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How to keep track of messages on iPad

Wednesday October 14, 2026 10:24 pm EAT by Stacey Butler

You can catch up on text messages you missed, mark messages as unread, and pin and unpin conversations to prioritize messages in the conversation list.

If messages arrive while notifications are paused or you’re away from your iPad, you can jump straight to the first one you haven’t read. And when you don’t have time to respond, marking a conversation as unread lets you come back to it later. You can also see a list of your unread messages.

Catch up on messages you missed

If messages came in while notifications were paused or you were away from your iPad, you can jump to the first one you haven’t seen in a conversation.

Go to the Messages app on your iPad.
Open an unread conversation and then tap the Catch up button.

Your view of the conversation moves up to the first unread message.

Mark messages as unread

When you don’t have time to respond, you can mark conversations as unread so you can return to them later.

Start the Messages app on your iPad.
In the conversation list, do one of the following:
- Swipe right on a conversation to mark it as unread.
- Drag right and tap the Mark as Unread button.

Quick tip: It’s possible to mark several messages as unread at the same time, too. From the conversation list, tap Edit, tap Select Messages, and select the conversations to mark as unread. When you’re done selecting, tap Unread in the bottom-left corner.

See a list of your unread messages

Start the Messages app on your iPad.
In the conversation list, tap the Filter button and then tap Unread.

A checkmark appears next to Unread, and the icon turns blue to indicate that filtering is on.
To see both your read and unread messages again, tap the Filter button. Then tap to deselect Unread.

Quick tip: You can mark all your unread messages as read at once: Tap Edit, tap Select Messages, then tap Read All.

Pin a conversation

Pinning specific conversations to the top of the conversation list keeps the people you contact most at the front. Pinned conversations show up as larger icons at the top of your conversation list.

Start the Messages app on your iPad.
Touch and hold a conversation, then tap Pin.

Unpin a conversation

You can unpin pinned conversations so that they no longer appear at the top of the conversation list.

Start the Messages app on your iPad.
Touch and hold a pinned conversation and then do one of the following:
- Drag the message to the bottom of the list, and let go.
- Tap Unpin.

Pin shared items

You can pin certain shared items—such as links or collaboration invitations—within a conversation.

Start the Messages app on your iPad.
Touch and hold a message and then tap Pin.
To find pinned items, tap the contact or group icon at the top of the conversation and then tap a category (such as Links). Pinned items appear at the top.

To unpin a pinned item, touch and hold it in the message, then tap Unpin. If you’re in the Links or Documents tab, touch and hold it, tap Show in Conversation, touch and hold it in the message, then tap Unpin.

Turn message summaries on or off

Apple Intelligence can summarize the key points of your conversations, with those summaries automatically replacing your message previews. If you’d rather see the most recent message in each conversation, turn off summaries.

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.*

Start the Settings app on your iPad.
Tap Apps, then tap Messages.
Turn Summarize Messages on or off.
To view message summaries, open the Messages app. Then look for the Summary icon below a name in the conversation list. The text following the symbol is a summary of unread messages in that conversation.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

Tag: Messages

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How to add photos, video, and more to notes on iPad

Wednesday October 14, 2026 10:21 pm EAT by Kevin Hollington

In the Notes app, you can add photos, videos, and information from other apps, such as maps, links, and documents.

That could be a location from Maps, a webpage from Safari, or a PDF from Files. You can change the preview size of attachments, and even draw on a photo. Photos and videos you take in Notes can be saved to the Photos app, too.

Here’s how to add photos, video, and more to notes on iPad.

Add a photo or video

Start the Notes app on your iPad.
In a note, tap the Attachments button and choose an option.

Quick tip: Tap the photo, then tap the Handwriting Tools button, and you can draw on a photo.

To save photos and videos taken in Notes to the Photos app, go to Settings > Apps > Notes, then turn on Save to Photos.

Add info from another app to a note

You can attach information from another app to a note, such as a webpage in Safari, a screenshot, a location in Maps, or a PDF in Files.

In the app you’re using, open the item you want to share (for example, a map or webpage).
Tap Share or the Share button. Then tap Notes or Add to Quick Note.
Save the item to a new note or choose an existing note.

