Click here to see official page for searchable User Guide
Click here to see a HowToGeek article "How to automatically launch Shortcuts when you open an App on iPhone or iPad"
Click here to see a HowToGeek article "How to Create Automations on an iPhone or iPad"
Click here to see a MacRumors article "iOS 14 Favorites Widget: How to Make a Replacement With Shortcuts"
Click here for a CNET guide called "Shortcuts app superpowers. Here are 11 things it can do"
Search has been available on the iPad, but prior to iPadOS 14, the interface took over the entire screen and the search results were somewhat limited.
With the iPadOS 14 version of the Search tool there is a small search bar that shows up so it doesn't gobble up the entire screen.
The more streamlined bar looks a lot like Spotlight Search on the Mac. You activate it on the iPad by swiping down on the display from the home screen, or with the same CMD+spacebar keyboard shortcut as on the Mac.
Search can be used to locate a ton of things: files and folders in the Files app, emails and messages, apps you installed or want to find in the App Store, music and podcasts.
For example, you can activate Search while you're composing an email to find a file you want to attach to your message. You can then drag-and-drop the file, from the results directly into your email, and make it an attachment.
This works on iOS12 / iPadOS, or newer, with any text box, as long as you're using the default keyboard.
1. Type any text box or area that you can type in. This can be your Notes app, a search bar, a text message — anywhere you can type.
2. Press and hold one finger on the spacebar. All the other keys will grey out.
3. Swipe your finger across the spacebar, and your cursor will move around the text area.