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iPad User Guide
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Table of Contents

iPad User Guide

  • Welcome
    • Supported models
    • iPad mini 4
    • iPad mini (5th generation)
    • iPad mini (6th generation)
    • iPad (5th generation)
    • iPad (6th generation)
    • iPad (7th generation)
    • iPad (8th generation)
    • iPad (9th generation)
    • iPad Air 2
    • iPad Air (3rd generation)
    • iPad Air (4th generation)
    • iPad Air (5th generation)
    • iPad Pro 9.7-inch
    • iPad Pro 10.5-inch
    • iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)
    • iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
    • iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation)
    • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generation)
    • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
    • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
    • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
  • What’s new in iPadOS 15
    • Turn on and set up iPad
    • Wake and unlock
    • Set up cellular service
    • Connect to the internet
      • Apple ID settings
      • Turn iCloud features on or off
      • Subscribe to iCloud+
    • Find settings
    • Set up mail, contacts, and calendar accounts
    • Learn the meaning of the status icons
      • Charge the battery
      • Show the battery percentage
      • Check battery usage
    • Download or bookmark the user guide
      • Learn basic gestures
      • Learn advanced gestures
    • Adjust the volume
      • Open apps
      • Find your apps in App Library
      • Switch between apps
      • Zoom an app to fill the screen
      • Quit and reopen an app
      • Type with the onscreen keyboard
      • Dictate text
      • Select and edit text
      • Use predictive text
      • Use text replacements
      • Add or change keyboards
    • Drag and drop
      • Open two items in Split View
      • Switch an app window to Slide Over
      • View an app’s windows and workspaces
      • Multitask with Picture in Picture
    • Access features from the Lock Screen
    • Perform quick actions
    • Search with iPad
    • Use AirDrop to send items
    • Take a screenshot or screen recording
      • Draw in apps
      • Add typed text, shapes, and signatures
      • Zoom in or magnify in Markup
    • Get information about your iPad
    • View or change cellular data settings
    • Travel with iPad
    • Change or turn off sounds
    • Change the wallpaper
    • Adjust the screen brightness and color balance
    • Magnify the screen
    • Change the name of your iPad
    • Change the date and time
    • Change the language and region
      • Organize your apps in folders
      • Add widgets
      • Move apps and widgets on the Home Screen
      • Remove apps
    • Use and customize Control Center
    • Change or lock the screen orientation
      • View and respond to notifications
      • Change notification settings
      • Set up a focus
      • Turn a Focus on or off
      • Get apps
      • Play games
      • Subscribe to Apple Arcade
      • Use App Clips
      • Manage purchases, subscriptions, settings, and restrictions
      • Install and manage fonts
      • Buy books and audiobooks
      • Read books
      • Listen to audiobooks
      • Set reading goals
      • Organize books
      • Read PDFs
      • Create and edit events in Calendar
      • Send and receive invitations
      • Change how you view events
      • Search for events
      • Customize your calendar
      • Keep track of events
      • Use multiple calendars
      • Use the Holidays calendar
      • Share iCloud calendars
      • Take photos
      • Take videos
      • Change advanced camera settings
      • Adjust HDR camera settings
      • View, share, and print photos
      • Use Live Text
      • Scan a QR code
      • See the world clock
      • Set an alarm
      • Use the timer or stopwatch
      • Add and use contact information
      • Edit contacts
      • Add your contact info
      • Use other contact accounts
      • Hide duplicate contacts
      • Set up FaceTime
      • Create a FaceTime link
      • Make and receive calls
      • Take a Live Photo
      • Use other apps during a call
      • Make a Group FaceTime call
      • View participants in a grid
      • Use SharePlay to watch and listen together
      • Share your screen
      • Change the video settings
      • Change the audio settings
      • Add camera effects
      • Leave a call or switch to Messages
      • Block unwanted callers
      • Connect external devices or servers
      • View and modify files and folders
      • Organize files and folders
      • Send files
      • Set up iCloud Drive
      • Share files and folders in iCloud Drive
        • Share your location
        • Add or remove a friend
        • Locate a friend
        • Get notified when friends change their location
        • Notify a friend when your location changes
        • Add your iPad
        • Get notified if you leave a device behind
        • Locate a device
        • Mark a device as lost
        • Erase a device
        • Remove a device
        • Add an AirTag
        • Add a third-party item
        • Get notified if you leave an item behind
        • Locate an item
        • Mark an item as lost
        • Remove an item
      • Adjust map settings
      • Intro to Home
      • Set up accessories
      • Control accessories
      • Add more homes
      • Configure HomePod
      • Configure cameras
      • Face Recognition
      • Configure a router
      • Create and use scenes
      • Control your home using Siri
      • Control your home remotely
      • Create an automation
