iPad
Apple makes a tablet computer called the iPad. This chapter explains how to use it.
The iPad resembles Apple’s smartphone, which is called the iPhone.
The iPhone costs more than phones made by Motorola & Samsung and in some ways is worse, so I don’t recommend buying an iPhone now.
If you have an iPhone already, you can keep using it rather than go through the trouble of switching to Android. To learn how to use an iPhone, read my previous edition (the 33rd edition), available by calling me at 603-666-6644.
The iPad and iPhone both use an operating system called iOS. Now the iPad’s version of iOS is called iPadOS. This chapter explains how to use iPadOS.
Apple has improved iOS and the iPhone:
iOS 1 was invented in 2008 to handle the iPhone 1.
iOS 2 was invented in 2008 to handle the iPhone 3G.
iOS 3 was invented in 2009 to handle the iPhone 3GS.
iOS 4 was invented in 2010 to handle the iPhone 4.
iOS 5 was invented in 2011 to handle the iPhone 4s.
iOS 6 was invented in 2012 to handle the iPhone 5.
iOS 7 was invented in 2013 to handle the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s.
iOS 8 was invented in 2014 to handle the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
iOS 9 was invented in 2015 to handle the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
iOS 10 was invented in 2016 to handle the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
iOS 11 was invented in 2017 to handle the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
iOS 12 was invented in 2018 to handle the iPhone XR and iPhone XS.
iOS 13 was invented in 2019 to handle the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.
iOS 14 was invented in 2020 to handle the iPhone 12.
iOS 15 was invented in 2021 to handle the iPhone 13.
Apple’s improved the iPad:
Apple began selling the iPad 1 in April 2010 with iOS 3.2.
Apple called it the original iPad.
Apple began selling the iPad 2 in March 2011 with iOS 4.2.1.
Apple began selling the iPad 3 in March 2012 with iOS 5.1.
Apple called it the iPad 3rd generation and the new iPad.
Apple began selling the iPad 4 in November 2012 with iOS 6.
Apple called it the iPad 4th generation and the iPad with Retina Display.
Apple also sold a smaller version (called the iPad mini).
Apple began selling the iPad 5 in November 2013 with iOS 7.0.3.
Apple called it the iPad 5th generation and the iPad Air.
Apple also sold a smaller version (called the iPad mini 2 and the iPad mini with Retina Display).
Later, Apple began selling many other iPads and changed the name of the iPad’s operating system from “iOS” to “iPadOS.”
This chapter explains how to use the cheapest recent iPad,
which was invented in November 2020. It’s called the iPad 8
(or iPad 8th generation).
The 32-gigabyte version lists for $329, but Walmart sells it for $299. It uses
the iPad’s version of iOS 14, which is called iPadOS 14. If you have an older iPad
(iPad 6 or later), you can upgrade its operating system to iPadOS 14, free! If
you have a newer iPad or a newer iPadOS, its commands are similar.
Starting
Here’s how to start using the tablet (iPad 8th generation). Other iPads are similar.
Unpack
The tablet comes in a white box. Open the box and put the contents on your desk (or table).
The box contains 3 electronic items:
the tablet itself (9⅞ inches tall, 6⅞ inches wide, and ¼ inch thick)
a charger (white box, 1⅝"´1⅝"´1⅛", to plug into an electrical outlet)
a USB cable (for connecting your tablet to the charger or a computer)
Each item is enclosed in its own protective sheath. Remove the sheaths and throw them away.
The box also contains:
2 Apple decals (so you can brag you have an Apple product)
an instruction sheet (saying how to start your tablet and get more info)
a safety sheet (saying how to avoid hurting your tablet and yourself)
Position the tablet
The tablet’s backside says “iPad” and shows a solid color. The color depends on which model you bought: it’s either dark gray (which Apple calls “Space Gray”) or light gray (which Apple calls “Silver”) or pink (which Apple calls “Gold”).
The tablet’s front side is black screen, surrounded by a border that’s white (unless you bought the dark-gray backside, which comes with a border that’s black).
Lay the tablet on your desk so the tablet lies on its backside and its front side is facing up at you.
On the front side’s border, you see a big circle
(the Home button).
Position the tablet so the Home button is close to your tummy. The edge
containing the Home button is called the bottom edge.
The opposite edge, which is far from your tummy, contains a
tiny black circle (the selfie
camera). That edge is called the
top edge.
Plug in the tablet
Plus the USB cable’s small end into the tablet’s bottom edge. Plug the USB cable’s big end into the charger. Plug the charger into your home’s electrical outlet.
Turn on the tablet
If this is the first time the tablet is being used, it does
this
setup procedure:
The screen lights up. It shows the Apple logo (a partly eaten apple) then “Hello”.
Press the Home button. To use the tablet normally, tap “English” then “United States” then “Set Up Manually”.
You see a list of your neighborhood’s Wi-Fi networks. Tap the name of the Wi-Fi network you want to use (such as the Wi-Fi router in your home). If the screen says “Password” (because that network’s router has a password), type the password (which is probably on a sticker under the router). If the password includes a special symbol (such as a digit), do this: while holding down the “.?123” key, tap that symbol. When you finish typing the password, tap the “Join” key.
Tap “Next” then “Continue”.
