iPad User Guide
- Welcome
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- iPad models compatible with iPadOS 27
- iPad mini (6th generation)
- iPad mini (A17 Pro)
- iPad (9th generation)
- iPad (10th generation)
- iPad (A16)
- iPad Air (4th generation)
- iPad Air (5th generation)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M2)
- iPad Air 13-inch (M2)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
- iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M4)
- iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (M5)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation)
- iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)
- iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
- Setup basics
- Make your iPad your own
- Streamline your workflow on iPad
- Do more with Apple Pencil
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- What’s new in iPadOS 27
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- Turn on and set up iPad
- Wake, unlock, and lock
- Connect to the internet
- Manage Wi-Fi settings
- Set up cellular service
- View or change cellular data settings
- Set up mail, contacts, and calendar accounts
- Change the name of your iPad
- Change the date and time
- Change the language and region
- Change the default apps
- Change your default search engine on iPad
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- Find settings
- Learn the meaning of the status icons
- Get information about your iPad
- Adjust the volume and silence
- Turn the iPad flashlight on or off
- Drag and drop
- Rotate your iPad screen
- Access features from the Lock Screen
- Perform quick actions
- Search with Spotlight
- View and respond to notifications
- Change notification settings
- Manage storage on iPad
- Travel with iPad
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- Get started with Calendar
- Create and edit events in Calendar
- Send invitations
- Reply to invitations
- Change how you view events
- Search for events
- Change Calendar settings
- Schedule or display events in a different time zone
- Keep track of events
- Use multiple calendars
- Use reminders in Calendar
- Use the Holidays calendar
- Share iCloud calendars
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- Get started with FaceTime
- Create a FaceTime link
- Take a Live Photo
- Use FaceTime audio call tools
- Use Live Captions and Live Translation
- Use other apps during a call
- Make a Group FaceTime call
- Use SharePlay to watch, listen, and play together
- Share your screen in a FaceTime call
- Request or give remote control in a FaceTime call
- Collaborate on a document in a FaceTime call
- Use video conferencing features
- Hand off a FaceTime call to another Apple device
- Change the FaceTime video settings
- Change the FaceTime audio settings
- Change your appearance
- Leave a call or switch to Messages
- Screen and filter calls
- Block a FaceTime call and report it as spam
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- Get started with the Apple Games app
- Set up your Game Center profile
- Find and download games
- Subscribe to Apple Arcade
- Connect with friends in the Apple Games app
- Play with friends in the Apple Games app
- Manage your game library
- Connect a game controller
- Change game-related settings
- Report a problem with a game
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- Get started with Home
- Intro to Home
- Set up accessories
- Control accessories
- Use Grid Forecast to plan your energy usage
- View electricity usage and rates
- Adaptive Temperature and Clean Energy Guidance
- Set up HomePod
- Control your home remotely
- Create and use scenes
- Use automations
- Set up security cameras
- Use Face Recognition
- Configure a router
- Invite others to control accessories
- Add more homes
- Use Apple Intelligence with Home cameras and notifications
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- Get started with Mail
- Check your email
- Use categories
- Automatically clean up iCloud Mail
- Set email notifications
- Search for email
- Organize your email in mailboxes
- Use iCloud Mail rules to automatically apply actions to emails
- Change Mail settings
- Delete and recover emails
- Add a Mail widget to your Home Screen
- Print emails
- Use keyboard shortcuts
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- Get started with Music
- Get music
- Customize Music
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- Play music
- Use the music player controls
- Play lossless audio
- Play Spatial Audio
- Listen to radio
- Play music together using SharePlay
- Play music together in the car
- Queue up your music
- Transition songs
- Shuffle or repeat songs
- Sing along with Apple Music
- Show song credits and lyrics
- Tell Apple Music what you enjoy
- Adjust the sound quality
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- Get started with News
- Get News notifications and newsletters
- Use News widgets
- See news stories chosen just for you
- Read and share stories
- Read local news
- Follow your favorite teams with My Sports
- Listen to Apple News Today on iPad
- Search for channels, topics, stories, or recipes
- Save stories
- Clear your reading history
- Customize the tab bar
- Subscribe to individual news channels
