This video is brought to you by Logitech Recently, I purchased the 10th generation
iPad to use around the house but before I give it to the wife and kids I decided to
spend few weeks with it to test it.
Of course, I had to tweak it to my liking so I was like - why not share how I set it
up with you.
So, in this video, I will walk you through my home screen setup, the apps and widgets
that I use, shortcuts, games and more.
The first thing I did was to check if there is a software update, which of course there
was.
The latest version offers new emojis and my favorite Freeform app, as well as some important
security patches.
The next thing was to clean it up.
That involves deleting all unused apps and removing pretty much all icons and widgets
from both default home screens.
I am a single home screen guy so before I organize everything I prefer to start with
a clean slate.
Cleaning up everything includes ditching all apps from the dock, which I will later fill
with the apps and shortcuts that matter to me.
While dealing with the dock, in settings, I removed the App Library shortcut and I selected
all new apps to appear in the Library and not on the home screen because when I start
installing my apps, things will get messy Before I continue with the dock it was time
to install all the apps that I normally use which I will list here in case you are interested.
There are a few cool apps that recently got some nice updates which I will talk more once
we get to the home screen layout.
Note that some apps are actually browser apps, like Typefully, so for them I just create
a home screen shortcut to pull up the app in a Safari environment.
Typefully btw is a Twitter scheduling app that recently introduced some nice AI features
to help you create engaging posts so feel free to check it out and while at it, subscribe
to the channel, because let’s be honest - WHY NOT?
Now, at this point, if you know me, you might be asking - why not transferring everything
from my iPad Pro?
Thanks for asking!
Every once and a while, I prefer to start fresh.
Clean installs allows me to declutter and get rid of things that I don’t use, while
also allowing me to experiment with new layout solutions.
Now that all my apps are installed and I am logged in, it is time to slap a nice wallpaper
and take it from there.
Given my recent retro-inspired desk setup, which I’ll link at the end of this video
if you are interested, I felt that I need to transfer my retro motif to the iPad as
well, so I chose a backdrop from my Vintage Symmetry collection.
At this point it was time for my favorite part - organization.
I love experimenting and playing around with layouts in the search for the most efficient
structure.
Like in previous setups, the principle is very similar.
I have a single home screen, where if I swipe left, I have access to my widget area, while
a swipe right brings me to the app library (which honestly I never use).
My most used apps, always remain in the dock as it the place to summon no matter which
app I am in.
The actual homepage focuses all widgets to the left, where the right remains available
for apps, quick access places and shortcuts.
Of course, most widgets are stacks, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
QUICK TIP: If you organize your home page in horizontal mode and want to do the same
in vertical mode, all you have to do is enter jiggle mode and do the action for both orientations.
This makes a lot of sense, but it’s not so obvious and many people don’t realize
it.
With some drag and drop finger gymnastics and some trial and error, my new iPad home
screen setup is complete and it is time to show you how it works.
By the way, if you use the 10th generation iPad like I do here, you should definitely
try Logitech's latest Slim Folio Keyboard case.
It is an extremely versatile yet lightweight package that provides super protection and
two viewing angles.
It also features a full-size keyboard with an entire row of iPadOS function keys.
The case doesn't require charging either, as it can last up to three years on just two
replaceable coin cell batteries.
On top of that, there's a place that can accommodate Logitech's Crayon.
This carpenter-style Crayon won't roll off the table or break easily as it has 4ft drop
protection.
It's also surprising how seamless it works - it doesn't even require a Bluetooth connection.
It's super responsive and precise, and it tilts as well for those thicker lines.
The Crayon charges via USB-C, and only two minutes of charge will give you 30 minutes
of work.
Simply turn it on and get right to taking notes, doodling, or sketching.
Be sure to check both the Logitech Crayon and the Slim Folio Keyboard in the first link
in the description below.
Ok, let’s start with the dock.
Left to right, I have the files app and Safari as my default browser.
Next to it, I have two Notion icons, the left one being a bit weird looking.
This is actually a split screen shortcut that opens both the Edge browser and Notion as
sort of a research mode.
Whenever I write a script, I like to have a browser opened, and since I don’t want
to mess up my Safari day to day things, I use Edge as my research hoch poch place.