      • Share controls with others
      • Get music, movies, and TV shows
      • Get ringtones
      • Manage purchases and settings
      • Magnify nearby objects
      • Change settings
      • Detect people around you
        • Add and remove email accounts
        • Set up a custom email domain
      • Check your email
        • Send email
        • Reply to and forward emails
        • Save an email draft
        • Add email attachments
        • Download email attachments
        • Annotate email attachments
      • Set email notifications
      • Search for email
      • Organize your email in mailboxes
      • Use Hide My Email
        • Flag emails
        • Filter emails
      • Change email settings
      • Use Mail Privacy Protection on iPad
      • Delete and recover emails
      • Add a Mail widget to your Home Screen
      • Print emails
      • Keyboard shortcuts
      • View maps
        • Search for places
        • Find nearby attractions, restaurants, and services
        • Get information about places
        • Mark places
        • Share places
        • Rate places
        • Save favorite places
        • Explore new places with Guides
        • Organize places in My Guides
        • Get traffic and weather info
        • Delete significant locations
        • Quickly find your Maps settings
        • Use Siri, Maps, and the Maps widget to get directions
        • Select other route options
        • Things you can do while following a route
        • Get driving directions
        • Report traffic incidents in Maps on iPad
        • Get cycling directions
        • Get walking directions
        • Get transit directions
        • Delete recent directions
        • Use Maps on your Mac to get directions
        • Look around streets
        • Take Flyover tours in Maps
      • Measure
      • View and save measurements
      • Measure a person’s height
      • Set up Messages
      • Send and receive messages
      • Send a message to a group
      • Send and receive photos, videos, and audio
      • Receive and share content
      • Animate messages
      • Use iMessage apps
      • Use Memoji
      • Send a Digital Touch effect
      • Send, receive, and request money
      • Change notifications
      • Block, filter, and report messages
      • Delete messages
      • Get music
      • View albums, playlists, and more
      • Play music
      • Queue up your music
      • Listen to broadcast radio
        • Subscribe to Apple Music
        • Listen to lossless music
        • Listen to Dolby Atmos music
        • Find new music
        • Add music and listen offline
        • Get personalized recommendations
        • Listen to radio
        • Search for music
        • Create playlists
        • See what your friends are listening to
        • Use Siri to play music
      • Listen to music with Apple Music Voice
      • Change the way music sounds
      • Get started with News
      • Use News widgets
      • See news stories chosen just for you
      • Read stories
        • Subscribe to Apple News+
        • Browse and read Apple News+ stories and issues
      • Download Apple News+ issues
      • Search for news stories
      • Save news stories for later
      • Subscribe to news channels
      • Take notes
      • Draw or write
      • Scan text and documents
      • Add photos, videos, and more
      • Create Quick Notes
      • Search and organize notes
      • Use tags and Smart Folders
      • Share and collaborate
      • Lock notes
      • Change settings
      • Take photos
      • Delete, share, or copy a photo
      • View and edit photos in the Photos app
      • View photos and videos
      • Play videos and slideshows
      • Delete and hide photos and videos
      • Edit photos and videos
      • Trim video length and adjust slow motion
      • Edit Live Photos
      • Edit Cinematic videos
      • Edit Portrait mode photos
      • Make photo albums
      • Edit and organize albums
      • Filter and sort photos in an album
      • Search in Photos
      • Share photos and videos
      • View photos and videos shared with you
      • Interact with photos using Live Text and Visual Look Up
      • Watch memories
      • Personalize memories
      • Find people in Photos
      • Show a person or place less often
      • Browse photos by location
      • Use iCloud Photos
      • Share photos with iCloud Shared Albums
      • Import photos and videos
      • Print photos
      • Find podcasts
      • Listen to podcasts
      • Follow your favorite podcasts
      • Organize your podcast library
      • Download, save, and share podcasts
      • Subscribe to podcasts
      • Change download settings
      • Add reminders
      • Organize lists
      • Use tags and Smart Lists
      • Set up accounts
      • Share and assign reminders
      • Print reminders
      • Browse the web
      • Customize your Safari settings
      • Change the layout
      • Search for websites
      • Use tabs in Safari
      • Bookmark favorite webpages
      • Save pages to a Reading List
      • View links shared with you
      • Automatically fill in forms
      • Get extensions
      • Hide ads and distractions
      • Browse the web privately
      • Clear your cache
      • Use Hide My Email
    • Shortcuts
    • Stocks
    • Tips
      • Translate text, voice, and conversations
      • Translate text in apps and using the camera
      • Connect apps and add your TV provider
      • Subscribe to Apple TV+ and Apple TV channels
      • Get shows, movies, and more
      • Watch sports
      • Control playback
      • Watch together using SharePlay
      • Manage your library
      • Change the settings