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- Get started with Notes
- Create and format notes
- Use Quick Notes
- Add drawings and handwriting
- Enter formulas and equations
- Add photos, video, and more
- Record and transcribe audio
- Scan text and documents
- Work with PDFs
- Add links
- Search notes
- Organize in folders
- Organize with tags
- Use Smart Folders
- Share and collaborate
- Export or print notes
- Lock notes
- Delete and recover notes
- Add or remove accounts
- Change the Notes view
- Change Notes settings
- Use keyboard shortcuts
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- Use passwords on iPad
- Find your password for a website or app
- Change the password for a website or app
- Remove a password
- Recover a deleted password
- Create a password for a website or app
- Show passwords in large text
- Use passkeys to sign in to websites and apps
- Sign in with Apple
- Share passwords
- Automatically fill in strong passwords
- See websites excluded from AutoFill
- Change weak or compromised passwords
- View your passwords and related information
- View password history
- Find your Wi-Fi password
- Share passwords securely with AirDrop
- Make your passwords available on all your devices
- Automatically fill in verification codes
- Sign in with fewer CAPTCHA challenges
- Use two-factor authentication
- Use security keys
- See your Mac FileVault recovery key
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- Make a call
- Record and transcribe a call
- Change your Phone settings
- View and delete the call history
- Answer or decline incoming calls
- While on a call
- See translations during phone calls
- Have a conference or three-way call
- Set up Voicemail
- Check voicemail
- Change voicemail greeting and settings
- Select ringtones
- Make calls using Wi-Fi
- Set up call forwarding
- Set up call waiting
- Screen and block calls
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- Browse your photo library
- Browse your photo collections
- View photos and videos
- View reference images
- See photo and video information
- Sort and filter the photo library
- Get started with Photos
- Apply star ratings
- Back up and sync your photos and videos with iCloud
- Delete or hide photos and videos
- Add keywords
- Search for photos and videos
- Get wallpaper suggestions
- Clean up, extend, and reframe photos
- Make stickers from your photos
- Save a video frame as a photo
- Duplicate and copy photos and videos
- Hide people, memories, or holidays
- Merge duplicate photos
- Import and export photos and videos
- Print photos
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- Get started with Podcasts
- Find podcasts
- Play podcasts on iPad
- View podcast transcripts
- Follow your favorite podcasts
- Rate or review podcasts
- Use the Podcasts widget
- Select your favorite Podcasts categories and channels
- Organize your podcast library
- Download, save, remove, and share podcasts
- Subscribe to podcasts
- Connect app subscriptions to Podcasts on iPad
- Change download settings
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- Get started with Reminders
- Create reminders
- Make a grocery list
- Add details
- Complete items
- Delete and recover reminders
- Edit and organize a list
- Search your lists
- Organize multiple lists
- Tag items
- Use Smart Lists
- Share and collaborate
- Print a list
- Work with templates
- Add or remove accounts
- Change Reminders settings
- Use keyboard shortcuts
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- Get started with Safari
- Browse the web
- Search for websites
- Customize your Safari settings
- Change the layout
- Create multiple Safari profiles
- Listen to a webpage
- Mute audio in tabs
- Bookmark a website
- Open as Web App
- Bookmark a website as a favorite
- Save pages to a Reading List
- Find links shared with you
- Download a PDF
- Annotate and save a webpage as a PDF
- Fill in forms
- Get extensions
- Clear your cache and cookies
- Enable cookies
- Shortcuts
- Tips
- TV
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- Power adapter and charge cable
- Use headphone audio-level features
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- Apple Pencil compatibility
- Pair and charge Apple Pencil (1st generation)
- Pair and charge Apple Pencil (2nd generation)
- Pair and charge Apple Pencil (USB-C)
- Pair and charge Apple Pencil Pro
- Enter text with Scribble
- Draw with Apple Pencil
- Take and mark up a screenshot with Apple Pencil
- Quickly write notes
- HomePod and other wireless speakers
- External storage devices
- Connect Bluetooth accessories
- Play audio from your iPad on a Bluetooth accessory from your iPad
- Apple Watch with Fitness+
- Printers
- Polishing cloth
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- Intro to Continuity
- Use AirDrop to send items to nearby devices
- Hand off tasks between devices
- Copy and paste between devices
- Stream video or mirror the screen of your iPad
- Allow phone calls and text messages on your iPad
- Share your internet connection with Personal Hotspot
- Use your iPad as a webcam for Apple TV 4K
- Insert sketches, photos, and scans on Mac
- Use your iPad as a second display
- Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad
- Connect iPad and your computer with a cable
- Transfer files between devices
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- Get started with accessibility features
- Use accessibility features during setup
- Change Siri accessibility settings
- Quickly turn accessibility features on or off
- Share your Accessibility settings with another device
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- Overview of accessibility features for vision
- Read or listen to text in apps with Accessibility Reader
- Zoom in
- View a larger version of text you’re reading or typing
- Change display colors
- Make text easier to read
- Make onscreen elements easier to see
- Customize onscreen motion
- Use iPad more comfortably while riding in a vehicle
- Customize per-app visual settings
- Hear what’s on the screen or typed
- Hear audio descriptions
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- Turn on and practice VoiceOver
- Change your VoiceOver settings
- Use VoiceOver gestures
- Operate iPad when VoiceOver is on
- Control VoiceOver using the rotor
- Use the onscreen keyboard
- Write with your finger
- Keep the screen off
- Use VoiceOver with an external keyboard
- Use a braille display
- Type braille on the screen
- Use Braille Access with a braille display
- Customize gestures and keyboard shortcuts
- Use VoiceOver with a pointer device
- Hear what’s on your screen and around you
- Use VoiceOver in apps
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- Overview of accessibility features for mobility
- Use AssistiveTouch
- Use an adjustable onscreen trackpad on iPad
- Control iPad with the movement of your eyes
- Control iPad with the movement of your head
- Adjust how iPad responds to your touch
- Auto-answer calls
- Change Face ID and attention settings
- Use Voice Control
- Adjust the top or Home button
- Use Apple TV 4K Remote buttons
- Adjust pointer settings
- Adjust keyboard settings
- Control iPad with an external keyboard
- Adjust AirPods settings
- Adjust double tap and squeeze settings for Apple Pencil
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- Overview of accessibility features for hearing
- Use hearing devices
- Use Live Listen
- Use sound recognition
- Get notified when your name is called
- Set up and use RTT
- Flash the indicator light or screen for notifications
- Adjust audio settings
- Play background sounds
- Display subtitles and captions
- Show transcriptions for Intercom messages
- Get live captions of spoken audio
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- Control what you share
- Turn on Lock Screen features
- Block contacts
- Keep your Apple Account secure
- Create and manage Hide My Email addresses
- Protect your web browsing with iCloud Private Relay
- Use a private network address
- Use Advanced Data Protection
- Use Lockdown Mode
- Install Background Security Improvements
- Receive warnings about sensitive content
- Use Contact Key Verification
- Use Impersonation Risk Detection
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- 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
- Unauthorized modification of iPadOS
- ENERGY STAR compliance statement
- Copyright and trademarks
Use Voice Control to interact with iPad
After you turn on Voice Control on your iPad, you can speak commands to interact with what’s on the screen, perform gestures and button presses, dictate and edit text, and more. With Apple Intelligence,* you can describe onscreen elements in your own words instead of using exact labels—refer to an item by its name, what it does, its color, or where it appears on the screen.
Note: When Voice Control is on, you use Voice Control to dictate text; standard iPadOS Dictation isn’t available. If you just want to enter text using Dictation, without controlling your iPad with your voice, see Dictate text. Voice Control isn’t available in all languages. See the iOS and iPadOS Feature Availability website.
Note: Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.* To use Apple Intelligence with Voice Control, you must have your system language and Voice Control language set to English. See Change the language and region and Set up Voice Control.
Set up Voice Control
Before you turn on Voice Control for the first time, make sure iPad is connected to the internet over a Wi-Fi network. After iPad completes a one-time file download from Apple, you don’t need an internet connection to use Voice Control.
Go to the Settings app
on your iPad.
Tap Accessibility, tap Voice Control, tap Set Up Voice Control, then follow the onscreen instructions.
When the download is complete,
appears in the status bar to indicate that Voice Control is turned on.
Set options such as the following:
Language: Set the language and download languages for offline use.
Commands: View the available commands and create new commands.
Vocabulary: Teach Voice Control to recognize new words and phrases. You can enter a word or phrase and teach Voice Control how you pronounce it, or import a vocabulary list.
Note: Not all Voice Control languages support a custom vocabulary.
Show Confirmation: When Voice Control recognizes a command, a visual confirmation appears at the top of the screen.
Play Sound: When Voice Control recognizes a command, a sound plays.