Change the preview size of attachments

Start the Notes app on your iPad.
In a note, you can change the preview size of the following:
- A single attachment: Touch and hold the attachment or tap the More button, tap View As, and choose an option.
- All attachments in a note: Tap the More button, tap Attachment View, and then choose Set All to Small or Set All to Large.

View all attachments in Notes

Start the Notes app on your iPad.
Above the notes list, tap the Folder Actions button. Tap View Attachments to see thumbnails of photos, links, documents, and other attachments. (Attachments in locked notes aren’t shown.)
To go to a note with a specific attachment, tap the attachment thumbnail. Then tap Show in Note.

See also

Tag: Notes

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How to draw and handwrite with Markup on iPad

Wednesday October 14, 2026 10:14 pm EAT by Tyler Stephen

In supported apps such as Notes and Photos, you can use the Markup tools to draw and sketch in your documents and images. You can also use the Markup tools to annotate screenshots, PDFs, and more.

You can move the Markup toolbar to any edge of the screen, collapse it automatically, draw straight lines, and edit or move a drawing.

Here’s how to draw and handwrite with Markup on iPad.

Note: When a supported app doesn’t show the Markup toolbar, tap the Markup button or Markup, and if the toolbar is minimized, tap its minimized version.

Show and hide the Markup toolbar

To show the Markup toolbar in a supported app, tap the Show Handwriting Tools button or Markup, then do any of the following:

Move the Markup toolbar: Drag the toolbar to any edge of the screen.

(Drag from the edge of the toolbar closest to the center of the screen.)
Collapse the toolbar automatically: Tap the More button, then turn on Auto-minimize.

To show the full toolbar again, tap the minimized version.
Hide the toolbar: Tap the Show Handwriting Tools button or the Done button.

Draw or handwrite

In the Markup toolbar, tap the pen, marker, or pencil tool. Then draw or handwrite with your finger or Apple Pencil (on supported iPad models).
Do any of the following in the toolbar:
- Change the line weight: Tap the selected drawing tool, then tap an option.
- Change the opacity: Tap the selected drawing tool and drag the slider.
- Change the color: Tap the Color Picker button, tap Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders, and then choose a color.
- Undo: Tap the Undo button.

Draw straight lines

In the Markup toolbar, tap the Ruler tool. Do any of the following:
- Move the ruler: Drag the ruler with one finger.
- Change the angle: Touch and hold the ruler with two fingers. Then rotate your fingers.
Draw a line along the edge of the ruler.
To hide the ruler, tap the Ruler tool in the toolbar again.

Edit or move a drawing

In the Markup toolbar, tap the Lasso tool (between the eraser and ruler).
Touch and hold a group of strokes or circle multiple drawings and then do any of the following in the formatting tools that appear near the selection:
- Change the color: Tap the Set Fill button.
- See editing options: Tap the More button. Then tap Cut, Copy, Duplicate, and more.
To move the drawing, touch and hold it until it lifts up and drag it to a new location.

Select and edit handwritten text

In the Markup toolbar, tap the Lasso tool (between the eraser and ruler) and then do any of the following:
- Select a word or drawn object: Double-tap it.
- Select a sentence: Triple-tap it.
- Select a paragraph or text block: Touch and hold the first word and drag to the last word. To select more precisely, drag slowly.
Tap the selected content you want to revise, tap it, and do any of the following:
- Edit: Tap an option, such as Copy as Text, Translate, or Straighten. To see other options, tap the Forward button. If you see the formatting tools near your selection, tap the More button. Then tap Cut, Copy, Duplicate, and more.
- Recolor: Tap a color in the Markup toolbar or tap the Set Fill button in the formatting tools.

In iPad apps that support Markup, anything you write in a text field turns into typed text right away. See our guide, Enter text with Scribble. And for more ways to edit your handwriting or drawing in Notes, read our article, Add drawings and handwriting in Notes.

Erase part or all of your drawing

In the Markup toolbar, tap the eraser tool.
Do any of the following:
- Erase pixels: Scrub over what you want to remove with your finger.
- Erase a group of strokes: Tap the eraser tool, tap Object Eraser, and touch the grouped strokes with your finger.
To switch between the erasers, tap the eraser tool again and choose Pixel Eraser or Object Eraser.