To keep things simple for now, tap “Set Up Touch ID Later” then “Don’t Use” then “Passcode Options” then “Don’t Use Passcode” then “Don’t Use Passcode” again then “Don’t Transfer Apps & Data” then “Forgot password or don’t have an Apple ID” then “Set Up Later in Settings” then “Don’t Use”.
Tap “Agree” then “Continue” then “Continue” again.
To keep things simple for now, decline “Siri”.
The screen will say “Screen Time”. To keep things simple, tap “Set Up Later in Settings”.
Tap “Share with App Developers” then “Continue” then “Get Started”.
Then you see the Home screen.
If the tablet was used previously, the tablet skips that procedure, so do this:
Your goal is to make the screen light up. If the screen is lit up already, hooray!
If the screen isn’t lit up yet, press the Power button (which is also called the Sleep/Wake button). That button sticks out of the top edge, at the right. Press that button, and keep holding it in until the screen lights up. Then take your finger off that button.
See the Home screen
The screen’s top shows the time.
The rest of the screen might be the Home screen. To make sure the Home screen appears, do this:
Tap the Home button (the big circle on the screen’s bottom edge). Then pause (for at least half a second). Then press the Home button again.
The Home screen typically shows these 20 choices:
FaceTime Calendar Clock Home Photos Camera
Reminders Notes Voice Memos Contacts Maps Find My
App Store Books Podcasts TV News Stocks
Measure Settings
Above each choice is a tiny symbol (a drawing), called an icon. For example, above “Settings” you see a gear (bumpy circles); that’s the Settings icon.
The Dock
At the screen’s bottom (near the Home button), you see an extra row of icons. That row is called the Dock.
The first time the tablet is used, the Dock contains just 5 icons:
Messages Safari Apple Music Mail Files
But later the Dock expands, to include whatever icons the Dock thinks you want to see.
Home screen 2
If you put your finger on the Home screen’s middle and immediately swipe to the left, you see Home screen 2, which has extra choices. It typically shows these 11 choices:
Photo Booth Shortcuts iTunes Store Tips Apple Store Clips
GarageBand iMovie Keynote Numbers Pages
To return to the main Home screen, tap the Home screen button (or swipe to the right).
Blackout
If you don’t touch the tablet for 5 seconds while viewing the Lock screen (or for 2 minutes while viewing the other screens), the screen will go black, to save electricity and prevent your enemies from peeking at what you were doing.
If the screen’s gone black, here’s how to make it return to normal:
Tap the Power button then the Home button.
If the screen is on and you want the screen to go black, you can use 3 methods:
Wait method Wait awhile, without touching the screen, until the screen goes automatically black.
Tap method Tap the Power button. That makes the screen go black immediately.
Hold method Hold down the Power button. Wait until you see “slide to power off”. Put your finger on the red circle and slide it to the right.
The hold method is the only one that turns the tablet off completely, so it uses no electricity. The other methods just put the tablet into sleep mode, which means the tablet is consuming a little electricity while waiting for you to press the Power button again to reactivate the screen and resume your work where you left off.
You might get angry when the tablet automatically blackens after 2 minutes. Here’s how to pick a longer time than “2 minutes”:
Go to the Home screen. Tap “Settings” then “Display & Brightness” then “Auto-Lock”. You see these choices: 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, never.
Tap how long you want
instead of “2 minutes”. For example, tap
“5 minutes” (which is the time I prefer).
That change affects most screens but not the Lock screen. The Lock screen still blackens after just 5 seconds.
Dim screen If the tablet plans to go to sleep because you haven’t touched it awhile, the tablet will warn you by making the screen become dim (instead of bright). That warning occurs 15 seconds before the tablet goes to sleep.
To prevent the tablet from going to sleep, give the tablet a nudge by touching its screen. For example, touch a blank area on the screen, or tap the time, which is at the screen’s top-left corner. (Tapping the time has no major effect except keeping the tablet away.) Then the screen becomes bright again.
Choose Wi-Fi
If you moved the tablet recently, tell it which Wi-Fi network to use, by doing this procedure (if you haven’t done it previously):
Tap the Settings icon, which is on the Home screen.
Tap “Wi-Fi”, which should be at the screen’s left edge. (If you don’t see “Wi-Fi” yet, make it appear by doing this: put your finger on the screen, near the left edge, and swipe down.)
You see a list of your neighborhood’s Wi-Fi networks. Tap the name of the Wi-Fi network you want to use (such as the Wi-Fi router in your home). If the screen says “Password”, type the router’s password then tap “Join”.
Then tap the Home button (to return the screen to normal).
Update
Here’s how to update from an old iPadOS to the newest iPadOS:
Plug your tablet into the wall (or make sure you have at least 50% of the battery power left).
On the Home screen, tap the Settings icon.
Tap “General”, which should be at the screen’s left edge. (If you don’t see “General” yet, make it appear by doing this: put your finger on the screen, near the left edge, and swipe down.)
If the screen’s top says “< General”, make that disappear (by tapping it).
Tap “Software Update” (which is the 2nd choice in the screen’s right-hand column).
If you see “Install Now”, tap that. The screen goes black. Then you see a black apple. Below the black apple, you see a gray horizontal line that gradually becomes black. Then the screen goes black. (Then you might see the black apple again with the gray horizontal line that gradually becomes black again, then the screen go black again.)
Press the Home button once or twice, until you see “Update Completed”.
