2023 Author: Gordon Kinson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:09
Let's be honest - the drawings we make in handwritten notes often look as if a child in kindergarten had drawn them with an inept hand. Fortunately, with the release of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, shape recognition came along, transforming doodles into the neat geometric shapes they originally intended.
How to use shape recognition on iPhone and iPad
The feature works in Notes and wherever the Markup tool can be invoked, for example, Apple's Mail app.
It should be noted right away that the iPadOS version of shape recognition has more features than iOS. Among other things, shape recognition on the iPad can be used with or without the Apple Pencil.
To start using shape recognition:
1. Open a document in Notes or another application that supports the Markup tool.
2. Click on the pencil icon to activate the drawing tools.
If necessary, select the type of object for drawing (pencil, pen, brush, etc.), the thickness of the line color.
Use the eraser to remove unnecessary details from the drawing.
For convenience, the toolbar can be moved to any part of the screen:
3. Start drawing the shape.
Shape recognition in iOS and iPadOS supports a fairly wide range of recognizable shapes:
- Line
- Curve
- Square
- Rectangle
- A circle
- Oval
- A heart
- Triangle
- Star
- Cloud
- Pentagon
- Thought bubble
- Outlined arrow
- Continuous line with 90 degree turns
- Line with an arrow at the end
- Curve with an arrow at the end
To activate Shape Recognition, do not remove your finger (or stylus) immediately after drawing. If you immediately lift your finger (stylus) when you are done drawing, the drawing will remain as you created it. If you hold your finger (stylus) after the end of the movements, then the rough drawing on the screen will turn into a beautiful, neat figure with perfect lines, angles and curves.
Note for iPad users. If you accidentally lift your finger (stylus), don't worry. Press and hold your finger on the shape you just drawn.
It will be highlighted in yellow and a context menu will appear. Select Snap to Shape. This will turn the rough drawing into a geometric one.
Other possibilities
Shape recognition is flexible enough, for example, shapes can be positioned at any angle, a square, for example, can look like a diamond.
Keep in mind that you can combine basic shapes by stacking them on top of each other. For example, you can draw a three-dimensional cube with two squares and connect them with straight lines. You can also write (not type) words inside your “thought bubbles”.
In addition, iPadOS 14 has some advantages over the iOS version. For example, it is possible to move the elements of the picture. In addition, you can copy and paste already created shapes. Here's how to do it.
Press and hold the drawn shape with your finger and hold. It will be highlighted in yellow and the options menu will appear.
Now you can drag the shape to a different location.
Alternatively, select one of the context menu options: Cut, Copy, Delete, Duplicate, or Insert Space Above.
Unfortunately, rotation of shapes is not supported yet. We hope this feature will appear in the next updates.
However, shape recognition is a very handy and useful feature. And no matter if you are drawing a diagram or a driving map, your drawing will always look better with the correct shapes.
See also:
- How to make and install a ringtone (ringtone) on any iPhone without a computer right on the device?
- How to check if you bought a new iPhone (activated or not)?
- How to enable built-in pop-up Shazam on iPhone without installing the app itself.