See also

Tag: Markup

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How to translate text in messages on iPad

Wednesday October 14, 2026 10:11 pm EAT by Stacey Butler

With Apple Intelligence, you can use Live Translation to see incoming texts in other languages automatically translated to your preferred language in the Messages app. Because Live Translation relies on Apple-built models that run entirely on device, your personal conversations stay private.

It works with the languages you download. You can choose a different language for a conversation, view the original text along with the translation, or turn off Live Translation for the conversation.

For more information on Apple Intelligence and privacy, see Apple Intelligence and privacy.

Download the languages you want to translate.
Open the Messages app on your iPad.
When you receive a message in a different language, do any of the following:
- Choose a different language: Tap the contact or group icon at the top of the conversation, scroll down, and then tap Translate From or Translate To.
- View the original text: At the bottom of the conversation, tap Translating [language] and then choose to see the original text in addition to the translated text.
- Turn off Live Translation for the conversation: At the bottom of the conversation, tap Translating [language] and tap Stop Translation.

Tags: Apple Intelligence, Messages

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How to wake, unlock, and lock iPad

Wednesday October 14, 2026 10:05 pm EAT by Dave Johnson

iPad turns off the display to save power, locks for security, and goes to sleep when you’re not using it. You can quickly wake and unlock iPad when you want to use it again.

You can unlock iPad with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, depending on your model. And iPad locks by itself after a certain amount of time without use, though you can lock it manually, too.

Wake iPad

You can wake iPad in a few different ways:

Press the top button.
Tap the screen (supported models).
Open a Smart Folio, Smart Cover, or Magic Keyboard cover.

Unlock iPad with Face ID

If you have an iPad with Face ID, but you didn’t turn on Face ID during setup, see Set up Face ID. Then follow these steps:

Tap the screen, then glance at your iPad.

The lock icon animates from closed to open to indicate that iPad is unlocked.
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

To lock iPad again, press the top button. iPad locks automatically if you don’t touch the screen for a minute or so. However, if Attention Aware Features is turned on, iPad won’t dim or lock as long as it detects attention. To turn it on or off, go to the Settings app, then tap Face ID & Passcode.

Unlock iPad with Touch ID

Have an iPad with Touch ID that you didn’t set up during setup? See our guide, Set up Touch ID. On an iPad with a rectangular button on the top edge, use the top button; with a circular button at the bottom of the screen, the Home button is the one to use, and after that, do one of the following:

On an iPad with a Home button: Press the Home button using the finger you registered with Touch ID.
On iPad (10th generation and later), iPad mini (6th generation), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad Air (4th generation and later): Rest your finger on the top button (Touch ID) using the finger you registered with Touch ID.

To lock iPad again, press the top button. iPad locks automatically if you don’t touch the screen for a minute or so.

Unlock iPad with a passcode

If you didn’t create a passcode when you set up iPad, see Set a passcode. Then follow these steps:

Press the Home button (on an iPad with a Home button) or swipe up from the bottom of the Lock Screen (on other iPad models).
Enter your passcode.

Lock iPad

You can lock iPad and turn off the screen in the following ways:

Manually: Press the top button.
Automatically: iPad locks on its own if you don’t interact with it for a certain amount of time. To change how long iPad waits before locking, see Change when iPad automatically locks.

See also

Tag: Setup

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How to share your internet connection from your iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) with Personal Hotspot

Wednesday October 14, 2026 9:57 pm EAT by Chris Smith

You can share the internet connection from your iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) with other devices using a feature called Instant Hotspot. It uses the Personal Hotspot on your iPad, and it’s useful when your other device doesn’t have internet access from a Wi-Fi network.

Before you begin, make sure both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® turned on, and that they’re within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other. Both devices also need to meet minimum system requirements for Instant Hotspot.

You can connect other devices to your Personal Hotspot in several ways:

Connect your Mac to your iPad through Wi-Fi settings.
Pair your two devices with Bluetooth®.
Connect your Mac to your iPad with a cable.

Your iPad’s Personal Hotspot works with a Mac, a Windows device, an iPhone, another iPad, and more.

Note: Personal Hotspot isn’t available with all carriers. Additional fees may apply. The number of devices that can join your Personal Hotspot at one time depends on your carrier and iPad model. Contact your carrier for more information.

