iPadOS

The icons in the status bar at the top of the screen provide information about iPad. When Stage Manager or Windowed Apps is on, you’ll see additional icons in the menu bar. They cover privacy indicators, battery, connectivity, active sessions, and Stage Manager and multitasking.

An icon can tell you that an app is using your camera or microphone, that the iPad battery is charging, or that iPad is recording your screen. The more Wi-Fi bars, the stronger the connection, and when the battery icon is yellow, Low Power Mode is on.

Note: If you turn on a Focus, the status bar shows its icon.

Privacy Indicators

Battery

Connectivity

Active Sessions

Stage Manager and Multitasking

Media

Accessibility

Accessibility icons

See also

• Connect iPad to the internet
• Show the iPad battery percentage
• Get information about your iPad

You can find your serial number, IMEI, and model information, including the name, iPadOS software version, model name, model number, and number of songs, videos, photos, and apps. You can also view cellular data usage, and see Legal & Regulatory information, like legal notices and license, warranty, and RF exposure information.

Find your serial number, IMEI, and model information

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap General and tap About. The items you can view include:
   • Name
   • iPadOS software version
   • Model Name
   • Model Number. To the right of Model Number, the part number appears. To see the model number, tap the part number.
   • Serial number
   • Network (Wi-Fi + Cellular models)
   • Number of songs, videos, photos, and apps
   • Capacity and available storage space
   • Carrier (Wi-Fi + Cellular models)
   • Cellular Data Number (Wi-Fi + Cellular models)
   • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® addresses
   • ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identifier, or Smart Card) for GSM networks (Wi-Fi + Cellular models)
   • MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier) for CDMA networks (Wi-Fi + Cellular models)
   • Available SIM or SIMs (Wi-Fi + Cellular models)

Quick tip: To copy the serial number or other identifiers, touch and hold the one you want until Copy appears.

To see Legal & Regulatory information (including legal notices and license, warranty, and RF exposure information) and regulatory marks, go to the Settings app, tap General, then tap Legal & Regulatory.

View cellular data usage

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Cellular Data.

For more on cellular data settings, read our guide, View or change cellular data settings on iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular models).

View or turn off diagnostic information

To help Apple improve products and services, iPad sends diagnostic and usage data based on the settings you turn on. This data, Apple says, is anonymous, but may include location information.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Privacy & Security and tap Analytics & Improvements.

See also

• Turn on and set up iPad

Use AirPrint to print wirelessly to an AirPrint-enabled printer from apps such as Mail, Photos, Safari, and Freeform. Many apps available on the App Store also support AirPrint.

iPad and the printer must be on the same Wi-Fi network. You can see the status of a print job in Print Center, where a badge shows how many documents are in the queue, and cancel printing there if you need to.

Choose an AirPrint-enabled printer

After confirming that your printer supports AirPrint and that your iPad and printer are on the same Wi-Fi network, do the following:

1. Open the app you want to print from.
2. Tap the Share button, the More button, the Reply button, or the Actions Menu button (depending on the app).
3. Tap Print, tap No Printer Selected, and choose an AirPrint-enabled printer.

Print a document

1. Open the app you want to print from.
2. Tap the Share button, the More button, the Reply button, or the Actions Menu button (depending on the app).
3. Tap Print. (If you don’t see Print, swipe up.)

See the status of a print job

Open Exposé, then tap Print Center.

The icon’s badge tells you how many documents are in the queue.

To cancel a print job, select it in Print Center, then tap Cancel Printing.

See also

• Connect to a Wi-Fi network

You can use a cable to directly connect your iPad to a Mac with OS X 10.9 or later, or to a Windows device with Windows 7 or later. A cable connection is how you set up iPad, share your internet connection, update iPad, or sync content with your computer.

Using the charging cable for your iPad, connect iPad to the USB port on your computer. If the cable isn’t compatible with the port on your computer, you’ll need to use an adapter (sold separately).

Note: When your iPad shows an alert asking whether to trust this computer, select Trust.

After connecting iPad to a computer with a cable, you’re able to do any of the following:

• Set up iPad for the first time.
• Share your internet connection with your computer.
• Use your computer to erase all content and settings from iPad.
• Update iPad using your computer.
• Sync content or transfer files between your iPad and Mac or Windows device.

While iPad is connected to your computer, the iPad battery charges, as long as your computer is connected to power.

You can securely erase your personal information, content, and settings (such as privacy and network settings) from your iPad. When you erase your iPad, it’s restored to factory settings.

