Take Charge of Quick Notes and Screenshot Gestures on Your iPad
Many iPad users get surprised or frustrated when a note suddenly appears while swiping from the corner of their screen. On Hands-On Apple, Mikah Sargent broke down exactly how these gestures work in iPadOS, how you can control them, and what to do if they keep getting in your way.
Why Knowing Your iPadOS Corner Gestures Matters
The ability to summon Quick Notes or capture screenshots with a simple corner swipe could be a huge time-saver—or an annoying distraction if triggered unintentionally. These gestures, built into iPadOS, are sometimes misunderstood, but a few settings tweaks can help you take control and use your iPad more efficiently.
Mikah Sargent clarified that swiping up from the bottom right corner of your iPad’s display brings up the Quick Notes feature. Similarly, you can assign a screenshot action to either corner. Quick Notes lets you jot things down instantly using the keyboard or an Apple Pencil, and you can add screenshots, share, or delete notes. By default, these gestures work system-wide, not just on the Home screen, making them both powerful and potentially disruptive.
How to Control, Customize, or Disable Corner Gestures
If you’re accidentally triggering Quick Notes or just want more control, here’s what Mikah Sargent recommends:
- Open the Settings App on your iPad.
- Scroll down and select Multitasking and Gestures.
- Find the section labeled Swipe Finger from Corner.
- For the bottom left or bottom right corner, you can choose:
- Off: Disable the gesture completely for that corner.
- Quick Note: Assign the gesture to pop up a Quick Note.
- Screenshot: Assign the gesture to instantly capture a screenshot.
Changes take effect instantly, and you can mix and match—have one corner for screenshots, and the other off, or both taking screenshots, for example.
Quick Notes: A Closer Look
When activated, Quick Notes lets you:
- Jot down notes by hand or keyboard
- Add screenshots using the three-dot menu
- Share or delete notes
- Quickly access multiple notes with the four-squares icon
Quick Notes are stored in a dedicated section in the Notes app, separate from your regular iCloud notes, so you can easily find all your quick thoughts.
Why You Might Want to Change These Settings
- Avoid Accidental Triggers: If you’re constantly seeing Quick Notes when you don’t want them, disabling the gesture resolves that annoyance.
- Faster Screenshots: Set one or both corners for screenshots so you never miss capturing what’s on your screen, without pressing hardware buttons.
- No Apple Pencil? No Problem: Even if you don’t use an Apple Pencil, these features work with your finger and can be leveraged for faster note-taking or screenshots.
Quick Notes on Quick Notes
- Quick Notes and screenshot gestures are customizable—enable, assign, or disable them in Settings.
- These gestures work everywhere on the iPad, not just from the Home screen.
- Accidental pop-ups can be avoided by turning off or reassigning gestures per your workflow.
If you find yourself annoyed by unwanted notes or want shortcut access to screenshots, take a few moments to visit your iPadOS Multitasking & Gesture settings. On Hands-On Apple, Mikah Sargent found that most users benefit from personalizing these corner gestures—either streamlining note-taking, speeding up screenshots, or simply reducing interruptions. Tweak your settings and make your iPad work the way you want.
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