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
-
-
- 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
-
- 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
-
- 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
-
- 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
-
- 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
-
- 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
-
-
- Use built-in security and privacy protections
-
- 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
- Copyright
Send and receive text messages on iPad
Use the Messages app to send and receive texts, photos, videos, and audio messages. You can also personalize your messages with animated effects, Memoji stickers, iMessage apps, and more.
![The Messages list on the left and a conversation on the right.](https://help.apple.com/assets/62224256028DCF13A670452F/6222425B028DCF13A6704539/en_US/8070aaf1caa1db94c1383c38bb730157.png)
Send a message
You can send a text message to one or more people.
Tap
at the top of the screen to start a new message, or tap an existing message.
Enter the phone number, contact name, or Apple ID of each recipient. Or, tap
, then choose contacts.
Tap the text field, type your message, then tap
to send.
A blue send button indicates the message will be sent with iMessage; a green send button indicates the message will be sent with SMS/MMS, or your cellular service.
An alert
appears if a message can’t be sent. Tap the alert to try sending the message again.
Tip: To see what time a message was sent or received, drag the message bubble to the left.
To view conversation details, tap the name or phone number at the top of the screen. You can tap the contact to edit the contact card, share your location, view attachments, leave a group conversation, and more.
Reply to a message
Siri: Say something like:
“Send a message to Eliza saying how about tomorrow”
“Read my last message from Bob”
“Reply that’s great news”
Tip: When you wear AirPods (2nd generation and later), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, or other supported headphones, Siri can read your incoming messages, and you can speak a reply for Siri to send. See Listen and respond to messages in the AirPods User Guide.
Or do the following:
In the Messages list, tap the conversation that you want to reply to.
To search for contacts and content in conversations, pull down the Messages list and enter what you’re looking for in the search field. Or, choose from the suggested contacts, links, photos, and more.
Tap the text field, then type your message.
Tip: To replace text with emoji, tap
or
, then tap each highlighted word.
Tap
to send your message.
You can quickly reply to messages with a Tapback expression (for example, a thumbs-up or a heart). Double-tap the message bubble that you want to respond to, then select a Tapback. You can also reply to a specific message in a conversation. See Reply to a specific message in a group message.
Pin a conversation
You can pin specific conversations to the top of the Messages list so the people you contact most always come first in the list.
Do any of the following:
Swipe right on a conversation, then tap
.
Touch and hold a conversation, then drag it to the top of the list.
Unpin a conversation
You can unpin specific conversations at the top of the Messages list.
Do any of the following:
Touch and hold a conversation, then drag the message to the bottom of the list.
Touch and hold a conversation, then tap
.
Share your name and photo
In Messages, you can share your name and photo when you start or respond to a new message. Your photo can be a Memoji or custom image. When you open Messages for the first time, follow the instructions on your iPad to choose your name and photo.
To change your name, photo, or sharing options, open Messages, tap , tap Edit Name and Photo, then do any of the following:
Change your profile image: Tap Edit, then choose an option.
Change your name: Tap the text fields where your name appears.
Turn sharing on or off: Tap the button next to Name and Photo Sharing (green indicates that it’s on).
Change who can see your profile: Tap an option below Share Automatically (Name and Photo Sharing must be turned on).
Your Messages name and photo can also be used for your Apple ID and My Card in Contacts.
Switch from a Messages conversation to a FaceTime audio or video call
In a Messages conversation, you can start a FaceTime audio or video call with the person you’re chatting with.
In a Messages conversation, tap
.
Tap FaceTime audio or FaceTime video.
Send a message to a business
Some businesses allow you to communicate with them directly, to ask questions, resolve issues, get advice on what to buy, make purchases with Apple Pay, and more.
Search for the business you want to chat with using Maps, Safari, Search, or Siri.
Start a conversation by tapping a chat link in the search results.
The appearance of the chat link varies—it could be a button, a text link, or the company logo.
You can also start a chat with some businesses from their website or their app. See the Apple Support article How to use Messages for Business.
Note: Messages sent to participating businesses appear in dark gray, to distinguish them from messages sent using iMessage (in blue) and SMS/MMS messages (in green).