One of the best features of the iPad and its iOS operating system is its easy-to-use interface. The clean, uncluttered screen is simple to use, and almost anyone can use an iPad with little to no instruction. Just consider the three year old quietly occupied in the corner playing games and snapping photos.

While the iPad is intuitive for novice to expert business users, underneath the surface are some little known tricks that will provide you with a richer user experience. In fact, some of the iPad gurus we spoke with didn’t know about at least one of these tricks!

Anxious to learn some new ways to use your iPad? Let’s talk about five cool iPad functions you probably don’t know about:

Shazam! Feature

Have you ever been listening to the radio and caught the last bit of a song only to have the DJ move on to the next track without telling you the name of the first one? If so, this little known cool function is for you.

The Shazam integration is built into your iOS operating system and relies on Siri. You’ll be a hit at your next party because you can instantly put an end to debates about song titles and artists. Plus, using Shazam in Siri is quite easy, and you don’t even need to download an app.

Simply ask Siri, “What song is playing,” or “Name that tune.” She’ll listen and then display the song’s name, artist, the album cover and even a link to buy the track!

Self-Destructing Media

A Snapchat-like feature, self-destructing media gets rid of unwanted media fast.

You can self-destruct images, videos and audio. While in your text messaging app, hold down the microphone or the camera icon. Quickly take a photo, record a video or lay down audio. When you release the icon, your files are sent, but they will destruct after a set period of time.

Just make sure you’ve adjusted the expiration date in your iPad’s Settings.

Flyover City Tours

This is indeed a cool iPad function. In maps, you can now do flyover tours of certain cities. Here’s how to perform a city fly over to view popular attractions. Please note, it’s only available in iOS 8 and up for certain cities.

• Open the Maps app, and click the round circle with the i in it. Change your view to Hybrid, and then search for a major city.
• Tap the Start button that appears beside the 3D Flyover Tour ofCity banner at the top of the screen.
• Enjoy your flyover! This great feature takes advantage of Apple’s 3D imagery to provide you an aerial tour of key city landmarks.

Dispatch Home Screen Clutter

Are you someone who likes neat and tidy spaces? Do all of those icons on your iPad’s home screen bother you? Would you like to just look at your gorgeous wallpaper without distractions?

Now you can move all of your app icons from your first home screen page to your second page. This leaves your home screen tidier with an unobstructed view of your wallpaper.

This feature works in iOS 8 and up. Just hold down on each app icon and move them to your second page. Unlike earlier iOS versions, your home page remains with just your wallpaper, clutter free.

Family Sharing

Before iOS 8, if you downloaded a movie, it was only available on the iPad doing the downloading. Now, if you set up Family Sharing, you can access that same movie across multiple devices.

Not only can you share movies and music, but apps, photos, calendars and reminders. Family Sharing binds several Apple IDs into a parent account. If they all feed from the same credit card, everyone can choose (or not choose) to download content purchased by members of the same family.

To set up sharing quickly and easily:

• Visit Settings
• Open iCloud
• Hit Set up Family Sharing and follow instructions to add family members and send invitations.

To Conclude

We doubt anyone has ever found the iPad hard to use, but with these tips we hope you’ve learned some deeper ways to use your iPad and increase its functionality. If you’ve found some cool, new functions not listed here, please share them below. Our readers would love to hear about them. 

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