You see the Home screen.
If you want to arrange the Home screen’s icons the way Apple recommends (and the way this book assumes), do this:
On the Home screen, tap the “Settings” icon. Tap “General” (which is at the screen’s left edge). Tap “Reset” (which you see near the screen’s right edge, after you put your finger near the screen’s right edge and swipe up) then “Reset Home Screen Layout” then the red “Reset” then the Home button.
The rest of this chapter assumes you’re using an updated iPadOS 14 version (such as iPadOS 14.0.1).
Battery icon
The screen’s top-right corner shows a picture of a battery.
Look at the battery picture’s left part:
If it’s green, the battery’s in a good mood because it’s charging and the tablet is plugged in.
If it’s white, the tablet is not plugged in.
If it’s black, the tablet is not plugged in and you’re in the middle of running an app (such as Notes).
If it’s red, the battery’s charge is almost gone.
How long is that left part? If it’s long, the battery has lots of charge in it; if it’s short, the battery has little charge in it.
The percentage of the battery’s picture that’s in the left part is the percentage of the battery that’s charged. You also see the percentage number, such as “78%”.
Notes
Apple’s built-in word processor is called Notes. Using it is a good way to practice typing, so try it!
To use it tap the “Notes” icon (which is on the Home screen).
If you see “Continue”, tap it. If you see “Turn on iCloud”, tap “Not Now” (to keep things simple).
Create a note
Tap the New Note icon (which is at the screen’s top-right corner and looks like a pencil writing on a square sheet of paper).
Tap in the screen’s middle. Then you see a keyboard at the screen’s bottom.
Invent a title for your note, such as —
Love
or —
Why I love school
or something more cynical. Type it on the keyboard, using just one or two fingers. At the end of the title, tap the return key. Then type your note’s details.
To type, use these tricks:
To erase a mistake, tap the Backspace key (which shows “Õ”).
The tablet normally makes the letters be small (uncapitalized), but it automatically capitalizes the first word in the title and in each sentence & paragraph. To change how a letter will be capitalized, tap a Shift key (which shows an up-arrow) before tapping the letter.
To Shift-lock (capitalize several letters), double-tap the Shift key (by tapping it twice without much pause between the taps), then tap the letters you want to capitalize, then tap the Shift key again.
To type a period then a space, just double-tap the space bar (by tapping the space bar then quickly tapping it again).
At the end of the title and each paragraph, tap the return key.
To type a number or symbol, tap the Number key (which is at the screen’s bottom-left corner and shows “.?123”), so you see numbers & symbols. Tap any numbers or symbols you want. (To see more symbols, then tap the Symbol key, which shows “#+=”.) To return to the usual keyboard, tap the Alpha key (which shows “ABC”). But instead of “tapping the Number key then the number then the Alpha key,” you can do this shortcut: while holding down the Number key, tap the number. Here’s another shortcut: while looking at the normal keyboard (which shows letters in black and numbers in gray), rest your finger on the number and swipe down (toward the screen’s bottom edge).
Predictive text
To type a long word, type its beginning. The keyboard’s top row shows 3 guesses about what word you’re trying to type. If one of those guesses is correct, tap it; then the computer will finish typing the word for you.
To have fun, try typing nothing yourself: just keep picking the first guess, and see what the tablet writes for you! For example, if you haven’t typed much yet but type the letters “The”, the tablet might assume you want to begin with the word “The”. If you tap “The”, the tablet assumes you want the next word to be “only”. If you tap that suggestion and keep tapping the later suggestions, the tablet writes a note that begins: “The only thing I can do is that I have to be able to get a hold of the kids and I don’t have to be there for a while and I don’t know if I can get them to you or not but I don’t know”. What does your tablet write?
Undo
If you make a mistake, here’s how to undo it:
Keyboard method At the keyboard’s top-left corner, you see a curved arrow pointing to the left. Tap it.
Shake method Lift the tablet off the desk. Shake the tablet back and forth (repeatedly & rapidly move it “toward you then away from you”). Tap the yellow “Undo”.
Accents
To type the symbol “é”, rest your finger on the “e” key awhile. You’ll see 7 kinds of “e”, each having a different accent. Slide your finger to the “é” (or whatever other accented “e” you prefer).
Similarly, to type the symbol “ñ”, rest your finger on the “n” key awhile. You’ll see 2 kinds of “n”, each having a different accent. Slide your finger to the “ñ” (or whatever other accented “n” you prefer).
These letters offer accents:
a c e i l n o s u y z
Fonts
Here’s how to change the font:
Tap the “Aa” (which is at the
keyboard’s top right corner). Tap “B” for boldface, “I” for
italics, “U” for underline, “S” for strikethrough, or any
combination of those, so their background becomes yellow. Then type what you
want in that font.
When you finish typing in that font, here’s how to return to normal:
Tap the “Aa” key again. Then tap the font features until their backgrounds are no longer yellow.
Hide the keyboard
If you want to hide the keyboard (so your screen shows more of what you typed), tap the Keyboard key (which is at the bottom-right corner).
To make the keyboard reappear, tap the screen’s middle.
Emoji
Here’s how to type an emoji (emotional symbol, such as a smiley face).
