Hi, I purchased an apple bluetooth keyboard for the iPad today. Now when i'm using the excel equivalent such as number and also office HD and quick office, it does not allow me to use the arrow keys to navigate around the spreadsheet. Is this right or am i missing something? It's quite annoying having to press each cell. I know i can move across and down using return key and tab but i want to be able to move up and backwards too.

Thanks.

(Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this query)

Originally Posted by will89

Hi, I purchased an apple bluetooth keyboard for the iPad today. Now when i'm using the excel equivalent such as number and also office HD and quick office, it does not allow me to use the arrow keys to navigate around the spreadsheet. Is this right or am i missing something? It's quite annoying having to press each cell. I know i can move across and down using return key and tab but i want to be able to move up and backwards too.

I'm pretty sure this is correct. On other operating systems the mouse (or whatever) controls a pointer at the system level. On iOS there isn't a general pointer, just a cursor that is active within some controls (e.g. text controls.) The cursor keys (at least on my Zaggmate keyboard) can move the cursor within a given control but not move it outside of that. I'm guessing that your spreadsheet program doesn't have a cursor for the whole spreadsheet but a text entry cursor within the selected cell. If so, that's probably all that the arrow keys can control. Return and tab can move between controls.

This is probably also why the arrow keys don't scroll the screen in Safari or similar (at least for me.)

Mine doesn't work for safari or for anything else either just as you mentioned inside the cells. Might have a look at using my iPhone 4 as a mouse/trackpad as i think that would probably be easier for me. I have seen it done with a magic mouse but don't really want to carry one of those around too.

Cheers.

my arrow keys work, but only part of the time. i find this really, really, really annoying. i want to be able to use my arrow keys all the time and i can only get it to work about 15% of the time. i'm using quickoffice....

Originally Posted by lhwang78

my arrow keys work, but only part of the time. i find this really, really, really annoying. i want to be able to use my arrow keys all the time and i can only get it to work about 15% of the time. i'm using quickoffice....

I replied to your other post. If you're trying to move between cells try the tab key, but let us know which keyboard you've got.

Tim

Originally Posted by will89

(Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this query)

No worries ~ I moved it.