iOS 11 introduced handy new drag and drop features on the iPad, that let you drag photos, files, links, and more between apps. What you might not know, though, is that drag and drop also works for blocks of text.

Instead of copying and pasting text on the iPad, you can select a block of text and then drag it right into another app using the drag and drop features.


Here's how:

  1. Select a line or paragraph of text, making sure it's highlighted.
  2. Hold a finger on the highlighted text until it pops off the page.
  3. Drag the resulting text bubble into a new app.

In apps like Messages, where you can't highlight text, all you need to do is hold down and drag, skipping the selection step.

In addition to moving text between apps, drag and drop is also useful for copying and rearranging blocks of texts within a single app, like Notes or Pages.

You can also use this drag and drop feature with text on the iPhone, but only within the same app, rather than between two apps. The procedure on the iPhone is the same: simply select text and then hold down until it pops up into a little bubble that can be moved elsewhere within the app.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Top Rated Comments

justperry Avatar
67 months ago
Just a suggestion/feedback.

Wouldn't it be wiser/better to have these How to..... articles in a separate tab/section at the top of the main page.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mariusignorello Avatar
67 months ago
Just a suggestion/feedback.

Wouldn't it be wiser/better to have these How to..... articles in a separate tab/section at the top of the main page.
Yes, like a separate tab just for tutorials. Definitely would be great.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
67 months ago
Just a suggestion/feedback.

Wouldn't it be wiser/better to have these How to..... articles in a separate tab/section at the top of the main page.
I was JUST going to suggest something like this after seeing sooo many how to videos about the HomePod.

These HowTo’s are not Apple news as news and business actions and related info should be on the front page articles. These informative step by step instructional videos should be on sidebar.

Corrected typo: JUDT to JUST.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
67 months ago
man...thats pretty bold to suggest some improvement..
My similar comment about this in their previous ‘How To’ post got my comment deleted and a warning come my way. Marked as Frivalous.
That should not happen, it's an opinion and as long as we stay within the boundaries of what we can say it should not be deleted, mine was just feedback, MR can do with it what they want.
I don't mind a few How to ... articles but last week MR went over the top, this is my opinion though.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mike MA Avatar
67 months ago
Just a suggestion/feedback.

Wouldn't it be wiser/better to have these How to..... articles in a separate tab/section at the top of the main page.
Yes, like a separate tab just for tutorials. Definitely would be great.
Yes, I second that. They still can be released on the front page though, but a dedicated directory afterwards for crawling this information would be the ideal solution from my point of view.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
67 months ago
I was JUDT going to suggest something like this after seeing sooo many how to videos about the HomePod.

These HowTo’s are not Apple news as news and business actions and related info should be on the front page articles. These informative step by step instructional videos should be on sidebar.
They should be in a tab on the main page, but that's just my opinion.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2023 Event Taking Place June 5 to 9

Wednesday March 29, 2023 9:58 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9. Like WWDC 2020, 2021, and 2022, WWDC 2023 will be an online event for the most part, and it will be open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple will provide online sessions and labs, which will allow...
iPhone 15 Pro Multi Purpose button Mute Switch Feature Green 2

iPhone 15 Pro Rumored to Feature Multi-Use Action Button Instead of Mute Switch

Wednesday March 29, 2023 7:28 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra, according to a MacRumors forum member who leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models last year. The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. They did not...
iOS 16

Apple Releases iOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and More

Monday March 27, 2023 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID. iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
Apple Music Classical

Apple Explains Why It Launched an iPhone App Dedicated to Classical Music

Monday March 27, 2023 8:54 pm PDT by
Apple today published a support document explaining why it decided to release a standalone Apple Music Classical app for classical music. In short, Apple says the app was designed to support classical music's complex metadata:Classical music is different. It has longer and more detailed titles, multiple artists for each work, and hundreds of recordings of well-known pieces. The Apple Music...
iOS 16

Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5

Tuesday March 28, 2023 10:15 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a day after the launch of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4. Registered developers can opt in to the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to Software Update, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option and toggling on the iOS 16 Developer Beta. Note that an...
home upgrade available feature

PSA: Apple Has Made Its New Home Architecture Update Available Again

Tuesday March 28, 2023 1:50 am PDT by
Apple has made the option to upgrade to new Home architecture available again with the release of iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, and macOS Ventura 13.3, after it temporarily pulled the update in December. After updating Apple devices to the latest software, users can once again opt to upgrade any homes set up in the Home app to the new Home architecture, which Apple says brings faster, more reliable ...