Tap “J”, which is near the screen’s bottom-left corner. You see 27 emoji. To see others, you can put your finger in the middle of the 27 and repeatedly swipe to the left, or tap one of these 9 categories (which are on the screen’s bottom row):
frequently used, smileys (& people), animals (& nature), food (& drink), activity, travel (& places), objects, symbols, flags
If you tap one of those categories, swipe left afterwards to see more emoji in that category.
When you see an emoji you like, tap it. That copies the emoji into your document. To put several emoji into your document, tap them.
When you finish typing emoji, tap the “ABC” at the screen’s bottom-left corner. Then you see a normal keyboard again, so you can type words and numbers again.
Dictation
Instead of typing on the keyboard, you can dictate the document by speaking into the microphone. To do that, tap the keyboard’s microphone button (which is left of the space bar). If the tablet asks “Enable Dictation?”, tap the blue “Enable Dictation”.
Speak the English words you want the computer to type. (While you speak, the computer won’t type; the computer will do the typing later.) Also speak the punctuation marks, by saying:
“period” or “comma” or “question mark” or “exclamation point” or “colon” or “semicolon” or “dash” or “new line” or “new paragraph”
To create fancier punctuation, do this:
To capitalize a word’s first letter, say “cap” then the word.
To capitalize all letters in a word, say “all caps” then the word.
To capitalize all letters in a phrase, say “all caps on” then the phrase then “all caps off”.
To put quotation marks around a phrase, say “quote” then the phrase then “end quote”.
The main microphone is a tiny pinhole in the top edge’s center, above the selfie camera (which is a slightly bigger hole). An extra microphone is a pinhole in the tablet’s backside.
Speak clearly, like a newscaster on American TV. (Foreign accents confuse it.)
You can speak for up to 1 minute. When you finish speaking, tap the keyboard icon (which is at the screen’s bottom, above the Home button).
Then the computer will try to finish typing what you said. (If you don’t like the computer’s typing, edit it.)
Selections
To select a word to edit, double-tap it. (To do that, tap the word then immediately tap it again, so the pause between taps is less than a third of a second.)
That makes the word have a yellow background.
You also see a grab point (yellow dot) before the word and another grab point after the word. To make the selection include more words, slide (drag) the grab points until the colored background includes all the words you want to select.
Then tell the tablet what to do to the selected words.
If you want to delete the words, tap the Backspace key.
If you want to move the words, do this: tap Cut, then tap the blank space where you want the words to appear, then (after a pause) tap that space again, then tap Paste.
While you’re editing, you can position your finger more accurately by using this trick:
Instead of pointing by using a finger, use a fingernail (because it’s smaller).
Scroll
If you type more lines than can fit on the screen, the screen will show just part of your note (document). To see the rest of the note, put your finger in the screen’s middle and slide down (to drag the note down, so you can see the note’s top) or slide up (to drag the note up, so you can see the note’s bottom). Sliding the note is called scrolling.
Extra notes
To create an extra note, tap the New Note icon (which is at the screen’s top-right corner and looks like a pencil writing on a sheet of paper).
If you’ve created more than one note, here’s how to switch from note to note: if you see an orange “Notes” at the screen’s top-left corner, tap it. Then you see a list of all your notes. Tap whichever note interests you.
Delete a note
Here’s how to delete an entire note.
Get that note onto the screen. Tap the Menu button (which is near the screen’s top-right corner and shows “…” in a circle). Tap “Delete”. If you see “OK”, tap it.
Portrait versus landscape
Normally, the tablet lies flat (horizontally) on your desk (or table).
Try this experiment. While using the Notes app, lift the tablet’s top edge off the desk, until the tablet is vertical instead of horizontal. Then rotate the tablet clockwise, 90 degrees, so the tablet looks wider and not as tall. When you do that, all the writing on the screen rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise to compensate, so you can still read what’s on the screen without turning your head.
When the tablet is wider than its height, you’re in landscape mode; the orientation is landscape (and good for viewing a painting of a landscape). In landscape mode, the keyboard’s keys are bigger, so you can type on them more easily (but less space remains on the screen to show what you’ve typed).
To return to normal (which is called portrait mode), lift the tablet’s top edge off the desk again then rotate the tablet counterclockwise, 90 degrees, so the Home button is at the tablet’s bottom again. Then the tablet is taller than it is wide; you’re in portrait mode; the orientation is portrait (and good for viewing a portrait of a person).
Landscape mode is available usually. For example, it’s available for the Home screen and Notes.
Return to Home
When you finish writing and reading your notes, tap the Home button (at the screen’s bottom), so you see the Home screen again.
Calendar
When you’re looking at the Home screen, you see the word “Calendar”. Above that word, you see the day of the week (such as “FRI”, which means “Friday”) and the date (such as “27”).
To see a bigger calendar, tap the date (which is above the word “Calendar”).
If the screen says “What’s New in Calendar”, tap “Continue”. If the screen asks “Allow Calendar to use your location?”, tap “Allow While Using App”.
Make the calendar normal
To make sure the calendar is normal, tap the word “Month” (which is near the screen’s top). To make sure the calendar includes today, tap the word “Today” (which is red and near the screen’s top-right corner).
Different months
After you’ve admired the current month, here’s how to see a different month instead.
Swipe method Put your finger in the screen’s middle then slide up (to see later months) or slide down (to see earlier months).
Tap method Tap “Year” (which is at the screen’s top). Then tap the month you want.
