Siri, Get Your Pencils Ready! The Future of iPad Commands is Here, and It’s Handwritten.
Apple continues to innovate with the iPad, and this time, it’s all about the Apple Pencil. Remember “Scribble,” the feature that turns your handwriting into typed text? Well, it’s getting a major upgrade with iPadOS 18.1. Now you can use Scribble to write commands directly to Siri. That’s right, “Scribble to Siri” is here!
This means iPad users with compatible models (those with the M1, M2, M4, or A17 Pro chips) can ditch the keyboard and just write out their requests to Siri using the Apple Pencil. It’s a game changer for those who prefer the natural feel of handwriting or find it faster than typing on a tablet screen.
Apple discussed this new feature, along with the new iPad mini, in an interview with TechRadar this week. This shows Apple’s focus on making the iPad an even more versatile and powerful tool, potentially blurring the lines further between tablet and traditional computer.
While typing to Siri was already possible as an accessibility setting, this new integration makes switching between typing and talking seamless.

Scribble to Siri (Credit: TechRadar)
iPadOS 18.1, which includes this update, is expected to be released to the public next week. This puts Apple ahead of the curve, offering a unique input method for its voice assistant that competitors like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant currently lack.
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