Pages ios 8 Tip | Create A Hotlink
One of the great new features for Pages in ios 8 is the ability to create hotlinks in your documents. I’m pretty sure this was not possible prior to ios 8, but in the event I’m wrong…oh well…I just learned how to do it! It is not an intuitive process, so I thought I’d explain it here.
How to create a Hotlink in Pages
Step 1
To create a Hotlink first go to Safari and copy the URL you want to use as the link
Step 2
Next type the text that you want to be the ‘plain English’ version for the link and then select it.
Step 3
Tap on + in the upper right hand side of the keyboard (the formatting bar) and the selected text will instantly become underlined like this:
Example
Example | Here’s a link to learn more about all of the great features of Pages
After the text is underlined tap anywhere on the page to close the context menu
Step 4
The last step is to just tap once to select that underlined section of text again (tapping twice, which is the usual selection method will not work). This time you will be changing the actual URL that the link will open. Oddly, Apple always auto-enters http://www.Apple.com for the URL, which you then need to change to the actual URL you want. When you tap once a context menu appears with ‘Link Settings’ at the bottom. Tap ‘Link Settings’ remove the URL there and paste your own in. You can also change the display text here. Tap anywhere else to close the box and you’re done!
Here’s a little more information about how Pages handles web addresses and links:
One additional new feature in ios 8 is Pages Help from right within the app. There was originally a help function included, but something occurred which rendered it inoperable, and it was finally fixed in the new release.
Why I Love Pages Now
Creating hotlinks in Pages may seem not seem like a big deal, but for me, it increases functionality a lot! The result? An ‘already great word processor‘ is now even better.
When Apple chose to make Pages available to all ios users for free in late 2013, (as well as the whole iWork suite of apps including Numbers and Keynote, which are the Excel and Power Point counterparts for Mac) the iPad became a real contender as a replacement for a full blown computer about for about 95% of the time. There are still things I use a computer for, but that list has become very short, making my work environment truly mobile.
BRAVO to Apple & Thank You!!!
I don’t suppose there’s any chance of becoming a beta tester for Watch…is there? Just in case there is, I’m letting it be publicly known that I’d be happy to volunteer :-)
vsatips 