Return to Home
When you finish using the calendar, tap the Home button (at the screen’s bottom), so you see the Home screen again.
Reminders
To write a to-do list and let the computer remind you of what you haven’t done yet, go to the Home screen then tap the Reminders icon (which is above the word “Reminders”).
If the screen asks “Allow Reminders to use your location?”, tap “Allow While Using App”. If the screen says “Welcome to Reminders”, tap “Continue”.
Create a task list
A keyboard appears. Type a reminder (such as “Buy milk”). At the end of your typing, tap the “return” key.
Type another reminder (such as “Wash the car”) then tap “return” again. Type another reminder (such as “Phone grandma”) then tap “return” again. Type other reminders (such as “Pay bills”, “Study for exam”, “Write report”, “Become a more loving person”, “Arrange good-bye party”, and “Commit suicide”); tap Return after each.
You’ve created a list of tasks to do.
Mark what you’ve accomplished
To the left of each task is a circle. When you’ve accomplished a task, tap its circle, so a purple dot appears there.
Adjust your view
If the keyboard’s blocking your view and preventing you from seeing many tasks, make the keyboard disappear by tapping “Done” (which is near the screen’s top-right corner) or by swiping up or down in the list of tasks. To make the keyboard reappear, tap “New Reminder” (which is at the screen’s bottom).
Here’s how to control whether you still see tasks you’ve completed:
While the keyboard’s not on the screen, tap the Menu button (which near the screen’s top-right corner and shows “…” in a circle). Then choose “Show Completed” or “Hide Completed”.
Alter a task
You can alter a task in several ways.
To change the task’s name, do this:
Tap the task’s name. Then use the keyboard to edit the name.
To make the tablet ring an alarm when the task is due, do this:
Tap the task’s name. Tap the “i” that’s to the right of the task’s name. Tap the circle that’s to the right of “Time”, so you see green next to that circle.
The tablet assumes you want the alarm to ring at the next hour. (For example, if the time is now 7:03 PM, the tablet assumes you want the alarm to ring today at 8:00 PM.) To adjust that assumption, tap the gray or white buttons; here’s how: tap “AM” or “PM” (whichever you want) then the time you see (such as “8:00”) then the digits you want instead (you don’t have to type the “:”) then “Done” then “Date” then (on the calendar) the date you want (after tapping the rightmost “>” if you want a later month).
Tap “Done”.
Later, whenever the tablet is on and realizes the alarm moment has come (or passed), the tablet gives you the alarm by waking up (if it was sleeping), playing a musical sound, and telling you the task’s name.
To delete the task, do this:
Make the keyboard disappear. Put your finger in the middle of the task’s name and immediately slide the task’s name to the left.
Cameras
Near the tablet’s top edge are some holes. 2 of them are the tablet’s cameras. They work best when you lift the tablet off your desk and hold it in front of your face, so the screen faces you, like a mirror.
The front camera (which is also called the front-facing camera,
the selfie camera,
and the FaceTime
camera) is a hole between the screen and the tablet’s top edge.
It can take pictures of you while you face the screen, so it takes pictures of your face and acts like a “mirror with a memory”.
Its quality is low: just 1.2 megapixels.
The back
camera (which is also called
the rear-facing
camera, the
main camera,
and the iSight camera)
is a big black hole on the tablet’s backside, near the top edge and the Power button.
Instead of taking pictures of you, it takes pictures of what your eye
sees, when the tablet is off your desk and near your eye. Its quality is
high: 8 megapixels.
Start
To use the cameras, choose one of these methods:
Home-screen method On the Home screen, tap the Camera icon.
Lock-screen method When the screen says “Press home to open” (because you just woke the tablet), put your finger in the screen’s middle and swipe to the left.
Anytime method Put your finger on the screen’s top-right corner then swipe down. You see the Control Center (a square full of icons at the screen’s top-right corner). Tap the Camera icon (which is the Control Center’s last icon).
If the tablet asks “Allow Camera to use your location?”, tap “Allow While Using App”.
Pick up the tablet and put it in front of your face, as if the tablet were a mirror. For your first experiment, keep the tablet upright, not tilted (so it’s in portrait mode, taller than wide).
Unblock
If the screen is dark, it’s probably because your hand or desk is blocking the camera’s lens.
Switch cameras
To toggle (switch back and forth) between using the front camera and the back camera, tap the Switch Camera button, which is at the screen’s right edge and shows 2 arrows chasing each other around a circle.
Zoom
While using the back camera, you can zoom in by doing this:
Put 2 fingers on the screen then stretch (slide your fingers apart).
Zooming in makes the camera act as a magnifying glass!
To zoom back out, put 2 fingers in the screen’s middle then pinch (slide your fingers together).
Photo or movie?
At the screen’s right edge, you normally see the words “VIDEO” and “PHOTO” and “SQUARE”.
What kind of shot do you want?
If “PHOTO” is yellow, the tablet acts as a simple camera to take a photo.
If “VIDEO” is yellow, the tablet acts as a movie camera to make a movie.
If “SQUARE” is yellow, the tablet will take a photo that’s square.
Tap which of those words you want yellow.
If you chose “PHOTO”, the screen’s right edge shows a target (circles inside circles). If the target is white, the photo will be normal; that’s probably what you want! If the target is yellow instead, the “photo” will be a live photo, which is a short movie (including sound), lasting 3 seconds (including 1½ seconds before you snap the photo and 1½ seconds after). Warning: a live photo consumes twice as much memory as a normal photo.