Before you begin

Before you start, check that all of the following are true:

Both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® turned on.
The devices are within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other.
Both devices meet minimum system requirements for Instant Hotspot.

A VPN configuration that prevents local networking may interfere with some Continuity features, so check yours if you’re using one.

If you’re sharing your Personal Hotspot with your Apple devices, signing in to the same Apple Account on both devices makes it faster to connect.

Note: Personal Hotspot won’t work unless you share the cellular internet connection on your iPad. Connecting your iPad to a Wi-Fi network and then sharing that network with another device isn’t possible.

Set up Personal Hotspot on your iPad

On your iPad, open the Settings app.
Tap Cellular and then tap Set Up Personal Hotspot.
Follow the onscreen instructions.

Tip: The name of your Personal Hotspot is the same name as your device, so if you want to change the name of your Personal Hotspot, you need to change the device name. To change your device name, go to Settings > General > About, then tap Name.

When you set up your Personal Hotspot, you set up a password to connect to it. To change the password later, go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot, then tap Wi-Fi password and enter a new password.

Note: When Cellular Data is on in Settings > Cellular and you still don’t see Set Up Personal Hotspot as an option, ask your carrier to add Personal Hotspot to your plan.

Turn Personal Hotspot on and off on your iPad

On your iPad, open the Settings app.
Tap Personal Hotspot.
Follow the onscreen instructions.

You pick who’s allowed to use your Personal Hotspot and set a password for it. In a Family Sharing group, you can also have your Personal Hotspot shared automatically with specific family members.

Connect to a Personal Hotspot with Wi-Fi

Through Wi-Fi settings, another device can connect to the Personal Hotspot on your iPad, including an iPhone, a Mac, another iPad, a Windows device, and many other devices that can connect to a Wi-Fi network.

On the device that you want to connect to the Personal Hotspot on your iPad, do any of the following:
- On an iPhone with Touch ID: Swipe down from the top-right edge to open Control Center. Tap the Wi-Fi Status menu to turn Wi-Fi on. Choose your iPad.
- On an iPhone with Face ID: Swipe up from the bottom to open Control Center. Tap the Wi-Fi Status menu to turn Wi-Fi on and then choose your iPad.
- On an iPad: Swipe down from the top-right edge to open Control Center. Tap the Wi-Fi Status menu to turn Wi-Fi on. Choose your iPad.
- On a Mac: Click the Wi-Fi Status menu in the menu bar. Then choose your iPad.
- On a Windows device or other device: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to connect to a Personal Hotspot.
Enter the password you set up for your Personal Hotspot to connect. If you’re connecting another Apple device and you’re signed in to the same Apple Account on both devices, you don’t need to enter a password.

Note: When a Mac is connected to your Personal Hotspot, the Personal Hotspot icon appears in the status bar of the connected Mac.

When you’re not using the hotspot, your devices automatically disconnect, which saves battery life.

Connect to a Personal Hotspot with Bluetooth

A Mac or Windows device can also use Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi to connect to the Personal Hotspot on your iPad, as long as both devices have Bluetooth turned on.

On your Mac, open the System Settings app.

Note: If your Mac has macOS 12.5 or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
Click Bluetooth in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
On your iPad, open the Settings app. Then tap Bluetooth.

Keep Bluetooth Settings open to make sure that your device is discoverable.
On your Mac, select your iPad when it appears. (It may take a moment.)

When it’s connected by Bluetooth, your Mac can use the cellular connection on your iPad right away.

Connecting your Windows device to your iPad over Bluetooth means setting up a Bluetooth network connection, following the manufacturer’s directions.

Connect to a Personal Hotspot with a USB cable

The USB cable that came with your iPad can also link a Mac or Windows device to your iPad’s Personal Hotspot, and so can another cable that matches the ports on your iPad and the other device.

If you see an alert on your iPad that says Trust This Computer? tap Trust. You may be asked to enter your device passcode to proceed. If you see an alert on your Mac that says “Allow accessory to connect?” click Allow.

Note: On a Windows device, connecting to your Personal Hotspot with a USB cable requires having Apple Devices or iTunes installed.

