Beginners Guide to iPad: Tips and Tricks for Getting Started

iPads are much more than just oversized iPhones. When you purchase an iPad, you have to learn a whole host of new tools, features, and shortcuts. You can organize apps, customize the tools to fit your preferences, and take advantage of the modern technology at your disposal. 

Whether you want to personalize your home screen for a more unique experience or learn shortcuts to speed up your workflow, this is the article for you. Let’s look at some of the best iPad tips and tricks for beginners. 

activate find my ipad to keep it safe

Before you start exploring your new iPad, you need to connect it to the Find My app. Find My is one of the best forms of protection against theft and accidental loss. Once an iOS device is connected, Find My can locate it on a map. It even plays a sound from the lost device, making it much easier to find. 

Here’s how to add your iPad to the Find My app. 

1. Go to settings 
2. Tap your Apple ID 
3. Press Find My 
4. Turn on Find My iPad 

There are a few other options for those who really want to make the most of the Find My tool.

• Find My Network. Allows you to locate your iPad even when it’s offline, in power reserve mode, or turned off altogether 
• Send Last Location. When your battery is critically low, your iPad will automatically send its location to Apple

You can also add your Apple Pencil to the Find My app for extra protection. 

boost productivity with focus

You are probably already familiar with Focus Mode; on iPhones, it allows individuals to streamline their notifications and avoid messages, calls, and any other beeps while they are focusing. 

On iPads, Focus Mode is mostly the same. Go to Settings, select Focus, and choose from Personal, Sleep, or Work to customize your experience. 

Out of all our iPad tips and tricks, this one has the most power to enhance your focus. You can use a range of filters to accommodate your specific needs, creating a solid divide between all the entertainment options on iPads and the more serious, focused tools. 

Read the complete guide to Focus Mode for iPhone to learn more.

customize your dock

The Dock, which you might know as the toolbar at the bottom of your screen, is a great organization tool. It houses up to 13 apps, making it much longer than the Dock on an iPhone. Three slots on the right–hand side house your recently used apps, which leaves ten slots for your favorite apps. 

To edit the Dock, follow these steps. 

1. Long-press an icon until you activate Edit Home Screen*
2. Drag your favorite apps to the Dock
3. Rearrange the Dock until you have the perfect order

You can also place entire folders in your Dock. Just drag the folder as normal, and arrange your folders in alphabetical order, color order, or a completely random arrangement.

*You know you have found Edit Home Screen when all the apps shake. 

discover energy saving options

Some apps use more energy than others. If you allow them to keep running in the background, they will quickly run down your battery. 

1. Go to Settings 
2. Select Battery 
3. Scroll down to see which apps use the most energy 

Apps such as Gmail, Snapchat, and Spotify are active in the background, even when you are not using them. 

Your battery isn’t the only thing that benefits. We included this in our list of iPad tips and tricks for money-savvy people. Even the smallest changes can impact your expenses and, besides, using less energy is better for the environment. 

enable guided access to make your ipad child safe

Children love iPads, so it’s a good idea to invest in a child-safety system. Luckily for you, iPads come with a built-in Guided Access feature that allows you to limit access to a single app. You can allow access to educational and entertainment apps that are suitable for your child and protect them from the darker corners of the internet. 

1. Go to Settings 
2. Press Accessibility 
3. Activate Guided Access
4. Select Passcode Settings
5. Tap Set Guided Access Passcode 

Once you have set a password, you can start a Guided Access session. 

1. Open the app you want 
2. If you have an iPhone X or later, triple-click the side button
3. If you have an iPhone 8 or earlier, triple-click the home button
4. To stop parts of the screen from responding to touch, use one finger to circle those areas. You can resize, move, or delete the circle 
5. Tap Guided Access, then tap Start 

You can also activate Guided Access with Siri. Just open the app you want to use, activate Siri, and say, “Turn on Guided Access.” 

To end your Guided Access session, triple-click the Home or Side button, enter your Guided Access code, and tap End. 

This is one of the more time-consuming tips and tricks for iPads, but it gives you unparalleled peace of mind. 

move widgets to your lock screen

iPadOS 17 was released late last year, and it ushered in a new wave of updates for widgets. Before, you could only put widgets on the Lock Screen of your iPhone. Now, Apple has given iPad users the same customization options. 

Follow these steps to add widgets to your Lock Screen. 

1. Touch and hold the Lock Screen until the Customize button appears
2. Tap Customize 
3. Press Lock Screen
4. Select Widgets 
5. Drag or tap all the apps you want to see on your Lock Screen

You can also activate Live Activities to see alerts in real time. 

protect your data 

In the digital world, data is one of your most valuable commodities. Apple knows this and has created a foolproof way to protect your data. 

1. Go to Settings 
2. Press Touch ID & Passcode 
3. Scroll down to Erase Data

When you press Erase Data, it will no longer appear on your iPad. But don’t worry, as long as you regularly back up your data, you can find all your information on the iCloud. 

send icloud tabs to other devices

It’s super easy to send information from your iPad to your iPhone or Mac. With the help of iCloud Tabs, you can send tabs open on your iPhone or iPad to the other device. 

Follow these steps on your iPad or iPhone for seamless sharing. 