Take your shot
When you’re ready to take your shot, tap the Capture button (the BIG white circle at the screen’s right edge).
Here’s what happens:
If you chose simple camera, that tap makes the computer snap the photo.
If you chose movie camera, that tap makes the computer start recording the movie, with sound, and the icon’s red circle becomes a square. To stop recording (end the movie), tap that icon again.
To take another shot, repeat that procedure.
See what you’ve shot
To see what you’ve shot, tap the little photo at the screen’s right edge.
Then the photo becomes huge, consuming most of the screen. It’s your most recent shot. (If the tablet says “Explore”, tap “Got it”.)
If the shot was a movie, you see & hear the whole movie play.
If the shot was a live photo, rest your finger in the screen’s middle, to see & hear the live photo play.
If you want to increase the volume, press the Volume Up button (the top button sticking out of the tablet’s right edge).
If you double-tap a shot (tap, then immediately tap again in the same place), you see the shot enlarged, so it won’t fit on the screen, but you can scroll around it by swiping your fingers. To cancel the enlargement, double-tap again.
Ending
When you’re tired of admiring your shot, choose one of these activities:
To see the previous shot (if you took more than one), put your finger in the screen’s middle and swipe to the right.
To see the next shot (if you were looking at an older one), put your finger in the screen’s middle and swipe to the left.
To delete that shot, tap its middle then the trash can (which appears at the screen’s top). Then tap “Delete Photo” or “Delete Video”. You see the previous shot.
To shoot more pictures,
tap “<” (which appears at the screen’s
top-left corner, after tapping the screen once or twice).
To return to the Home screen, tap the Home button.
Return to Home
When you finish playing with cameras and your shots, tap the Home button, so you see the Home screen again.
Photos list
To see a list of all the photos & movies you created, do this:
Tap the Photos icon (on the Home screen). If the tablet says “What’s New in Photos”, tap “Continue”. If the screen’s top-left corner says “<”, tap that.
Tap the photo or movie you want to see. When you finish viewing that photo or movie, tap the “<” at the screen’s top-left corner.
If the screen’s top shows a crossed-out microphone, the movie’s sound is turned off until you do this:
Tap the crossed-out microphone then “<” then the movie.
Tilt
If you tilt the tablet, you can create a tilted photo or movie. For example, you can record a landscape (wide) instead of a portrait (tall).
While the tablet is tilted, the Home button is at the tablet’s side instead of at the bottom.
Screenshot
Here’s how to make & save a photo (take a shot) of whatever’s on the screen at the moment.
Quickly tap the Power and Home buttons simultaneously
The tablet will take a photo of your screen’s appearance. The tablet will put the photo into your Photos list. (To see the Photos list, tap the Home screen’s Photos icon.)
Internet
Here’s how to use the Internet.
Web
To access the Web, run Safari (the Web browser invented by Apple), by tapping the Safari icon. It’s in the Dock (the Home screen’s bottom row) and looks like a compass.
Go to a Web page At the screen’s top, you see a wide gray box that contains some text (such as “Search or enter website name”). That box is called the address field. Tap in that gray box, so a keyboard appears. (If the tablet says “Safari search now”, tap “Continue” then tap in the gray box again.)
Using the keyboard, type the Web address you want to visit. For example, if you want to visit www.cnn.com, type:
www.cnn.com
(The “www.” is optional.)
At the end of your typing, tap the Enter key, which is also called the Go key. (It’s blue, at the keyboard’s right edge, and says “go”).
To switch to a different Web page, repeat that procedure: tap in the gray box (which shows what you typed), then type the new Web address you want to visit, such as —
www.YouTube.com
then tap the Go button again.
If a Web page (such as www.yahoo.com or www.NyTimes.com or www.SecretFun.com) is too long to fit on the screen, here’s how to see the page’s bottom. Put your finger in the screen’s middle, then slide up (or, to move faster, flick your finger up, as if you were flicking an insect off your screen). To return to the Web page’s top, slide down or flick your finger down or twice tap the time (which is at the screen’s top).
Magnify To magnify the Web page (so you can read it more easily), you can try these techniques:
You can zoom in (by putting 2 fingers in the screen’s middle, then spreading them apart). To make the writing return to its normal size, zoom out (by putting 2 fingers near each other, in the screen’s middle, then pinching them together).
You can switch to landscape mode. (But in landscape mode, you see just the Web page’s top part, until you swipe to see the rest; so you’ll probably prefer portrait mode.)
Back After viewing several Web pages, you can go back to the previous Web page by tapping the Back button, which is the “<” at the screen’s top-left corner. (If you don’t see the Back button yet, make it reappear by tapping the time, which is at the screen’s top-left corner.)
Favorites If you find a Web page that you like a lot, do this while you’re viewing it: tap the Action button, which is right of the address field and shows an arrow hop out of a box. (If you don’t see the Action button yet, make it reappear by tapping the time, which is at the screen’s top.)
Then tap “Add to Favorites” then “Save”.
In the future, whenever you’re using Safari and want to return to that Web page, do this:
Tap the Bookmark icon (which is left of the address field and looks like an open book). If the screen’s left edge then shows “« Favorites”, tap that.
