How to Highlight Text on iPad? Know 13 Ways

Highlighting text on your iPad can be incredibly useful. It does not matter who you are. Whether you are a student, working professional, or just browsing the web. iPads have become essential tools for many people in their daily work. It will be very important and useful if you know how to highlight text on iPad and how to manage text properly. In this guide we will discuss the process of highlighting text on your iPad, covering different applications like PDFs, Notes, and web pages. 

We will also answer some frequently asked questions related to highlighting text on the iPad. You need to have all the information today.

Benefits of Highlighting Text on iPad/iPhone/Mac

Highlighting text on your iPad is a versatile tool that can enhance your learning, productivity, and overall iPad experience.

Here are some key reasons why you might want to highlight text:

Learning and Studying

  • Key points: Quickly identify and mark important information for review.
  • Quotations: Save quotes or passages for future reference.
  • Organization: Structure your reading material by highlighting different sections with different colors.

Research and Writing

  • Fact-checking: Easily locate specific information for verification.
  • Note-taking: Extract key points for later use in writing or presentations.
  • Citation: Mark sources for proper attribution.

General Use

  • Reviewing documents: Quickly find important details in long documents.
  • Sharing information: Highlight specific parts of a document to share with others.
  • Personalization: You may customize your reading experience and make it more effective by highlighting your favorite passages.

Essentially, highlighting text is a way to interact with your content more deeply and effectively.

How to Highlight Text on iPad: The Basics

Highlighting text on an iPad is straightforward. Let’s move towards the basic steps involved in highlighting text first and then dive into specific applications and FAQs.

Selecting text on iPad

How Do You Highlight and Select on an iPad?

  1. Open the App: Open the app and find the place where the text you want to highlight is located. This could be Safari, Notes, or any other text-based application.
  2. Select the Text: Tap and hold the beginning of the text you wish to highlight. A magnifying glass will appear, allowing you to position the cursor precisely.
  3. Highlight the Text: Drag the handles that appear to encompass the text you want to highlight. Release your finger to finalize the selection.
  4. Choose Highlight Option: Depending on the app, you may see a pop-up menu with various options like Copy, Define, Highlight, or Comment. Tap on “Highlight.”

How Do You Highlight Multiple Words on iPad?

Highlighting multiple words or entire sections is just as easy:

  1. Start Selection: To select a text or words, tap and hold at the beginning of the first word.
  2. Drag Across Words: Continue dragging your finger across the screen to select multiple words or sentences.
  3. Adjust if Needed: Use the selection handles to adjust your selection as necessary.
  4. Highlight: Select the “Highlight” option from the pop-up menu.

Highlighting Text in Specific Applications

highlighting text by circle on iPad

Can I Highlight Text in iPad Notes?

Yes, highlighting in iPad Notes is a handy way to organize your thoughts and prioritize information.

  1. Open Notes App: Launch the Notes app first and then open the note you want to edit.
  2. Select Text: Tap and hold to select the text.
  3. Highlight: Choose “Highlight” from the pop-up options.

This feature is especially useful for students and professionals who need to keep their notes clear and organized.

How to Highlight Text in a PDF on iPad?

Highlighting text in a PDF is crucial for studying or reviewing documents.

  1. Open PDF Reader: Use a PDF reader app like Apple Books or Adobe Acrobat.
  2. Select Text: Tap and hold on to the text, then drag to highlight.
  3. Highlight Option:  Select “Highlight” by using the toolbar.

These apps often offer additional annotation tools like underlining or adding comments.

How to Highlight Text in Notes on iPad?

The Notes app on your iPad is versatile and user-friendly.

  1. Open a Note: Access your desired note.
  2. Select Text: Tap, hold, and drag to select.
  3. Choose Highlight: Tap “Highlight” from the menu.

Utilizing colors to categorize different types of information can make your notes more efficient.

How to Highlight Text on Websites on iPad?

Browsing and highlighting text on websites is simple:

  1. Open Safari: Access your website of choice.
  2. Select Text: Tap and hold, then drag to select the text.
  3. Highlight or Share: Depending on the app, you might not see a direct “Highlight” option, but you can copy the text and paste it into a Notes app for highlighting.

You may also read how to highlight text in Excel in 9 different easy ways!

