needed when you're docked.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Inherits the iPhone toolkit" icon="bolt" href="/user-guides/ios">
    Lock-screen widgets, Control Center, Siri, App Shortcuts, Spotlight, Focus filters — all the iPhone surfaces work on iPad too.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Couch-friendly long form" icon="couch" href="/user-guides/recording-voice-notes">
    The bigger canvas and better speakers make iPad the right place for 20-minute think-out-louds and lecture capture.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Spotlight search" icon="magnifying-glass">
    Cleft notes show up in iPadOS Spotlight. Swipe down on the Home Screen and type a phrase to find any note.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## iPad moments worth stealing

### Read on the left, capture on the right

Open a paper, transcript, or web article in one window; open Cleft in the other via Split View. Hit **+** in Cleft and narrate your reactions as you read — quotes, push-back, questions. The note ends up structured by [Custom Instructions](/user-guides/custom-instructions) so it's a usable artefact, not a wall of stream-of-consciousness.

Setup: see [Multi-window and Stage Manager](#multi-window-and-stage-manager) below.

### Squeeze the Pencil, talk, get back to drawing

You're sketching or annotating with Apple Pencil Pro. An idea lands. Squeeze the barrel — Cleft starts a new voice note in the background. Talk for thirty seconds, lock the iPad, keep drawing. The formatted note is waiting next time you open Cleft.

Use [Custom Instructions](/user-guides/custom-instructions) to shape that rough thirty seconds into something structured.

### A daily note you append to all day

Pin one note — a daily journal, a project log, a travel diary — to a Home Screen widget. Tap the widget every time you have something to add and Cleft appends to that note instead of starting a new one.

Setup: [Pin a note to your widget](/user-guides/widgets-and-action-button) · [Appending to Notes](/user-guides/appending-to-notes) · [Daily Capture Routines](/user-guides/daily-capture-routines)

### Magic Keyboard meeting station

Dock the iPad in the Magic Keyboard, hit **+** to start recording, talk through the call. After, edit the summary with Scribble or the keyboard, then:

* `⌘ + ⇧ + S` — generate a [public link](/user-guides/shareable-links) for collaborators
* `⌥ + P` — push straight into [Notion](/user-guides/integrations/notion/overview)
* `⌘ + C` — copy as Markdown for Slack, email, anything

Repeatable structure: [Meeting Notes System](/user-guides/meeting-notes-system).

### Long-form thinking on the couch

iPad is the best Cleft device for 15-to-30 minute recordings — better speakers and battery than iPhone, none of the desk-bound posture of Mac. Prop it on a stand, hit record, talk through a problem out loud. The transcript and summary are ready when you sit back down.

Mic technique: [Recording Voice Notes](/user-guides/recording-voice-notes).

### From iPhone or Watch, finish on iPad

Capture on the move with iPhone or Apple Watch; pick up the formatted note on iPad to edit, tag, and send onward. Sync happens through your Cleft account — no extra setup.

[Apple Watch](/user-guides/apple-watch) · [iOS](/user-guides/ios) · [Working with Notes](/user-guides/managing-voice-notes)

### Pull a thought back via Spotlight

Forgot which note had the quote you wanted? Swipe down on the Home Screen, type a phrase, and Cleft notes appear right alongside Mail, Messages, and Files. Tap to jump straight to the note.

## Multi-window and Stage Manager

iPad lets you run two Cleft windows side by side — useful for referencing one note while editing another, or recording in one window while reading in the other.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a second window">
    Swipe up to reveal the Dock, long-press the Cleft icon, choose **Open in New Window**. Or drag the Cleft icon out of the Dock onto the screen.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use Split View or Stage Manager">
    Drag a window to the left or right edge for Split View, or enable Stage Manager from Control Center to free-arrange windows.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Resize freely">
    The layout adapts as you resize. Below \~600pt wide, Cleft collapses to a single column.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  **Each window syncs independently.** A note created in one window appears in the other after the next sync — pull to refresh in the lagging window for an immediate update.
</Note>

## Apple Pencil

* **Scribble** — handwrite anywhere you can type; iPadOS converts to text.
* **Apple Pencil Pro squeeze** — squeeze to start a new voice note (iPadOS 17.5+, Pencil Pro only). Toggle in **iPadOS Settings → Apple Pencil**.

Cleft does not have a drawing or annotation surface — Pencil input is for text and quick capture.

## All keyboard shortcuts

Hold **⌘** in any screen to see the chords available in the current context.