Then you see a list of favorite Web pages. Tap the Web page you want.
In the list of favorite Web pages, you see the Web pages you bookmarked plus these 4 Web pages, which Apple has already bookmarked for you:
Apple, Bing, Google, Yahoo
To delete a bookmark, look at the list of favorites then tap “Edit” (which is at the screen’s bottom) then the bad bookmark’s red circle then “Delete”. When you finish deleting bookmarks, tap “Done” (which is at the screen’s bottom).
Return to Home When you finish using the Web, tap the Home button (at the screen’s bottom), so you see the Home screen again.
To send or receive email messages on your tablet, tap the Mail icon. It’s in the Dock (the Home screen’s bottom row) and looks like an envelope.
If your tablet hasn’t been set up properly for email yet, here’s what happens:
What email address have you been using on your other computers? You see this list of email types: iCloud, Microsoft Exchange, Google Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft Hotmail Outlook, Other. Tap the correct type.
You’ll see a form. Fill it in, by typing on the keyboard. For example, if you chose Google Gmail or Yahoo or AOL or Other, do this: type your name (as you’d like it to appear in all email messages you send (such as “Russ Walter”), tap the “return” key, type the email address that was assigned to you by your email provider (such as “SecretGuide@comcast.net”), tap the “return” key, type the password that you registered with your email provider.
When you finish filling in the form, tap the blue Next button then “Save”.
Then start fresh, by pressing the Home button then the Mail icon.
Once your tablet’s been set up properly for email, here’s what happens.…
Read Near the screen’s top-left corner, you see “Inbox”. Tap “Inbox” (to make sure you’re seeing what’s in the Inbox). Then the screen’s left column shows a list of messages that came in.
To read a message, do this:
Tap the message. Then you see the message’s details.
(Then if you want to delete that message, tap the trash can, which is near the tablet’s top-right corner. That moves the message to the trash folder for a week, after which the message will vanish.)
When you finish reading (and maybe deleting) that message, tap “Back” (at the screen’s top-left corner). Then you see the list of messages again, so you can examine them.
A blue dot appears before each message you haven’t read yet.
To double-check whether any new messages came in during the last few minutes, put your finger in the screen’s left column and swipe down.
Write Here’s how to write an email message to a friend.
Tap the pencil-in-a-box (near the screen’s top-right corner) once or twice, until a keyboard appears.
Type your friend’s email address (or, to experiment, send a message to yourself by typing your own email address).
Tap “Subject:” (which is at the screen’s left edge). Invent a subject for your message. Type it, then tap the “return” key.
Type the message. (If you want to type a symbol instead of a letter, tap the “?123” key then the symbol then the “ABC” key.) At the end of each paragraph, tap the “return” key twice.
When you’ve finished typing the whole message, tap the
Send button
(which is near the screen’s top-right corner and looks like a blue paper
airplane). You hear a whoosh, as the tablet flies the message to your friend.
Dictation Instead of typing on the keyboard, you can dictate the document by speaking into the microphone. To do that, tap the keyboard’s microphone button (which is left of the space bar). For details, see “Dictation” on pages 183-184.
Manipulate While you’re reading a message you received, here’s how to manipulate it.
Tap the arrow that curves to the left. (That arrow is near the screen’s bottom-right corner.)
If you want to reply to the message, tap “Reply” then type your reply then tap the blue Send button.
If instead you want to forward the message to another friend, do this:
Tap “Forward”. Type the friend’s email address; at the end, tap the “return” key. Tap the white space above “Sent from my iPad”. Type a comment, such as “Here’s the joke Mary sent me.” Below “Begin forwarded message”, the computer automatically puts a copy of the message you’re forwarding. (The copy might temporarily hide under the keyboard, but you can see it by swiping up.) Tap the blue Send button.
Finish When you finish dealing with email, tap the Home button again.
Maps
When you’re looking at the Home screen, try tapping the Maps icon. That gets you the Apple Maps program.
If the screen says “What’s New in Maps” tap “Continue”.
If the screen asks “Allow Maps to use your location?” tap “Allow While Using App”.
Zoom in You see a map of part of the world. If you want to zoom in (so you see more details), use one of these methods:
Double-tap method Double-tap where you want to zoom in.
Stretch method Put two fingers where you want to zoom in, then stretch (slide your fingers apart).
Address method Tap the address box (the wide dark-gray box near the screen’s top) then an X at the box’s right edge (if you see an X). Type a location (such as “196 Tiffany Lane, Manchester NH” or “Los Angeles airport” or “White House”). At the end of your typing, tap the keyboard’s “search” key.
Zoom out If you want to zoom out (so you see fewer details but see a bigger part of the world), shrink the map by using one of these methods:
2-finger-tap method Tap the screen by using 2 fingers simultaneously (at the same time) instead of just 1 finger.
Pinch method Pinch your fingers (by putting two fingers on the screen then sliding the fingers toward each other).
If you do that several times, you’ll see many countries on your screen. (To see a few more countries, switch to landscape mode.)
Map types At the screen’s top-right corner, you see an “i” in a circle. If you tap that “i”, you see this list of map types:
Map type Meaning
simple Map a drawing of the streets
Satellite an aerial photo (taken by a satellite), with streets labeled
Transit a drawing of streets, plus bus&train&subway stops&routes
Tap whichever map type you prefer (but “Transit” bus routes are shown just in big cities) then “X”.
