FIX YOUR iPAD
If you’re having problems with your Apple tablet, try these tips
1 Restart your iPad
To force restart an iPad that has Face ID, or Touch ID in its top button, press the upper and lower volume button in quick succession, then press and hold the top button; release it when you see the Apple logo. If your iPad has a Home button, press and hold the Home button and top button together, releasing when the Apple logo appears.
2 Charging problems
If your iPad isn’t charging, or is charging extremely slowly, check the USB socket into which it’s plugged. It must deliver at least 2.1A of power. If you’ve plugged it into a lower-powered socket, perhaps because you’ve used your iPhone’s charging plug by mistake, try using a 2.1A charger instead.
3 Apple keyboard not working
If you’re using a Magic Keyboard, make sure you have iPadOS 14.5 or later. If you use a Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard Folio, don’t use another iPad case with it. Wipe the connectors with a microfibre cloth. Connect your keyboard, and if it doesn’t work, restart your iPad and try again.
4 FaceTime with Android or Windows
It’s possible to FaceTime with someone who uses an Android or Windows device, but you can’t call them in the same way you do with an Apple user. Instead, open the FaceTime app and tap Create Link. You can then send a link to join a chat using one of the methods offered in the pop-up window. When the Windows or Android user receives the invitation to join, they can click on it to open a FaceTime chat in a web browser.
5 AirPrint isn’t working
If you’re trying to print out from your iPad and it isn’t happening, first make sure your printer is AirPrint-compatible, and the printer and your iPad are on the same Wi-Fi network. There’s a list of compatible printers at apple.co/43rGdP1.
Open the App Switcher (swipe up to the middle of the screen, or double-click the Home button). Tap Print Centre, and
6 Take an iPhone call on your iPad
You can take iPhone calls on your iPad or Mac, as long as they’re all on the same network and logged into your Apple ID. It’s called Handoff. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Mobile Data > Calls on Other Devices, turn on ‘Allow Calls on Other Devices’ and turn on each individual device you want to allow calls on. On your iPad, go to Settings > FaceTime and turn on the FaceTime and the ‘Calls from iPhone’ options. Now you can make and receive calls on your iPad.
cancel the queued print job. Turn the printer off, count to 10 and turn it on, then try again.
7 Stuck or dead pixels
If you have a pixel on your screen that won’t change colour or remains black, try these fixes. Place a finger or thumb on the faulty pixel and gently rub it. This might bring it back to life.
On YouTube, search for ‘Pixel fixer’. There are numerous videos that rapidly flash colours on your screen, which again might bring your dead pixel back to life.
If this fails, it seems your pixel is beyond repair. You can put up with it, or take the iPad to an Apple Store and talk about a replacement screen.
8 iPad multitasking
Multitasking enables you to use two apps open on the screen at once, or even the same app twice. There are several ways to multitask on your iPad. To use Slide Over, while using an app, swipe up from the foot of the screen to access the dock, then drag another app onto the side of the screen. It appears in a sidebar. To close the sidebar app, swipe it off the side of the screen.
For Picture-in-Picture, when watching a video in a supported app, look for a big square containing a little square in the bottom right corner. Tap it to watch your video in a window.
For Split View, open a Slide Over app and, using the grey line at the top, drag it to either side of the screen. The apps appear side by side. Resize by dragging the line between them, and close one of the apps by dragging this line all the way to the side of the screen.
To open the Multitasking Tools, tap the ‘…’ at the top of an open app. Use the icons that appear to open Full Screen, Split View or Slide Over.
9 iPad won’t turn on
Hold your iPad in portrait orientation, with the top button at the top. If it has a Home button, press and hold this Home button and the top button until you see the Apple logo. If it doesn’t have a Home button, quickly press and release the upper volume button, then the lower volume button, then press and hold the top button until you see the Apple logo.
10 Cellular data issues
If you have an iPad with mobile connectivity and are having issues with it, open the Control Centre and check you’re not in Airplane Mode. If you are, turn it off. If the status icon at the top of the screen shows No Service, there’s no mobile internet available in your current location. If you can’t get a connection no matter where you are, go to Settings > Mobile Data and turn it off and on again.
11 Which iPad do I have?
Find the model number on the back of the device, in the small print. It’s a letter followed by four numbers. Now go to apple.co/416My0y and look it up. Press Cmd+F and type the number on a Mac, or tap the Share icon and tap Find on Page on a mobile device.