Advanced Highlighting Techniques on iPad

How to Highlight any Text in PDF on iPad in Telegraph App?

  1. Open PDF in Telegraph App: Install and open the Telegraph app, then load your PDF.
  2. Select Text: Tap and hold to select text.
  3. Highlight: Use the built-in highlight feature.
  4. Add Notes: You can add notes or comments to your highlights for better context.

How Do You Drag and Select on iPad?

  1. Tap and Hold: Start by tapping and holding on to the starting point.
  2. Drag Finger: Move your finger across the screen to select more text.
  3. Adjust Handles: Use the handles to refine the selection.

This method is useful for selecting large sections or blocks of text quickly.

How Do You Screen Select on iPad?

  1. Take a Screenshot: Simultaneously press the top button and the volume up button.
  2. Tap Screenshot Preview: Quickly tap on the preview that appears.
  3. Use Markup Tools: Highlight text directly on the screenshot using the markup tools.

This is great for saving and highlighting portions of web pages or emails that can’t be selected traditionally.

How Do You Highlight and Copy on a Tablet?

highlighting text on iPad/Tablet
  1. Select Text: Tap, hold, and drag to select.
  2. Copy: Choose “Copy” from the menu.
  3. Paste: Go to your desired app or document and paste the copied text.
  4. Highlight: Once pasted, you can highlight the text if needed.

This method is universal across most tablets and apps.

How to Highlight PDF on iPad with Apple Pencil?

Using an Apple Pencil offers precision and ease:

  1. Open PDF in Compatible App: Use an app like GoodNotes or Notability.
  2. Select Highlight Tool: Choose the highlight tool from the toolbar.
  3. Highlight Text: Use the Apple Pencil to highlight text.
  4. Add Annotations: Make annotations/notes directly on the PDF document with the Pencil.

How to Highlight Text in Email on iPad?

Highlighting text within an email app is not directly supported but can be worked around:

  1. Copy Text: Tap, hold, and drag to select, then choose “Copy.”
  2. Paste in Notes: Open the Notes app and paste the text.
  3. Highlight in Notes: Highlight the text within the Notes app.

iPad PDF Reader with Highlighting and Notes

Some of the best PDF readers for iPad that support highlighting include:

  • Adobe Acrobat Reader: Offers powerful tools for highlighting, annotating, and signing PDFs.
  • Apple Books: An integrated and simple way to read and highlight  PDF docs.
  • GoodNotes: Perfect for those who want to take notes alongside their highlights.

FAQs About Highlighting on iPad

How Do You Highlight and Copy Text on an iPad?

To highlight and copy the text on your iPad, do the following:
Tap and hold the text,
Drag to select it, 
Choose “Copy” from the pop-up menu. 
You can then paste the copied text into another app.

How Do You Select and Highlight Text?

To select and highlight text follow as directed below:
 Tap and hold at the starting point, 
Drag to select the text, 
Choose “Highlight” from the menu.
This method works in apps that support text highlighting.

How Do You Highlight Multiple Words on iPad?

To highlight multiple words on your document, 
Tap and hold the first word.
Then drag the selection handles to include additional words. 
Tap “Highlight” from the menu to apply the highlight.

How Do You Drag and Select on iPad?

Drag and select by tapping and holding at the start of the text, then dragging your finger across the screen.
If needed, adjust the selection using the handles.

How Do You Screen Select on iPad?

Screen selection by taking a screenshot, tapping the preview, and using markup tools to highlight text on the image.

How to Highlight Text in PDF on iPad?

Open the PDF in a compatible reader, select the text by tapping and holding it, then use the highlight tool from the app’s toolbar.

How to Highlight Text on Websites on iPad?

To highlight text on websites, select the text in Safari, copy it, and paste it into a Notes app for highlighting.

Conclusion

You can enhance your productivity and efficiency by learning how to highlight text on iPad. This skill will help you manage information more efficiently. Whether you’re using it for study, work, or personal organization, understanding how to highlight text and important parts of your data across different apps will make your iPad experience more rewarding. If you follow the steps mentioned in this article, you should feel more confident in your work. Whether it’s in PDFs, Notes, or on the web, you will be few steps ahead of your competitors. Hope this article will make you smarter and efficient as well.

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