1. Go to Settings
2. Select your name
3. Press iCloud 
4. Press Show All 
5. Activate Safari 

Once you’ve completed these steps, any tabs that you open on one device will automatically appear on the other. This tip might only save you a few minutes every day, but it takes just 30 seconds to set up. 

split the keyboard for ultimate comfort

This is one of our favorite tips and tricks for iPads because it makes your experience so much more comfortable. You may have noticed that the default iPad keyboard is clunky and difficult to use: you either have to set your iPad down or juggle the iPad while you type. 

To switch to a much more efficient typing experience, simply split the keyboard in two: 

1. Open the keyboard
2. Press and hold the keyboard symbol in the bottom right-hand corner 
3. Tap Split 

Now you can type with your thumbs, which is much more similar to using an iPhone. 

If you want to return to the normal keyboard, just hold the keyboard symbol and tap Merge. You can even experiment with the Undock button, which makes the keyboard float, and the Floating button, which gives you a mini keyboard. 

swipe down for keyboard shortcuts

This could be one of the best-kept iPad tips and tricks out there. Open your keyboard and look at all the letters. Notice anything? Each letter has a corresponding number or symbol. 

Typically, the alternative options appear when you press the shift button, but there’s an easier way to select them. Simply swipe down quickly on whichever key has the alternative symbol you need. 

It is a small change, but it is a great way to streamline the iPad’s sometimes clunky keyboard. 

swipe up to see recent apps

Forgotten what’s happening in the background? Swipe up from the Dock and all your open apps will appear as large thumbnails. 

From there, you can close an app or go straight to an app. To close an app, swipe up on it. To go to an app, simply tap it. 

slide over to boost productivity

Slide Over is an essential feature for every iPad newbie. Essentially, it allows you to use a primary app while another app sits in a smaller window on the screen. 

1. Open the app you want to display in the smaller window 
2. Press the three buttons at the top of the screen
3. Select Slide Over 
4. Open the app you want to take the primary spot as the background app

You can answer messages while you browse the web, doodle while you scroll through pictures, or even answer emails while the primary screen plays your new favorite Netflix show. 

split view for equal visibility 

Slide Over and Split View are often mistaken for each other, but most people prefer Split View. It allows you to see two equal screens side-by-side, opening a new world of possibilities for productivity. 

1. Open an app
2. Press the three dots at the top of the screen
3. Tap Split View 
4. Choose another app 

The two apps will automatically share the screen, giving you an equal view of both. You can research topics while you take notes, watch a movie while you Google plot points, and doodle with the reference image right next to your artwork. 

As far as tips and tricks for iPads go, this one is great for students, professors, and professionals who use their devices for important work. Once Split View is set up, you can drag-and-drop text and pictures from one screen to another. This feature is a natural, more streamlined way to copy and paste.  

Not every app supports drag and drop, but most do, so it’s worth checking out. 

take advantage of Scribble

Scribble is the name for Apple’s handwriting-to-text feature, which is designed to be used with Apple Pencils. Most Apple apps support Scribble, and you can also use this feature on lots of non-Apple apps. 

For most people, Scribble is nothing new. But we have mentioned it in our list of iPad tips and tricks because iPad users forget that they can Scribble in search bars, forms, and almost any other text field they come across. 

Need to type in a location on Google Maps? Or search for your favorite celeb on Google? Just handwrite your search term, wait a second for the text to load, and hit search. 

Want some tips for making your scribbles a bit neater? Check out How to Make Handwriting Better on iPad.

Choose the right accessories for your iPad

While learning the ins and outs of your iPad is great, you can really take your experience to the next level with the right iPad accessories. Here are a few of our favorites:

Rock Paper Pencil – a Realistic Pen-on-Paper Feel for iPad

Not a fan of the slippery feeling of the Apple Pencil on glass? Us either. Get the most realistic pen-on-paper feel for iPad with Rock Paper Pencil.

Rock Paper Pencil includes a reusable, paper-feel iPad screen protector and two ballpoint Apple Pencil tips. Built with nano-texture technology, Rock Paper Pencil adds subtle friction between your screen and Pencil, giving you more control while drawing or writing.

• Precision Apple Pencil Tips: Smoother, more controlled strokes
• Reusable Screen Protector: Easy application, removable and reusable.
• Matte Texture: Subtle friction mimics the feel of paper (no more slippery glass!)

Compact Easel – Comfortable Drawing and Notetaking

Make digital drawing or notetaking more comfortable with this adjustable easel.

• Compact and Portable: Weighing in at only 270 grams (0.6 lbs), our compact easel is foldable and ultra-lightweight allowing for easy storage and portability.  
• Adjustable: With 7 angle options ranging from 8.7°- 32.5°, you can easily adjust the easel to a drawing height that is most comfortable for you.  
• Sturdy: Made of aluminum alloy and equipped with silicone padding, the easel supports up to 10kg (22 lbs) and protects your tablet from sliding and scratching while drawing. 
• X-Shaped Design: The x-shaped design of the easel is conducive to airflow and rapid heat dissipation. 
• Widely Compatible: This easel is compatible with a wide range of tablets and laptops, including the iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, Samsung Galaxy tablet, Microsoft Surface, etc. 

Luna Display – Turn Your iPad into a Second Display

Transform your iPad or Mac into a powerful second display with Luna Display:

• Computer to iPad: Turn your iPad into a second display – works with Mac and PC. 
• Computer to Mac: Use any Mac as a second display for your Mac or PC. It also works on older Mac models.
• Headless Mode: Looking for a powerful travel-friendly setup with your Mac mini? Headless Mode lets you use your Mac or iPad as the main display for Mac mini and Mac Pro.