A cable connection lets your Mac or Windows device use the cellular connection on your iPad as soon as it’s in place.

If your Personal Hotspot isn’t working

Make sure that your devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.
Your devices must be within 30 feet (10 meters) of one another.
Maximize compatibility in Settings > Personal Hotspot, then enable Maximize Compatibility. Maximize Compatibility may reduce performance for devices connected to your Personal Hotspot when turned on.

When you share a Personal Hotspot from your iPad, it uses cellular data for the internet connection. To monitor your cellular data network usage, go to Settings > Cellular. See Set up cellular service on iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular models).

If you use Family Sharing, any member of your family can use your Personal Hotspot. To set it up, read our article, Set up Family Sharing on iPad.

See also

Use Continuity to work across Apple devices

Tag: personal hotspot

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How to create a Freeform board on iPad

Wednesday October 14, 2026 9:53 pm EAT by Stacey Butler

You can use the Freeform app to create boards for brainstorming and collaborating. For example, propose a trip with friends and let everyone take part in the planning.

You can add text, sticky notes, photos, videos, and other types of files, and the canvas expands as you add content, so you’re never constrained by space limits or page formatting. You can also start a board from another app, like Notes or Safari.

Create a new board

Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
Tap the New Board button.
Tap one of the options at the top of the screen, such as the Add Text Box button or the Insert button, to start building your board.
Move around your board by dragging your finger, and zoom in or out by pinching open or closed.

Tip: To magnify more precisely, tap the current percentage in the bottom-left corner, then tap a percent.
Your board is saved automatically as you work. To name it, tap Untitled in the top left. Tap Rename.

If you’re working in a window that isn’t full-screen, you may have to tap the More button, then tap Rename.

Create a board from another app

You can start a new Freeform board using content from another supported app, such as Notes, Maps, Safari, Files, Photos, and more.

On your iPad, go to the app whose content you want to use on a new Freeform board.
Open the item you want to place on the Freeform board (for example, a note, map, webpage, PDF, or screenshot).

To share just one part of a file to a board (rather than the entire webpage or note), select what you want to share. If your selection includes text, only the text is shared.
Tap Share or the Share button and then tap the Freeform app icon.
Tap New Board or the name of an existing board.

Either a link or the item appears in the board.

Open a board

Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
Tap a category in the sidebar, or do one of the following:
- If you don’t see the sidebar: Tap the Show Sidebar button.
- If you’re in a board: Tap the Back button in the top-left corner.
  
  Note: Any collaborations you get invited to in the Messages app appear in an Invitations section on the Shared Boards screen until you accept them.
Tap the board you want to open.

Duplicate a board

Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
While browsing All Boards, tap the More button at the top and then tap Select.

If you’re in a board, tap the Back button to browse All Boards.
Tap the boards you want to copy. Then tap Duplicate.

Or touch and hold the thumbnail or name of the board, then tap Duplicate.

Note: A duplicate of a shared board isn’t shared, so to send someone a snapshot of the board, see our guide, Send a copy of a board, or to reshare the board, see our article, Invite others to collaborate on a board.

Add a board to Favorites

Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
Do one of the following:
- While browsing All Boards: Touch and hold the thumbnail or name of the board, then tap Favorite.
- If you’re in a board: Tap the Actions Menu button and tap Favorite.

See also

Tag: Freeform

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How to block a FaceTime call and report it as spam on iPad

Wednesday October 14, 2026 9:49 pm EAT by Emily Long

In the FaceTime app, you can block FaceTime calls from unknown callers and report the calls as spam or junk. You can block a caller while the call is ringing, during a call, or after a call has ended, and report the call to Apple. Apple then receives the caller’s information.

Block unknown callers

To block an unknown caller, you can do one of the following:

While the call is ringing: Tap the left side of the notification to expand the window, tap the contact information or people count at the top of the window, then tap Block Caller or Block All Participants.
During a call: Tap the contact information at the top of the window, then tap Block Caller.
While in a Group FaceTime call: Tap the people count at the top of the window, then tap Block Unknown Participants or Block All Participants.
After a call has ended: Tap the call in the call history, then tap Block Contact.
After a Group FaceTime call has ended: To block an individual caller, tap the call in the call history, tap the caller’s contact information, then tap Block Contact. To block all unknown callers, tap the call in the call history, then tap Block Unknown Participants or Block All Participants.

