The iPad Air is my go-to device for everything. I prefer it over the iPhone when I need a larger display. However, the 13-inch screen can sometimes be cumbersome to handle. But when I need to write, the 13-inch screen becomes a lifesaver. I’ve organized my apps into separate screens based on my current tasks. So, what’s on my writing screen?
Apps
Apps are the main bread and butter of any Home Screen layout. On row one, I have the Apple News app, Google News, and Flipboard. I use these three apps to catch up on the daily news and current events. I often find ideas for my writing in pages of articles in the current news cycles. The second row, I have Storiest, which is my long-form writing app of choice. It allows me to keep all my work in one location and is iCloud compatible. That was the key selling feature for me. Pages is my word processor. It is an Apple version of Word and is actually compatible with Word. Freeform is where I dump ideas and map out stories. Again, another Apple app. Preview is a PDF viewer and editor built into Apple products. Files is the file management software on iPhone and iPad. It has gotten way better in the latest versions of the operating systems. Voice memos is the last app on the row. I record quick notes for later from my Apple Watch, iPhone, and even the iPad for later use. The next row is the AI apps. I use them all for various tasks. Mostly, I use them to help me visualize a person or object. I also use them for quick information. Word of the wise: always double-check AI results for accuracy. The last row of apps, I have a web app that goes to my website management page. Reminders is the to-do-list manager I use to keep my daily tasks in order. Then there are the two music apps I use. Apple Music is my primary music app of choice. I subscribe to Apple One so I have all the benefits of the complete music library. Lastly, is the Nintendo Music app. Few companies have a library of high-quality instrumental music as Nintendo. The theme songs to Mario and Donkey Kong are my jam. I turn them on while writing to drown out the background distractions.
Widgets
A few years ago, Apple added interactive widgets to the home screen, and that has been a game changer for me. It has made the transition from Mac to iPad as my primary device so much easier. I have three stacks of widgets on this home screen. The first one in the top left corner, I have weather set to my current location, ChatGPT for quick access, a read-out of the battery status for my connected devices, and the journal app for suggested journal topics. The second stack in the top right corner, I have my smart home widget. The bottom stack, I have the Nintendo Today widget. I like to see daily poses of Donkey Kong with my calendar. I have the Apple News widget with the latest cybercrime articles. Apple Music pins for quick access to my primary music choices. My today-to-do-list. My latest emails to my writing email address. I have a widget to the Safari reading list of saved websites I wanted to come back to later. Lastly, I have the notes widget. I used the notes app to jot down notes and scratch-offs for ideas.
Conclusion
That is what’s on my writing Home Screen on my iPad Air. Is there something that you would suggest that I take a look at adding?
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