Links from an iPad?

June 24, 2010 6:03 AM

So how can I make a hyperlink from my iPad?

Has anybody with an iPad figured out how to make live hyperlinks when posting to comments? Is there something obvious I'm missing? When I click the link button, it pops up and let's me type or copy in the link, and it looks like it has inserted the code, but on the preview, there's no link. Could someone who knows code and also has an iPad take a look (hmmm) and see if it's leaving characters or spaces out or something? Thanks!

posted by tamitang to Bugs at 6:03 AM (22 comments total)

I believe Apple have said they are not supporting MetaFilter for the iPad as it drains the battery too fast.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:19 AM on June 24, 2010 [12 favorites]

I believe mathowie has said he is not supporting the iPad for Metafilter as Apple insisted on appending "Posted from my iPad" to every post and comment.
posted by inigo2 at 6:28 AM on June 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

Can't you just type in the link? Like with raw html?
posted by Lemurrhea at 6:32 AM on June 24, 2010

<a href="http://Your.Link.Goes.Here">Your link text goes here</a>
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 6:36 AM on June 24, 2010

I just now for the first time tried the link button. I have to do the same amount of typing (modulo two tags), plus I have to take my fingers off the keyboard and move the mouse to click the button.

I have now loaded In the Beginning was the Command Line in another tab.
posted by DU at 6:47 AM on June 24, 2010

Yeah, HTML is really not so scary, I promise.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 7:06 AM on June 24, 2010

Sounds like the trick you're missing is that you need to select some text before you click the "link" button. Tap and hold into the text area and then choose "select" from the menu that pops up. Highlight the text that you want to link, and then click the "link" button. Paste in your URL and you should be set. I just tried it out from the iPad and everything checked out ok.

Once the link is set, click back into the textarea and type a space or something to update Live Preview. But keep in mind that Live Preview is an approximation at best, and to really preview things you need to click the "Preview" button.
posted by pb (staff) at 7:20 AM on June 24, 2010

I'd be happy to independently test the different techniques listed here, however in order to do so, I'll need someone to donate an iPad to my newest organization; quin-wants-an-ipad-damnit.
posted by quin at 7:42 AM on June 24, 2010

What pb said.

Posted from my iPad.
posted by fixedgear at 7:48 AM on June 24, 2010

BTW, all n00b instructions should contain the word "modulo". It sets them at their ease. Modulo a bunch of shaking and fingernail biting.
posted by DU at 7:51 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

Yeah, it's exactly the same as on an iphone. Select text to turn into link, click link button, type URL into box, hit okay, presto.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:57 AM on June 24, 2010

But my tracfone doesn't have a presto button.
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 8:07 AM on June 24, 2010

Can't you just type in the link? Like with raw html?

I'm a bonafide HTML snob, but it's annoying to do it on an iphone or ipad. The brackets are a couple of clicks away each, etc.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:42 AM on June 24, 2010

Fair enough - never used either iphone or ipad, and the htc dream's keyboard is pretty good for html.
posted by Lemurrhea at 8:46 AM on June 24, 2010

ultimate browsing experience indeed
posted by nitsuj at 9:31 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

I'm pretty sure the iPad doesn't support the GRAR markup language.
posted by electroboy at 12:30 PM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

I've posted links from the iPad without problem, but don't even think about opening them in a new window to confirm that your link is correct because it nukes the entry field.
posted by ecurtz at 12:30 PM on June 24, 2010

This is a test of my iPad linking skills. ho, ho, it works! Thanks, y'all. Never could figure it out on my iPhone either. Sorry about the link. It was all I could think of on the quick. Kind of sad, I know.
posted by tamitang at 3:00 PM on June 24, 2010

The same way as usual, just much more slowly.
Posted from my iPad.
posted by ishotjr at 4:38 PM on June 24, 2010

Huh - I never noticed there was a link button.
posted by spilon at 8:43 PM on June 24, 2010

plus I have to take my fingers off the keyboard and move the mouse to click the button.


CTRL-SHIFT-A, Mr Keyboarderson, for the proverbial win.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:14 PM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

So how can I make a hyperlink from my iPad?

20 bucks per link, same as in town.
posted by inigo2 at 3:26 AM on June 25, 2010