iPad User Guide
- Welcome
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- iPad models compatible with iPadOS 17
- iPad mini (5th generation)
- iPad mini (6th generation)
- iPad (6th generation)
- iPad (7th generation)
- iPad (8th generation)
- iPad (9th generation)
- iPad (10th generation)
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
- iPad Air (4th generation)
- iPad Air (5th generation)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M2)
- iPad Air 13-inch (M2)
- 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 11-inch (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
- 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)
- Setup basics
- Make your iPad your own
- Keep in touch with friends and family
- Customize your workspace
- Do more with Apple Pencil
- Customize iPad for your child
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- What’s new in iPadOS 17
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- Change or turn off sounds
- Create a custom Lock Screen
- Change the wallpaper
- Adjust the screen brightness and color balance
- Customize the text size and zoom setting
- Change the name of your iPad
- Change the date and time
- Change the language and region
- Use and customize Control Center
- Change or lock the screen orientation
- Customize sharing options
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- Get started with FaceTime
- Create a FaceTime link
- Take a Live Photo
- Turn on Live Captions
- Use other apps during a call
- Make a Group FaceTime call
- View participants in a grid
- Use SharePlay to watch, listen, and play together
- Share your screen 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
- Block unwanted callers
- Report a call as spam
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- Intro to Home
- Upgrade to the new Home architecture
- Set up accessories
- Control accessories
- Control your home using Siri
- Use Grid Forecast to plan your energy usage
- 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
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- Set up Messages
- About iMessage
- Send and reply to messages
- Unsend and edit messages
- Keep track of messages
- Search
- Forward and share messages
- Group conversations
- Watch, listen, or play together using SharePlay
- Collaborate on projects
- Use iMessage apps
- Take and edit photos or videos
- Share photos, links, and more
- Send stickers
- Request, send, and receive payments
- Send and receive audio messages
- Share your location
- Animate messages
- Send and save GIFs
- Turn read receipts on or off
- Change notifications
- Block, filter, and report messages
- Delete messages and attachments
- Recover deleted messages
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- Get started with Notes
- Add or remove accounts
- Create and format notes
- Draw or write
- Add photos, videos, and more
- Scan text and documents
- Work with PDFs
- Add links
- Create Quick Notes
- Search notes
- Organize in folders
- Organize with tags
- Use Smart Folders
- Share and collaborate
- Export or print notes
- Lock notes
- Change Notes settings
- Use keyboard shortcuts
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- View photos and videos
- Play videos and slideshows
- Delete or hide photos and videos
- Edit photos and videos
- Trim video length and adjust slow motion
- Edit Live Photos
- Edit Cinematic videos
- Edit portraits
- Use photo albums
- Edit, share, and organize albums
- Filter and sort photos and videos in albums
- Make stickers from your photos
- Duplicate and copy photos and videos
- Merge duplicate photos
- Search for photos
- Identify people and pets
- Browse photos by location
- Share photos and videos
- Share long videos
- View photos and videos shared with you
- Watch memories
- Personalize your memories
- Manage memories and featured photos
- Import and export photos and videos
- Print photos
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- Browse the web
- Search for websites
- Customize your Safari settings
- Change the layout
- Use Safari profiles
- Use Siri to listen to a webpage
- Bookmark a website
- Bookmark a website as a favorite
- Save pages to a Reading List
- Find links shared with you
- Annotate and save a webpage as a PDF
- Automatically fill in forms
- Get extensions
- Hide ads and distractions
- Clear your cache and cookies
- Shortcuts
- Tips
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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
- Bluetooth accessories
- Apple Watch with Fitness+
- Printers
- Polishing cloth
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- Share your internet connection
- Make and receive phone calls
- Use iPad as a second display for Mac
- Use iPad as a webcam
- Use a keyboard and mouse or trackpad across your Mac and iPad
- Hand off tasks between devices
- Cut, copy, and paste between iPad and other devices
- Stream video or mirror the screen of your iPad
- Use AirDrop to send items
- Connect iPad and your computer with a cable
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- Get started with accessibility features
- Turn on accessibility features for setup
- Change Siri accessibility settings
- Open features with Accessibility Shortcut
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- Overview
- Zoom in
- Enlarge text by hovering
- Change color and brightness
- Make text easier to read
- Reduce onscreen motion
- 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 Apple external keyboard
- Use a braille display
- Type braille on the screen
- Customize gestures and keyboard shortcuts
- Use VoiceOver with a pointer device
- Use VoiceOver for images and videos
- Use VoiceOver in apps
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- Overview
- Use AssistiveTouch
- Use an eye-tracking device
- 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 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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- Use built-in privacy and security protections
- Keep your Apple ID secure
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- Use passkeys to sign in to apps and websites
- Sign in with Apple
- Share passwords
- Automatically fill in strong passwords
- Change weak or compromised passwords
- View your passwords and related information
- Share passkeys and passwords securely with AirDrop
- Make your passkeys and passwords available on all your devices
- Automatically fill in verification codes
- Sign in with fewer CAPTCHA challenges
- Two-factor authentication
- Use security keys
- 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
- Receive warnings about sensitive content
- Use Contact Key Verification
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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
Send and reply to messages on iPad
You can use the Messages app to send text messages, images, and much more. You can reply within a conversation or to specific comments in a thread. You can even use Siri to listen and respond to your messages.