After you end a call from an unknown caller, if you see a screen with Call Ended at the top, you can tap Block Caller to prevent further contact from that caller, or tap Create Contact to add the caller to your contacts.

Blocking a caller also lets you report the call to Apple as spam or junk, and Apple then receives the caller’s information.

Report a FaceTime call as spam

Start the FaceTime app on your iPad.
Touch and hold the tile in your call history. Then tap Report Spam.

Unblock a caller

If you’ve changed your mind, you can unblock a caller in either of these places:

In the FaceTime app: Tap the call in the call history. Tap the caller’s contact information (if the call was a Group FaceTime call), then tap Unblock Contact.
In the Settings app: Tap Apps, tap FaceTime, then tap Blocked Contacts. Swipe left on the contact information, then tap Unblock.

See also

Screen and filter FaceTime calls on iPad

Tags: FaceTime, Privacy & Security

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How to edit photos and videos on iPad

Wednesday October 14, 2026 9:42 pm EAT by Tyler Stephen

After you take a photo or video, use the tools in the Photos app to edit it on your iPad. You can adjust the light and color, add a filter, and more, and when you use iCloud Photos, any edits you make are saved across all your devices.

Enhance can automatically improve light and color, and if you took a photo with iPhone 16 or later, you can change its Photographic Style.

Quick tip: If you want to choose the background color of Edit mode (for example, so it’s always dark), see Set the background color of Edit mode, below.

Adjust light and color

Open the Photos app on your iPad.
Tap a photo or video to open it, then tap the Edit button.
Tap Adjust.
Swipe left under the photo to view the lighting adjustments you can make—for example, Exposure, Brilliance, Highlights, and Shadows.
Tap the lighting setting you want to edit. Then drag the slider to make precise adjustments.

The level of adjustment you make for each lighting setting is indicated by the outline around the button, so you can see at a glance which lighting settings have been increased or decreased. Tap the lighting button to switch between the edited photo or video and the original so you can see the difference your edits made.
Tap Done to save your edits, or if you don’t like your changes, tap Cancel, and then tap Discard Changes.

Quick tip: To automatically enhance light and color in a photo or video, tap the Enhance button.

Change the Photographic Style of photos captured on iPhone 16 or later

If you take a photo with an iPhone 16 or later, open the Photos app to change or edit its Photographic Style.

Open the Photos app on your iPad.
Open a photo taken with an iPhone 16 or later, then tap the Edit button.
Make sure Styles is selected on the left side of the screen. Do one of the following:
- Choose a style: Tap a style or slide to select one of the style options on the right side of the screen.
- Adjust the tone and color: Tap the Styles Chooser. Then slide your finger on the Styles Chooser to simultaneously adjust the tone and color. Drag your finger on the slider below to adjust the intensity level.
  
  As you make adjustments, the values for tone, color, and intensity are shown at the top of the screen. Tap the round arrow to reset these values.
Tap Done.

Apply filter effects

Open the Photos app on your iPad.
Open a photo or video, then tap the Edit button.
Tap the Filters button on the left side of the screen to apply filter effects such as Vivid or Dramatic.

To remove a filter that was applied when you took the photo, choose Original.
Tap a filter on the right side of the screen and drag the slider to adjust the effect.

To compare the edited photo to the original, tap the photo.
Tap Done to save your edits, or if you don’t like your changes, tap Cancel, and then tap Discard Changes.

Note: For photos taken with an iPhone 16 or later, use Photographic Styles instead of filters to give your photos a customized look. See Change the Photographic Style of photos captured on iPhone 16 or later.

Copy and paste edits to multiple photos

Copy the edits you made to one photo (or video), and you can paste them onto another photo, or a batch of photos, all at once.

Open the Photos app on your iPad.
Open the photo or video that contains the edits you want to copy.
Tap the More button, then tap Copy Edits.
Review and turn off any edits you don’t want to copy. Tap Copy.
Tap the Back button to return to your library.
Tap Select and tap the thumbnails of the photos you want to paste the edits onto, or open a single photo or video.
Tap the More button and then tap Paste Edits.

Note: Photos automatically adjusts the white balance and exposure of edited photos so they’re a better match and look even more similar.

