How can I use my Apple bluetooth keyboard for keyboard navigation on my iPad?

I'm using an Apple bluetooth keyboard with my iPad. Even in Safari, arrow keys, Cmd-arrow for forward and back, Cmd-D for bookmark, etc do not work. The only useful keyboard navigation is Return, Tab and Shift-Tab.

Are there perhaps some jailbroken apps that provide some sort of keyboard navigation shim? Perhaps through GUI macros?


Solution 1:

I am sorry to say that I am unaware of any apps (jailbroken or otherwise) that add keyboard navigation to the iPad.

According to GigaOm, the following shortcuts do work:

  • C Copy selected text
  • X Cut selected text
  • V Paste
  • Z Undo
  • shiftZ Redo
  • Go to top of document
  • Go to bottom of document
  • Go to start of line
  • Go to end of line
  • Delete to end of line
  • Delete previous word
  • F1 Make screen dimmer
  • F2 Make screen brighter
  • F7 Skip back one song
  • F8 Play or Pause Music
  • F9 Skip forward one song
  • F10 Mute Volume
  • F11 Decrease Volume
  • F12 Increase Volume
  • Show or hide onscreen keyboard

Solution 2:

There is a nice article on enabling some keyboard features using VoiceOver. It is not perfect, especially due to the fact that it disables normal typing and scrolling with fingers, but it allows you to:

  • Select items with keyboard (Left & Right buttons)
  • Open Home Screen (Ctrl+Opt+H) and running applications (double that shortcut)
  • Quick Search on current screen (Ctrl+Opt+I)
  • and more.

I wish I could enable these shortcuts without switching on the whole VoiceOver feature.