      • Make a recording
      • Play it back
      • Edit or delete a recording
      • Keep recordings up to date
      • Organize recordings
      • Search for or rename a recording
      • Share recordings
      • Duplicate a recording
    • Ask Siri
    • Find out what Siri can do
    • Tell Siri about yourself
    • Have Siri announce calls and notifications
    • Add Siri Shortcuts
    • About Siri Suggestions
    • Change Siri settings
    • Set up Family Sharing
    • Add or remove Family Sharing members
    • Share subscriptions
    • Download family members’ purchases
    • Stop sharing purchases
    • Share locations with family and locate lost devices
    • Set up Apple Cash Family and Apple Card Family
    • Set up parental controls
    • View your Screen Time summary
    • Set up Screen Time for yourself
    • Set up Screen Time for a family member
    • Get a report of your device use
    • Set up Apple Pay
    • Use Apple Pay in apps, App Clips, and Safari
    • Use Apple Cash
    • Use Apple Card
    • Accessories included with iPad
      • Use AirPods
      • Use EarPods
    • Use headphone audio-level features
      • Pair and charge Apple Pencil (2nd generation)
      • Pair and charge Apple Pencil (1st generation)
      • Enter text with Scribble
      • Draw with Apple Pencil
      • Take and mark up a screenshot with Apple Pencil
      • Quickly write notes
      • Wirelessly stream videos and photos to Apple TV or a smart TV
      • Connect to a display with a cable
    • HomePod and other wireless speakers
      • Apple external keyboards
      • Attach Magic Keyboard for iPad (with built-in trackpad)
      • Attach Smart Keyboard
      • Pair Magic Keyboard
      • Switch between keyboards
      • Enter characters with diacritical marks
      • Dictate text
      • Use shortcuts
      • Choose an alternative keyboard layout
      • Change typing assistance options
      • Connect Magic Trackpad
      • Trackpad gestures
      • Change trackpad settings
      • Connect a mouse
      • Mouse actions and gestures
      • Change mouse settings
    • External storage devices
    • Bluetooth accessories
    • Apple Watch with Fitness+
    • Cases and covers
    • Printers
    • Share your internet connection
    • Make and receive phone calls
    • Use iPad as a second display for Mac
    • Use a keyboard and mouse or trackpad across your Mac and iPad
    • Wirelessly stream video, photos, and audio to Mac
    • Hand off tasks between devices
    • Cut, copy, and paste between iPad and other devices
    • Connect iPad and your computer with a cable
    • Sync iPad with your computer
    • Transfer files between iPad and your computer
    • Get started with accessibility features
        • Turn on and practice VoiceOver
        • Change your VoiceOver settings
        • Learn VoiceOver gestures
        • Operate iPad using VoiceOver gestures
        • Control VoiceOver using the rotor
        • Use the onscreen keyboard
        • Write with your finger
        • Use VoiceOver with an Apple external keyboard
        • Use a braille display
        • Type onscreen braille
        • Customize gestures and keyboard shortcuts
        • Use VoiceOver with a pointer device
        • Use VoiceOver for images and videos
        • Use VoiceOver in apps
      • Zoom
      • Display & Text Size
      • Motion
      • Spoken Content
      • Audio Descriptions
      • AssistiveTouch
      • Eye-tracking device
      • Touch accommodations
      • Call Audio Routing
      • Face ID & Attention
        • Set up Switch Control
        • Use Switch Control
      • Voice Control
      • Home or top button
      • Apple TV Remote
      • Pointer Control
      • Keyboards
      • AirPods
      • Apple Pencil
      • Hearing devices
      • Live Listen
      • Sound recognition
      • RTT
      • Mono audio and balance
      • LED flash for alerts
      • Headphone audio
      • Background sounds
      • Subtitles and captions
      • Transcriptions for Intercom messages
      • Guided Access
      • Siri
      • Accessibility shortcuts
      • Per-app settings
    • Use built-in security and privacy protections
      • Set a passcode
      • Set up Face ID
      • Set up Touch ID
      • Control access to information on the Lock Screen
      • Keep your Apple ID secure
      • Sign in with Apple
      • Automatically fill in strong passwords
      • Change weak or compromised passwords
      • View your passwords and related information
      • Share passwords securely with AirDrop
      • Make your passwords available on all your devices
      • Automatically fill in verification codes
      • Manage two-factor authentication for your Apple ID
      • Control access to information in apps
      • Control access to hardware features
      • Control app tracking permissions
      • Control the location information you share
      • Turn on iCloud Private Relay
      • Create and manage Hide My Email addresses
      • Use a private network address
      • Control how Apple delivers advertising to you
    • Turn iPad on or off
    • Force restart iPad
    • Update iPadOS
    • Back up iPad
    • Return iPad settings to their defaults
    • Restore all content from a backup
    • Restore purchased and deleted items
    • Sell or give away your iPad
    • Erase iPad
    • Install or remove configuration profiles
    • Important safety information
    • Important handling information
    • Find more resources for software and service
    • FCC compliance statement
    • ISED Canada compliance statement
    • Apple and the environment
    • Class 1 Laser information
    • Disposal and recycling information
    • ENERGY STAR compliance statement
  • Copyright