To fully use all the features in the Messages app, make sure you’ve set up Messages.
![The conversation list on the left and a conversation on the right. Tap the Compose button at the top right of the conversation list to start a new message. A blue dot to the left of a message indicates it’s unread.](https://help.apple.com/assets/65E217CA88BD34A06A01BA1C/65E217CD5B9E652ABE0361D7/en_US/36e1e23c3925c5738f33993c9e8bc59f.png)
Send a text message
You can send a text message to one or more people to start a new conversation.
![The conversation list on the left and a conversation on the right. The name of the person or group you’re sending messages to is at the left of the screen. You can tap their name at the top of the screen to see conversation details. The Add button is at the bottom of the screen.](https://help.apple.com/assets/65E217CA88BD34A06A01BA1C/65E217CD5B9E652ABE0361D7/en_US/245c098f6a7a1b6bbb5f1d4a774133f9.png)
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.
Tap
at the top of the screen.
Enter the phone number, contact name, or Apple ID of each recipient.
Or tap
, then choose contacts from the list.
Do any of the following:
Tap the text field above the keyboard, then type your message. (Tap
or
to add emoji.)
Tap
to dictate text in the language of your keyboard.
Tap the
to send photos, videos, your location, audio messages, payments, stickers, and more with iMessage apps.
Tap
to send.
If a message can’t be sent, an alert appears. Tap
to try sending the message again.
To return to the Messages list from a conversation, tap .
Reply to a message
Messages are grouped by conversation in the Messages list. You can reply to any conversation. A dot indicates you haven’t yet read one or more messages in that conversation.
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.
In the Messages list, tap the conversation that you want to participate in.
Tap the text field, create your message, then tap
to send your message.
Tip: Find out when a message was sent to you. Drag the message bubble to the left to see timestamps for all messages in the conversation.
Reply inline to a specific message
You can respond to a specific message inline. An inline reply quotes the message you’re responding to. This keeps a busy conversation organized by clarifying which response relates to which message.
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.
Swipe right on the message bubble that you want to reply to.
Enter your message, then tap
.
To return to the main conversation, tap the blurred background.
Touch and hold a message to react with a Tapback, such as a thumbs-up or a heart.
If you’re replying in a group conversation and you don’t want everyone to read your message, start a new conversation with the person you want to reply to.
Use Siri to send, read, and reply to messages
You can use Siri to send messages for you, read your incoming texts out loud, and reply to messages. Learn how to use Siri.
Siri: Say something like:
“Send a message to Mayuri saying, how about tomorrow?”
“Read my last message from Antonio”
“Reply, that’s great news!”
Siri can send a message right after it has been read back to you. Go to Settings > Siri & Search > Automatically Send Messages, then turn on Automatically Send Messages.
WARNING: Avoid distractions while driving. See Important safety information for iPad.
Why are some bubbles blue and others green?
If a message can be sent using iMessage, you see a blue Send arrow , and the message appears in a blue bubble.
If you can’t use iMessage (which happens, for example, when a recipient isn’t using an Apple device), you can use SMS/MMS. Messages sent with SMS/MMS appear in green bubbles.
For more information, see the Apple Support article What is the difference between iMessage and SMS/MMS?
![A group conversation in Messages. The message bubbles are green, which indicates that at least one person isn’t using iMessage.](https://help.apple.com/assets/65E217CA88BD34A06A01BA1C/65E217CD5B9E652ABE0361D7/en_US/ad128b2645c8232d8e9b7b90761ebb43.png)
Note: Content may not appear as expected when you send messages to recipients who are using non-Apple devices.