If you want to reset your iPad settings but keep your personal content, see Reset iPad settings to their defaults. Before you begin, you back up your iPad so you can restore your data later, and if you have an eSIM, you can choose to erase it or keep it.

Before you begin

Back up your iPad so you can restore your data later on a different device.

Erase iPad using Settings

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap General, then tap Transfer or Reset iPad.
3. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
4. If asked, enter your iPad passcode or Apple Account password.
5. Tap Continue to confirm.

   If you have an eSIM, you can choose to erase your eSIM or keep it. If you erase your eSIM, you need to contact your carrier to reactivate your cellular plan.

Erase iPad using your Mac or Windows device

1. Connect your iPad to your computer with a USB or USB-C cable.
2. On your Mac, click the Finder icon to open a Finder window, or open the Apple Devices app on your Windows device.

   If your Mac is using macOS 10.14 or earlier, or your Windows device doesn’t have the Apple Devices app, open iTunes instead.

3. Click the iPad icon in the Finder sidebar (below Locations). Then click General at the top of the window.
4. Click Restore iPad, then click Restore to confirm.

   Note: If you’re signed in to Find My, you need to sign out before you can click Restore.

See also

• Sell, give away, or trade in your iPad

Spotlight on iPad finds apps and contacts, content in apps like Mail and Messages, and even text in your photos using Live Text. It’s also where you’ll check stock and currency information, and open webpages, apps, and images from your photo library.

When you search for an app, shortcuts for your most likely next action appear in the Top Hit. If you search for Photos, for example, you’ll get a shortcut to the Favorites album. You can even take quick action right from your search, like starting a timer, turning on a Focus, or finding the name of a song with Shazam.

When you turn on Siri AI (Beta)* on supported iPad models, Spotlight becomes where you start a conversation with Siri: ask for personal context, get broad world knowledge, or take actions across your app, all from the same place. See Get started with Siri AI on iPad.

Note: Siri AI is available in beta on iPadOS 27 or later on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) or iPad model with M1 or later set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not initially be available in the EU on iPadOS. Usage limits may apply.

Search with iPad

1. Go to the Home Screen or the Lock Screen.
2. Swipe down from the middle of the screen.
3. Enter what you’re looking for in the search field.
4. Do any of the following:
   • Initiate your search: Tap Go or Search.
   • Open a suggested app: Tap the app.
   • Take quick action: Start a timer, turn on a Focus, find the name of a song with Shazam, run any shortcut, and more. Search for an app’s name to see shortcuts available for the app, or create your own using the Shortcuts app.
   • Check a suggested website: Tap it.
   • Get more information about a search suggestion: Tap it. Tap one of the results to open it.
   • Start a new search: Tap the Clear Text button in the search field.

Note: Third-party app content appears in search results only if the app supports Spotlight indexing. When something you’re looking for doesn’t appear, the app might not support Spotlight search.

Choose which apps and content to include in Search

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Search and scroll down. Tap an app.
3. Turn Show App in Search or Show Content in Search on or off.

Turn off Location-Based Suggestions

Spotlight may use your location to refine suggestions when Location Services is on, though you can turn off Location-Based Suggestions.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Privacy & Security and then tap Location Services.
3. Tap System Services, then turn off Suggestions & Search.

Search in apps

To help you find something within the app, many apps include a search field or a search button. In the Maps app, for example, you can search for a specific location.

1. In an app, tap the search field or the Search button (if there is one).

   If you don’t see a search field or button, swipe down from the top.

2. Type your search and then tap Search.

Add a dictionary

If you add dictionaries on iPad, they can be used in searches.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap General and tap Dictionary. Select a dictionary.

*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

• Search for a setting

If iPad isn’t responding, and you can’t restart it by turning it off then on, try forcing it to restart. How you force restart iPad depends on your model: one with Face ID or with Touch ID in the top button, or one with the Home button.

Force restart iPad (models with Face ID or with Touch ID in the top button)

If your iPad doesn’t have the Home button, do the following:

1. Press and quickly release the volume button nearest to the top button.
2. Press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
3. Press and hold the top button.
4. When the Apple logo appears, release the top button.

Force restart iPad (models with the Home button)

Press and hold the top button and the Home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.

If your iPad Pro 11-inch (M4 and M5) or iPad Pro 13-inch (M4 and M5) has nano-texture glass, use the included Apple Polishing Cloth to clean it. Nano-texture glass is optional and only available on models with 1 TB and 2 TB of storage.