Learn advanced gestures to interact with iPad

Here’s a handy reference to the gestures you use on all iPad models to go to the Home Screen, switch between recent apps, access controls, and more. A few gestures are done differently on an iPad with a Home button, as described in the table below.

Gesture

Description

An illustration of iPad with an arrow that indicates swiping up from the bottom.

Go Home. Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen to return to the Home Screen at any time. See Open apps on iPad.

An illustration of iPad with an arrow that indicates swiping down from the top-right corner.

Quickly access controls. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center; touch and hold a control to reveal more options. To add or remove controls, go to Settings  > Control Center. See Use and customize Control Center on iPad.

An illustration of iPad. Starting at the bottom center of the screen, a line ending with a dot at the mid-center point of the screen indicates a drag-and-pause gesture.

Open the App Switcher. Swipe up from the bottom edge, pause in the center of the screen, then lift your finger. To browse the open apps, swipe right, then tap the app you want to use. See Switch between apps on iPad.

An illustration of iPhone. A two-headed arrow indicates swiping left or right across the bottom edge of the screen.

Switch between open apps. Swipe left or right along the bottom edge of the screen to quickly switch between open apps. (On an iPad with a Home button, swipe with a slight arc.) See Switch between apps on iPad.

Starting at the bottom center of the screen, a line ending with a dot about a finger’s width from the bottom of the screen indicates a drag-and-pause gesture.

Open the Dock within an app. Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and pause to reveal the Dock. To quickly open another app, tap it in the Dock. See Open an app from the Dock.

An illustration of iPad with an arrow pointing to the top button.

Ask Siri. Just say, “Hey Siri.” Or press and hold the top button while you make your request. (On an iPad with a Home button, press and hold the Home button while you make your request.) Then release the button. See Ask Siri on iPad.

An illustration of iPad with three arrows indicating triple-clicking the top button.

Use Accessibility Shortcut. Triple-click the top button. (On an iPad with a Home button, triple-click the Home button.) See Use accessibility shortcuts on iPad.

An illustration of iPad with arrows pointing to the top button and the volume up button on the upper right.

Take a screenshot. Simultaneously press and quickly release the top button and either volume button. (On an iPad with a Home button, simultaneously press and quickly release the top button and the Home button.) See Take a screenshot or screen recording on iPad.

An illustration of iPad with arrows pointing to the top button and a volume button on the upper right.

Turn off. Simultaneously press and hold the top button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the top slider to power off. (On an iPad with a Home button, press and hold the top button until the sliders appear.) Or go to Settings  > General > Shut Down. See Turn iPad on or off (models with the Home button).

An illustration of iPad with arrows pointing to the top button and the volume up and volume down buttons on the upper right.

Force restart. Press and quickly release the volume button nearest the top button, press and quickly release the other volume button, then press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears. On iPad mini (6th generation), the volume buttons are at the top left. See Force restart iPad.

If you’re using Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse, see Trackpad gestures for iPad or Mouse actions and gestures for iPad for gestures that work on your trackpad or mouse.

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