Show Hints: See command suggestions and hints.
Flexible Item Names: With Apple Intelligence, you can refer to onscreen items in your own words instead of using their exact labels. This is turned on by default and can be turned off to use exact labels.
Continuous Overlay: Display numbers, names, or a grid over screen elements.
Attention Aware: On an iPad with Face ID, Voice Control wakes up when you look at your iPad and goes to sleep when you look away.
Prefer Bluetooth Mic: Use AirPods or Bluetooth® headsets when connected instead of the iPad microphone.
Note: Using Voice Control with AirPods and third-party headsets impacts audio quality and audio features like Siri announcements and Share Audio with AirPods.
Turn Voice Control on or off
After you set up Voice Control, you can turn it on or off quickly by doing any of the following:
Use Control Center if you’ve added it there.
Use Accessibility Shortcut if you’ve set it up.
Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Turn on Voice Control.” Learn how to use Siri.
Start using commands
To use Voice Control on your iPad, just say a command. With Apple Intelligence, you can describe the item you want to act on instead of using its exact label.
Voice Control: Say, for example, “Open Control Center,” “Go home,” “Tap item name,” or “Turn up volume.” Or with Apple Intelligence, say “Tap the button that sends the message” or “Tap the button at the bottom right.”
Tip: Use the interactive Voice Control Tutorial to get familiar with Voice Control and practice essential commands. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control, then tap Open Voice Control Tutorial.
Pause or resume Voice Control
Pause Voice Control when you don’t want words you say to be interpreted as commands or dictation. Resume Voice Control when you’re ready for it to listen for commands and dictation again.
Voice Control: Say “Stop listening” or “Start listening.”
See what commands you can use
You see a list of the available commands, which vary depending on the app you’re working in and what you’re doing. For example, you see text formatting commands while writing a document. With Apple Intelligence, you can describe an item in your own words instead of using its exact label.
Voice Control: Say “Show commands.”
To browse the full list of supported commands and see examples of how to use them, go to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control > Commands.
Label onscreen items
When you’re not sure what to call something, you can display a name or number next to each item on the screen. You can then use the item’s name or number to interact with it. With Apple Intelligence, you can describe an item in your own words instead of using its name or number.
Voice Control: Say “Show names,” “Show numbers,” or “Show text numbers.” Or with Apple Intelligence, say “Tap the blue button at the bottom.”
To interact with an item, say its name or number, or say a command—such as “Long press”—followed by the item’s name or number. The item names or numbers disappear after you say the command.
Show a numbered grid on the screen
You can make it easier to interact with a precise area of the screen by superimposing a grid.
Voice Control: Say “Show grid.”
Interact with a location on the grid: If a number is at the location you want to interact with, say any command—such as “Tap”—followed by the grid number. The grid disappears after you say the command.
Drill down on an area of the grid: If you need to further refine the location, say a grid number to show a more detailed grid in that area.
Say “Hide names,” “Hide numbers,” or “Hide grid” to turn the overlay off.
Enter text
When working in a text input area, you can dictate word by word (with Dictation mode) or character by character (with Spelling mode). To avoid mistakenly entering a Voice Control command as text, have Voice Control respond only to commands (with Command mode).
When you’re in a text input area and label onscreen items with numbers, numbers are shown next to each line of text. Select a line or another section of the text to display a number for each word in the selection; select a single word to show a number for each character in the word. To interact with a text item (such as a line or a word), say a command followed by the item’s name or number. For example, you can say “Delete [item number]” or “Uppercase [item number].”
Command | Description |
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| Dictate word by word. Any words you say that aren’t Voice Control commands are entered as text. Dictation mode is on by default. In some Voice Control languages, if several words phonetically match what you say, they appear onscreen. Tap to choose the one you want. |
| Dictate character by character. Spelling mode is helpful when you need to enter a password, a web address, or another sequence of characters that wouldn’t be recognized as a word in Dictation mode. When Spelling mode is on, To increase accuracy when entering letters, you can use the letter’s phonetic alphabet code word (for example, say “Alfa Bravo Charlie” to enter “abc”). Note: Spelling mode isn’t available in all Voice Control languages. |
| Voice Control responds only to commands. Words and characters that aren’t commands are ignored and aren’t entered as text. Command mode is helpful when you need to say a series of commands and don’t want them inadvertently entered in a text input area. When Command mode is on, |