Add stickers, text, and more

Open the Photos app on your iPad.
Tap a photo to open it.
Tap the Edit button, then tap the Markup button.
Tap the Add Annotations button to add stickers, captions, text, shapes, or even your signature.
Tap the Done button to save your edits.

Set the background color of Edit mode

Edit mode’s background matches the light or dark appearance of your iPad by default, but you can change its color. Prefer to edit photos against a dark background? Set it to always appear dark.

Open the Photos app on your iPad.
Tap a photo or video to open it, then tap the Edit button.
Tap the More button, tap Appearance, and then do one of the following:
- Match edit mode to the light or dark appearance of your iPad: Tap System.
- Make Edit mode always appear dark: Tap Dark.
- Make Edit mode always appear light: Tap Light.

Use Apple Intelligence editing tools

Apple Intelligence gives you the Clean Up, Extend, and Reframe tools for editing your photos. See our article, Clean up, extend, and reframe photos on iPad.

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, according to Apple. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.

See also

Tags: Apple Intelligence, Photos

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How to back up and sync your photos and videos with iCloud on iPad

Wednesday October 14, 2026 9:34 pm EAT by Dave Johnson

You can use iCloud Photos to keep your photos and videos securely stored in iCloud. If you turn on iCloud Photos on all your devices, you can see the photos and videos you took on iPad on any device, and you can also access them in a web browser.

When it’s on, the photos and videos you take are uploaded automatically and stored in their original format at full resolution. Changes you make on one device show up on your other devices, too.

Note: Make sure that you’re signed in to the same Apple Account on all your devices, and that your devices meet these minimum system requirements: iOS 8.3, iPadOS 13.1, macOS 10.10.3, or later, or a Windows device with iCloud for Windows 7.x or later.

Turn on iCloud Photos

Open the Settings app on your iPad.
Tap your name, then tap iCloud.
Tap Photos, then turn on Sync this iPad.

iCloud uploads every photo and video you take automatically, keeping your photos backed up and in sync. Your library is then available from any device, anytime.

Check if your photos and videos are backed up to iCloud

To make sure you’ll have copies if something happens to your iPad, check that iCloud Photos is syncing your photos to iCloud. Paused syncing means your photos aren’t being backed up to iCloud.

Open the Photos app on your iPad.
Tap Collections.
In the top-right corner of the screen, you can see a preview of your syncing status. You may see any of the following:
- Yellow badge: iCloud syncing is paused. Tap your account icon to see the details.
- Yellow warning icon: Your iCloud storage is almost full. Tap your account icon to see the details.
- Red exclamation mark: Your iCloud storage is full. See Get more iCloud storage.
- Blue badge: You have notifications from a shared library or shared album. Tap your account icon to see the details.
- Partially filled blue circle around your account icon: Photos are actively uploading to iCloud. Tap your account icon to see the details.
- Partially filled gray outline around your account icon: Uploads are paused. Tap your account icon to see the details.
Tap your account to see more details. The last time your iPad synced with iCloud appears below the account profile.

Sync iCloud Photos immediately

iCloud Photos prioritizes syncing items that are added to your library after Sync Immediately is turned on.

Open the Photos app on your iPad.
Tap Collections. Tap your iCloud account profile at the top of the screen.
Tap Sync Immediately, then tap For Today.

To turn off syncing, tap Off. Sync Immediately automatically turns off after one day.

Note: Sync Immediately may affect battery and cellular usage and will pause if Low Power Mode or Low Data Mode are turned on.

Turn off Optimize Storage on your iPad

iCloud Photos can help you get the most from the storage space on your iPad. With Optimize iPad Storage on, your full-resolution photos and videos stay in iCloud in their original formats, while your iPad keeps storage-saving versions. Optimize iPad Storage starts out on, though you can turn it off.

Open the Settings app on your iPad.
Tap your name, then tap iCloud.
Tap Photos and tap iPad Storage. Tap Download and Keep Originals.

Get more iCloud storage

If your uploaded photos and videos exceed your storage plan, you can upgrade to iCloud+ for more storage and additional features. See Subscribe to iCloud+.

See also

Use iCloud on iPad

Tags: iCloud, Photos

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