Transcription
This video is sponsored by well me and my latest minimal icon and wallpaper pack.
Hi everyone. I was reading the comments on my last iPad video recently and honestly, they were at times brutal. Things like, "Just get a MacBook." "iPad is just an expensive Netflix machine." "Why would you spend $800 on something that we can't even run proper software with?" And you know what? When I look at most people's iPads, I actually get it. Home screens packed with random apps, confusion over why you'd actually pick this over a laptop or phone, and trying to force desktop workflows onto a touch interface. No wonder people think it's not worth it.
But the thing is, I think 99% of people may be setting this up completely wrong. So, I set myself a challenge to prove a point. What's the absolute simplest iPad setup that actually makes it worth owning? And how should you be using it? So, how about this? No complex workflows, no trying to force it to be something it's not. Just the essentials. My top 10 apps, minimal affordable accessories, and simple design tweaks to focus your iPad on what's genuinely brilliant about it.
So, first up, I'm going to show you exactly why an iPad can feel frustrating and what it's actually good at. The biggest mistake people make with iPads, I think, is trying to make them do everything. But the iPad isn't really meant to replace your laptop or phone. It's meant to be the perfect middle ground that excels at three specific things in my opinion. And once you've understood this, everything kind of clicks.
First, it's a knowledge device. The iPad has more of a creative vibe. So, whenever I'm using it, I want to create and design new things. It allows you a kind of creative flow that you can't achieve with other devices. The large screen makes it perfect for researching, reading articles, watching educational content, consuming and making notes about media in a way that's more immersive than your phone, but more relaxed than your laptop.
Second, it's your advanced digital notebook, and that's where this iPad will shine. An iPad is 10 times better for note-taking than a MacBook, and there's a reason for that. The combination of the touch interface, that Apple Pencil creates a writing experience that feels natural and immediate. But you can also type, sketch, annotate PDFs, scan documents, and take your handwritten notes into something more digital.
Third, it's your creative canvas. Apps like Procreate, Pixelmator Pro, Affinity, they're designed specifically for the iPad Touch interface, and they take advantage of its unique capabilities in ways that desktop versions can't match. So maybe stop trying to do desktop stuff on it. The moment you try and make your iPad do email management, complex spreadsheets, heavy coding, you're fighting against what makes it special.
So, I think we need to declutter it, uninstall the unused apps or less useful apps. That means we're going to turn off the non-essential so it absolutely does what it's meant to do. So, let's talk about how you can optimize that layout and feel. Now, don't worry. In a bit, I am going to talk about these essential accessories and the 10 apps I would pick above all else to put on an iPad. But first, let's talk about making your iPad interface as calm and as focused as possible.
Home screen organization is a must. So, these aren't just pretty icons. They're designed to reduce visual clutter and create a more focused notebook-like experience. Instead of filling your home screen with loads of different app designs, creating a minimal layout will just give you the essential tools. And using bookmarks like this also means that you don't see notifications on your page. And consider using Apple's shortcuts to add bookmark icons to replace some of your most common tasks or actions. I have one, for example, that opens my journal page in Notion.
And this is where I want to talk a bit more about something special. I've created a complete iOS design pack with 192 custom icons, custom wallpapers, and some widget widget designs that turn the whole iPad into a beautiful minimal workspace. I'm going to show you how to do that in one sec. We've just released this new ambient calm collection in a subtle set of four cozy pastel shades. And we also have a physical buttons pack, the original dark and light minimal packs, uh, which can all be kind of mixed and matched. So you can grab them at bettercreating.com if you want to and they'll transform how your iPad feels to use.
So using shortcuts and simple automations here, I've created some that open different apps. I'll show you the very basics here, but you can watch my iPhone customization video for a full breakdown of how to get these looks and how to set this up later on. So to add a custom icon, go to shortcuts, create a new shortcut, and search for and select open app. You can then find the app you want to do. I'm going to do Procreate here. You pick it. You can rename it so you know what it is. There you go. And then you can click the menu and click add to home screen. I can delete the title so that it's titleless and minimal. Select image, choose a file, and then go and find a nice image in here that I like. This is a draw and paint app. I really like it. I'm going to drop that in. Click add. And there it is, added to the home screen. And I can move these around and set them as I want. Simple as that.
You can even add shortcuts for your common tasks. So, how about shortcut that opens my notebook in Notion? Let's add that to the home screen. And there we go. We've got a nice shortcut which if I click it, jumps to my journal in LifeOS. And this one jumps straight to notion and my meeting notes page. Pretty cool.
One reason that I grab my iPad at the end of the day is for digital planning. My ideal process is to plan for the next day on the evening of the one I'm finishing so I'm ready to go in the morning. So this is a focus mode setup. You can create a custom focus mode say called deep work or planning mode and this could block all notifications except the essentials and maybe just calls and messages from key contacts. The beauty of focus mode is that we can automatically switch your home screen to show only the apps you need for focus work. The goal is to make your iPad feel intentional, calm, and purpose-built for the work you want to do. So, let me know in the comments what's your biggest distraction at the moment. And uh, maybe I can help you with that.
Okay, let's get on to these minimal accessories I recommend to unlock iPad's potential without breaking the bank and turning it into a laptop wannabe. And no, whilst it is brilliant, my list doesn't include a magic keyboard. So, I've tried a lot of iPad accessories over the year. There's a load of videos on the channel about it, but most of them are either overpriced or missed the point entirely. But here's what actually makes the difference. And the good news is you probably own some of these.
