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
Animate messages on iPad
In the Messages app , you can animate a single message with a bubble effect or fill the entire conversation with a full-screen effect (for example, balloons or confetti). You can send Digital Touch messages, and, on supported models, you can send animated Memoji messages that record your voice and mirror your facial expressions.
You need iMessage to send and receive message effects.
![A Messages conversation with bubble and full-screen effects, as well as animations: Digital Touch and a handwritten message.](https://help.apple.com/assets/65E217CA88BD34A06A01BA1C/65E217CD5B9E652ABE0361D7/en_US/6da069d4bc92dd84699ca4705b6eaf34.png)
Animate the message bubble
Use effects to animate the message bubble: you can send a message with Slam or Loud so that it appears to pop out, or use Gentle so it arrives softly. You can even send a personal message with Invisible Ink that remains blurred until the recipient swipes to reveal it.
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.
In a new or existing conversation, type a message or insert an image or link.
Touch and hold
, then tap the gray dots to preview different bubble effects.
Tap
to send the message with the effect or
to cancel the effect and return to your message.
Animate effects over the full screen
You can send messages with full-screen effects—such as lively lasers, a moving spotlight, or echoing bubbles—that play when your recipient gets your message.
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.
In a new or existing conversation, type a message or insert a photo or Memoji.
Touch and hold
, then tap Screen.
Swipe left to preview different screen effects.
Tap
to send the message or
to cancel the effect and return to your message.
Messages automatically uses the following screen effects for specific text strings:
Balloons for “Happy birthday”
Confetti for “Congratulations”
Fireworks for “Happy New Year”
Send animated Memoji or Memoji recordings
On supported models, you can send Memoji messages that record your voice and mirror your facial expressions.
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.
Start a new message or open a conversation, tap
, tap Memoji, then swipe and tap to choose a Memoji.
Tap
to record your facial expressions and voice, then tap
to stop.
Tap Replay to review your message.
Tap
to send your message or
to cancel.
You can also take a photo or video of yourself as a Memoji, decorate it with stickers, then send it. Or you can become a Memoji in a FaceTime conversation.
Send a Digital Touch effect
With Digital Touch, you can send animated sketches, taps, kisses, heartbeats, and more, on their own or as an effect on a photo or video.
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.
Tap
, swipe up or tap More, then tap Digital Touch.
Do one of the following:
Send an animated gesture: Tap or touch and hold with one or two fingers. Your gesture is sent automatically when you finish it.
Touch and hold the color dot to choose a color for the one-finger taps.
Note: If you have Apple Watch or another sensor that records heartbeat data, Messages may use the recorded data when you touch and hold with two fingers to send a heartbeat.
Send an animated drawing: Draw with one finger.
You can change the color, then start drawing again.
Add an effect to a new image: Tap
, then tap
to take a photo or
to record a video.
To take a new photo or video, or to erase anything you draw on your preview, tap
.
Tap
to send your drawing or image, or tap
to delete it.
To send an animated doodle on a white background, see Send a handwritten message or doodle.
Send a handwritten message or doodle
Use your finger to write a message or draw a doodle. Recipients see what you wrote or drew, re-created before their eyes.
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.
In a conversation, rotate iPad to landscape orientation.
Tap
on the keyboard.
Write a message with your finger or choose a saved message at the bottom, then tap Done.
Tap
to send your message or
to cancel.
After you create and send a handwritten message, the message is saved at the bottom of the handwriting screen. To use the saved message again, tap it. To delete the saved message, touch and hold it until the messages jiggle, then tap .
To send a doodle on a black background, see Send a Digital Touch effect.