Of course, if I want to work in just Notion, I keep an easy access to it as well.
Notion actually plays a big role in my life and work and as you can see, there are more
Notion widgets to talk about.
Moving on with the dock, I have my email Hey client, followed by Notes, which is more of
a personal place to take notes in and the Photos app.
On the iPad, the photos app plays a big role, especially if I am working in graphic apps,
so it needs to stay in the dock.
Next up is my to-do, calendar app TickTick and of course 1Password as my keychain wingman
whenever I have to access something.
I used to open 1Password with a shortcut in slideover, but that is no longer possible.
Towards the end, I have the settings app, which is very often utilized and finally my
messaging apps that live in a folder.
I’ve mentioned this before - I keep them in a folder to have an easy glance should
a red bubble appear.
Maybe now is a good time to mention that I always keep the iPad in silence and do not
disturb mode…so the the red bubbles are my hint if someone is messaging me.
The main apps area starts with 4 notion widgets which are direct links to my most used work
related Notion Pages.
I use the Topics page to dump all sorts of video ideas as soon as they come to mind.
Notes is my everything else offload place and Videos and Calendar are the places to
keep track of upcoming videos.
As you can see, I color matched the Pages headers to match the aesthetics of the iPad
- because that’s me.
Below the Topics Notion page, I have a Just Press Record widget which is very handy.
If I have an idea or something that I want to memorize, I just tap the widget and immediately
start recording it.
Just Press Record of course transcribes my recordings, ready to be turned into reality.
Aside from my productivity apps, like Affinity Designer and Photo and of course my YouTube
apps, I use Freeform as a moodboard place, Epidemic Sound as my exploring new-music-for-video
place and of course some games.
I am exploring the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but by far the most mesmorizing game
for me is Mini Motorwaze.
It is so calming yet challenging that I can’t stop playing it.
The last two icons in the main area are actually shortcuts.
The first shortcut is part of my TickTick shortcut where if I tap on it, I can immediately
write down a task that I can respectively schedule it without even having to pull out
the app.
The second shortcut is actually a fun one.
When I tap it, I can take 4 photos and immediately turn them into a gif that I can either save
or just send as a response to a message.
It’s very creative and tons of fun, especially for whoever is on the other side.
Let’s talk primary widgets.
The one on the top left is from a company that has few great hitters.
It’s called MD Clock and this is their recent new face called Hard Candy.
The actual app can serve as a full screen clock that even emits clock sounds, but I
use it for the widgets.
All of them are great and come in various sizes.
Below MD Clock I have an email stack of two widgets.
One is my recent Hey emails and the other is my company gmail account.
I use the widgets just to glance if there’s something going on.
For this stack I keep Smart Rotate as it will rotate to the widget that has something new
to showcase - very cool actually.
Third in row is my listening stack.
The MVP here is again by MD called MD Vynil and it’s my music mini player that I can
just tap on to listen to music.
Just like the clock, I picked it to match my retro theme of the setup.
MD Clock works with Apple Music and Spotify, therefore below it I have a YouTube music
widget, as I use that app too.
Finally, third in row is my Audible recents widget which I usually get to in the evenings.
Ending the Widget column, at the bottom I have a shortcuts widget that holds 4 of my
most used widgets.
The first shortcut is called AirPlay and is used to connect to my AirPods 3 immediately
after pressing.
If my AirPods are connected to something else and active, I can rapidly snap that connection
over to the iPad.
The second shortcut triggers the built-in iOS white noise sounds, giving me the option
to play, adjust volume or simply turn off.
Shortcut number 3 transfers whatever I am listening to to my AirPods.
The final shortcut is volume at 90%.
If I am moving around and I want to make sure I can hear whatever I am listening to, I just
hit that button and boom - volume almost maxed out.
If I pull the widgets page on the left, I have a large weather widget where I can glance
at the upcoming conditions the next few days, followed by a small calendar widget to hint
me at what’s today and a quick VPN toggle for my Surfshark account.
If you want to get the most out of your iPad and learn more about my accessories and tools,
check out my “Get THE MOST Out of iPad GUIDE” here as well as some of my favorite iPad Accessories
over here.
Give this video a like, or dislike if that’s your nature and don’t forget to subscribe
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It’s been an absolute pleasure, This is E