The first one, of course, is the Apple Pencil Pro. I am always going to recommend this. It's a non-negotiable. If you are not using the iPad with an Apple Pencil, you're missing about 80% of what makes it special. The precision, the pressure sensitivity, the way it feels like writing on paper. There's genuinely nothing like it. I really think Apple should be pricing this in. It's quite annoying that they don't, but you need to budget for it. And with the features like squeeze gestures and barrel roll on the Pro, it's become even more intuitive.
This is the Maft Dynamic Folio. Now, this thing is brilliant. Unlike the heavy keyboard cases that turn your iPad into a chunky laptop, the Moft one keeps your iPad feeling like a tablet without losing some flexibility and actual, you know, useful positions. The floating creation mode at 30 degrees is perfect for note takingaking. And then the theater mode is really nice for watching content with and you barely notice it's there. It's so light.
So instead of Apple's like built-in keyboard system, I'd actually recommend these two items. First, a small portable keyboard. It's not the magic one. And the reason is, well, it's the flexibility of having a case like that and then using this only when you need it to type for longer sessions that makes a difference. You don't need anything else. I love this Air60 from Neui because it's super compact. It's actually got a kind of case that comes with it that can be like a desk mat. And I love it because it connects instantly, doesn't really weigh that much, easy to put in your bag if you need it, and you've got a really nice, clean setup.
That probably means you're going to want a mouse. And this is the Microsoft, yet Microsoft Ark 2 mouse. This foldable mouse is genius. You click it to turn it on. It's super compact and flat when you're not using it, so it can just go in your pocket or whatever. And it means that you can use your iPad with a proper cursor. It controls everything and you don't need that bulky trackpad system.
So, there we go. A simple, compact setup in elements. These things are not turning your iPad into a Frankenstein laptop hybrid. These are just elements that you can add and take away and ultimately come back to the base. There's maybe a fifth and that's these. A pair of AirPods. They just work. And I mean, watching and listening to things on an iPad in the Apple ecosystem, you can't really beat the AirPod Pro 2os. So, save your pennies and dimes if you don't own a pair yet.
And well, that leads us nicely to the final section, my essential iPad app collection. If I could only install 11 apps for 11 in of expensive Apple Glass, here's what I would pick.
For knowledge and research, I'd choose Ark Browser. It's the cleanest web browsing experience that I've come across and it works in a kind of very Apple type way. It's super minimal. Then I would probably pick Read Wise Reader or Insta Paper as a place for article management and reading items off the web. It's a really nice place to research. Check it out. And then I'd pick number three, either Apple Books or Kindle depending on how you feel about the apps for reading cuz a small iPad can replace your Kindle. Yes, okay, it's color and it's a different type of app, but honestly, if you set it up to go black and white, it's great.
The next section is for notebook mode and sketchbook mode. I would have to say app number four is Apple Notes. Apple Notes takes it because, well, it's free and builtin and really good. Plus, it's convenient and takes advantage of some of the cooler Apple intelligence features. Number five, that should be Good Note 6 for more advanced note takingaking with audio recording and just a bunch of sketching. I've planned entire shows in it. And number six, just get Procreate and realize how great the iPad is. It's a brilliant drawing and sketching app. It's a pro app. It's the gold standard for digital art.
So, for focus and organization, I would go with these. Number seven, Minimalist. Using this app is super easy. It's extremely intuitive and perfect for touchscreen use. Plus, it manages your task list and gives you a Pomodoro counter. It's all you need. Then, yeah, it's me. I would pick number eight, Notion. Still the ultimate, in my opinion, for digital organization simplicity that adapts to what you need once you learn it. But I don't build in Notion on iPad. I love to reference stuff that's on my setup in my life OS template by collecting ideas and updates and tasks with the iPad only. I don't do more than that. And number nine has got to be Google Calendar. iPad is the perfect place to time block and plan your week in a calendar. You can drag things around. I love Notion Cal, but they don't support the iPad yet. Oh well, it's Google Cal on the iPad. Notion Cal is a better interface though for scheduling features, I think, on Mac and iPhone.
And if I had to pick one for the creative world out there, probably my most used is Pixelmator Pro. Recently, it was required by Apple. It's awesome. I use it for photo editing, thumbnail, graphic work, even adjusting wallpapers or icons. And number 11. Okay, I'm sorry. Well, this is this is just really a folder. I just secretly lob in that folder. YouTube, Apple TV, Netflix, Spotify, cuz we got to have some fun, right? And that's it. 11ish apps.
But most importantly, notice what's missing. No complex project management tools. No attempt to recreate your desktop workflow. no email apps that turn your iPad into a kind of work anxiety machine. Each of these apps is chosen because it works brilliantly with touch interface and takes advantage of what makes the iPad special. They're simple, focused, and design led, I think. So, yeah, worth giving a go.
So, there you go. When you stop fighting the iPad and start to work with it, it becomes what it should be. Calm, focused, and creative as a tool, not trying to beat your computer. Although, iPad OS 26 does challenge that. Don't worry, we'll do a video on that later. So, let me know what you would add or change in my setup in the comments. And well, next, if you want to unlock even more iPad potential, you'll want to watch my Apple Pencil tips video next or this one down here on the ultimate way to accessorize your iPad with loads of options. You can grab my minimal icons at betterccreating.com. And make sure you've clicked my face to subscribe. I'll see you on the next one. Bye.