PSA: The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro doesn't have an Escape key. Use this instead.

Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro (Image credit: IMore)

What you need to know

The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is hot news right now.
But it doesn't have a physical Escape key.
There's a keyboard shortcut that you can use instead.

You can't turn a corner on the internet right now without tripping over a mention of Apple's hot new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. That's because it's a pretty great keyboard, but it's missing one thing that I'd like to see – an Escape key.

USB-C Charging port on the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro (Image credit: IMore)

In truth, I didn't realize that it didn't have an escape key until very recently, but it's an odd omission. Not all apps make use of an Escape key but others, do. Cultured Code's Things goes a step further. They list Escape as "Command + ." and you know what? It works, and not just in Things. It can be used to get out of any views that you just want to escape, really.

It's particularly helpful if you're someone who uses their iPad to connect to computers via Screen Sharing or another VNC solution as well.

So I'm here to tell you that if you're missing the Escape key on your brand new $300 keyboard, maybe give Command + . a try.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.