### Notes and editing

* **⌘ + ⌥ + S** — show or hide the sidebar
* **⌘ + ⏎** — save and finish a text note
* **⌘ + B** — bold
* **⌘ + I** — italic
* **⌘ + K** — add link
* **⌘ + ⌥ + 1 / 2 / 3** — heading 1, 2, 3
* **⌘ + ⇧ + 7** — numbered list
* **⌘ + ⇧ + 8** — bulleted list
* **⌘ + ⇧ + X** — strikethrough
* **⌘ + ⇧ + '** — block quote
* **⌘ + ⇧ + C** — inline code

### Send

* **⌘ + C** — copy as Markdown
* **⌘ + ⇧ + S** — publish a public link
* **⌥ + P** — send to Notion

### While recording

* **Space** — pause or resume
* **Return** — finish and save
* **Esc** — cancel

The cross-platform reference lives at [Keyboard Shortcuts](/user-guides/keyboard-shortcuts).

## Lock screen, widgets, and Siri

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Lock Screen widget" aria-label="Lock screen widget">
    Long-press the lock screen → **Customize** → add a Cleft accessory above or below the clock. Tap to start a recording without unlocking.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Home Screen widgets" aria-label="Home screen widgets">
    Three widget types: **New Note** (start a recording), **Continue Last Note** (append to whatever you recorded last), and **Pinned Note** (always append to the same note — great for journals and project logs).

    Full setup: [Widgets and Action Button](/user-guides/widgets-and-action-button).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Live Activity and Dynamic Island" aria-label="Live Activity and Dynamic Island">
    While Cleft is recording, a Live Activity appears on the lock screen with stop, save, and cancel controls. M4 iPad Pro shows the same status in the Dynamic Island.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Control Center (iPadOS 18+)" aria-label="Control Center tile">
    Pull from the top-right, tap **+**, find Cleft. Adds a Record or Continue tile so you can start a note from any app.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Siri and App Shortcuts" aria-label="Siri and App Shortcuts">
    "Hey Siri, new Cleft note" works the same as on iPhone. Build custom Apple Shortcuts on top of Cleft's App Intents, or trigger Cleft from a Focus filter.

    Recipes: [Apple Shortcuts integration](/user-guides/integrations/apple-shortcuts/overview).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Audio

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Input devices">
    Cleft uses whichever microphone iPadOS routes to it:

    * **Built-in microphone** — works out of the box; iPad Pro's array is genuinely good for couch dictation
    * **AirPods Pro / Max** — better in noisy spots thanks to noise cancellation
    * **USB-C and Bluetooth headsets** — pick up automatically once paired
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Permissions">
    iPadOS asks for microphone access the first time you record. If recording fails, open **Settings → Cleft → Microphone** and make sure it's enabled. Check **Focus** mode permissions too — some Focus filters silence the mic.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Tips for cleaner audio">
    * Use a stand for long sessions; \~12–18 inches from the mic array works well
    * AirPods are the safest bet in shared or noisy spaces
    * Record in landscape if you'll be near speakers — keeps the mic away from playback bleed
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Settings

Open Cleft and tap the gear icon:

* **General** — theme, transcription language, date and time format, Preflight Mode for offline
* **Style** — how Cleft formats your notes
* **Integrations** — Notion, Apple Reminders, and other destinations
* **Widgets** — in-app guide for adding lock and home screen widgets
* **Account, Support, Roadmap**

System-level controls — microphone permission, Siri phrase, Focus filters, Apple Pencil, Stage Manager — live in the iPadOS Settings app.

## Troubleshooting

<Warning>
  **Apple Pencil squeeze not starting a note?** Confirm the Pencil is Apple Pencil Pro, iPadOS is 17.5 or later, and squeeze is enabled in **Settings → Apple Pencil**.

  **Keyboard shortcut not firing?** Tap into the editor first so the field has focus. Hold **⌘** to confirm the chord is listed in the current screen.

  **Two Cleft windows showing different notes?** Each window syncs independently — pull to refresh in the lagging window.

  **Microphone not working?** Settings → Cleft → Microphone → make sure it's enabled. Check Focus mode permissions too.

  **Still stuck?** [Contact support](/user-guides/contact-support).
</Warning>

## Related guides

* [Recording Voice Notes](/user-guides/recording-voice-notes) — mic technique, languages, recording length
* [Custom Instructions](/user-guides/custom-instructions) — shape how Cleft formats your notes
* [Widgets and Action Button](/user-guides/widgets-and-action-button) — every widget, every entry point
* [Apple Shortcuts](/user-guides/integrations/apple-shortcuts/overview) — automate Cleft anywhere on iPadOS
* [Keyboard Shortcuts](/user-guides/keyboard-shortcuts) — cross-platform reference
* [iOS](/user-guides/ios) — the pocket sibling, where most capture happens
* [macOS](/user-guides/macos) — the keyboard-first big sibling