Extra math characters on the on-screen keyboard -- Pages 3.1 for iPad

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ipad-user-guide-for-ios-10-3/id1134772572

or the online help for iOS 10

https://help.apple.com/ipad/10/

I don't know if they cover it, it seems to be part of the baffling new features that I never use 🙂

P.S. I don't know if this is a third party keyboard. Hit the keyboard button (bottom right) & see if you can pick the default Apple one. If it is a third party addition the manual won't explain how to use it.

What happens when you tap one of the .?123 keys? Perhaps they are there so you can access symbols in the same way as a capital. Unfortunately I have an iPad 2 which only has the older keyboard, but those symbols are all in the corresponding places.

tt2

It would, perhaps, be more efficient if the keys only switched to symbols while the symbol key is held down, or worked for just one character, in much the same way that shift normally works. I imagine the greyed out characters are there as hints to make it easier to hit the key you want quickly rather than having to hunt and peck after tapping the symbol key .?123. Maybe this is a foretaste of things to come?

tt2

I think you're right.

I'm under the impression you can hold the .?123 key & then slide to a grey character to enter that value. I'm away from an iPad with that version so I may be wrong.

I suspect the manual explains it, either Google for the manual or check the Safari bookmarks for a link to manual - Apple used to add one at end of bookmarks if I recall correctly.

Trying this on my phone in the equation editor holding down .?123 gives access to symbols while I hold down the key with my thumb (or finger) while a different digit taps symbols and digits. Releasing the first digit reverts to alpha characters. This differs from standard iOS keyboard behaviour and is more like a traditional shift or alt key.

tt2

I have an iPhone 6 plus. The key just reads 123 and there are no additional characters on the main keyboard. I do a long press and the the right triangle to invoke the Insert menu, then Equation. If I tap 123 it does the usual toggle. If I hold it down, tap a symbol and release the 123 quickly it usually snaps back to letters, but it isn't absolutely consistent. 😕

tt2

Mr.MathType wrote:

Thanks for the info. That's how to get into Equation mode on an iPhone 6 as well. So if you hold down 123, it doesn't switch immediately to numbers, or did I misunderstand?

Thumb on 123, keyboard changes to numbers and symbols, tap a number or symbol, release 123, keyboard reverts to alphabet, most of the time.

tt2

someone in another thread figured it out: swipe down

Mr.MathType wrote:

(Can you post the link to the other thread?)

Re: Numbers (3.1) new Formula Keyboard - how do I access the greyed out key characters in the shift position?

Does press & hold pop them over the letter for you to select them?