Directions Here’s how to get directions about how to drive (or walk) to a destination. Type the destination’s address into the address box search box (and at the end of your typing tap the keyboard’s “search” key). Tap “Directions” (which is near the screen’s top-left corner). If the screen says “Getting There Safely”, tap “OK”.
You see 4 icons:
car, walk, bus, bicycle
Tap the one that most closely resembles your travel method. You see how long the trip will take. Tap “Preview Route” (to get a list of turns to make) or “GO” (to make the tablet say your first turn, wait for you to accomplish it, then say your next turn, etc., until you reach your destination or you tap “End”, which makes the tablet shut up).
Ending When you finish using Maps, tap the Home button (at the screen’s bottom), to return to the Home screen again.
Apple ID
To use your tablet’s most popular features, you must have an Apple ID.
The Apple ID is free. But to get it, you must give Apple a credit-card number, so Apple can charge your card for future purchases.
How to have an Apple ID
When you’re looking at the Home screen, tap the Settings icon, then put your finger near the screen’s left edge, then flick down, so you see “iTunes & App Store” at the screen’s left edge. Tap that.
If you have an Apple ID already (because you already used other Apple products), do this:
Tap the black “Apple ID”. Type the email address you associated with that Apple ID.
Tap the black “Password”. Type the password you associated with that Apple ID.
Tap “Sign In” then “OK”. If the screen says “Security Code Required”, tap that then your credit card’s 3-digit code. Tap “Done”.
If you don’t have an Apple ID yet, do this procedure instead:
Tap “Create New Apple ID” then “Next”. Tap “Agree” (which appears when you scroll down by flicking your finger up). Then tap the bigger “Agree”.
Tap in the Email box. A keyboard appears. Using the keyboard, type whatever email address you’ve been using on your other computers. (You probably got that email address from your Internet service provider or Gmail or Yahoo Mail. For example, my email address is “SecretGuide@comcast.net”.) The email address you’ve typed will become your Apple ID.
At the end of that typing, tap in the Password box. Invent a password and type it. (It must be at least 8 characters long. It must include a digit, a capital letter, and a small letter. It must not contain spaces. It must not contain same character 3 times in a row.) While you type the password, each character you type is visible temporarily but earlier characters are hidden by dots (so your enemies can’t see them). So at the end of typing your password, just the password’s last character is visible; the earlier characters are hidden by dots.
At the end of that typing, tap in the Verify box and type the password again. (Your password’s final character will be temporarily visible.)
Tap the Question box’s right-arrow. You see 6 challenge questions. Tap your favorite question, then tap its Answer box and type the answer. Do the same for 2 more questions.
Tap in the Month box (which you see when you scroll down). Tap the month you were born (after scrolling to see it).
Tap in the Day box. Tap the day you were born (after scrolling to see it).
Tap in the Year box. A keyboard appears. Type the year you were born. At the end of your typing, tap the keyboard’s Go key.
Answer the questions about your credit card (which will be charged if you buy anything through Apple). When you’ve finished all your typing, tap the keyboard’s Go key, then tap the blue “Done” button.
Go to your other computer, where you’ll see an email from Apple. In that email, click “Verify Now”. You’ll see Apple’s ID Website. Type your email address, press the Tab key, type your password again, and click “Verify Address”. The computer will say “Email address verified”.
App Store
The App Store lets you copy application programs (apps) from the Internet to your iPad. Some of the apps are free, others are not.
To use the App Store (which requires that you’ve created an Apple ID already), go to the Home screen then tap the App Store icon.
If the screen says “What’s New on the App Store & Arcade”, tap “Continue”.
If the screen asks “Allow App Store to use your approximate location?” tap “Allow While Using App”.
If you see “Allow”, tap “Allow” then “Not Now”, to keep things simple at the moment.
Get updates The screen’s bottom-right corner says “Updates”. If you see a red circle there, do this:
Tap the Updates icon. Tap “Update All” (at the screen’s top-left corner).
If the screen says “Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions have changed”, do the following. Tap “OK”. Put your finger in the screen’s middle and swipe up, then tap “Agree”. Tap the other “Agree” then “OK”. Tap “Update All” again.
Find an app At the screen’s bottom, you see these choices:
Featured Categories Top Charts Purchased Updates
Tap “Featured” or “Categories” or “Top Charts”. Then you see lists of many apps. Browse through the lists. Here are hints about how to browse:
If you tap “Top Charts” (at the screen’s bottom), you can see 3 lists of popular apps. The Paid list shows the most popular apps that cost money; the Free list shows the most popular apps that are free; the Top Grossing list shows apps that made their inventors the most money (because those apps are expensive or many copies were sold or the apps seemed free but encouraged customers to pay later for add-ons). A tablet shows 2 columns: the right column is “Free”; the left column is “Paid” or “Top Grossing”, whichever is blue; to switch, tap the black choice instead.
If you tap “Featured” (at the screen’s bottom), you see lists of apps that Apple wants to emphasize.
If you tap “Categories” (at the screen’s bottom), you see 25 categories: books, business, catalogs, education, entertainment, finance, food (& drink), games, health (& fitness), kids, lifestyle, magazines (& newspapers), medical, music, navigation, news, photo (& video), productivity, reference, shopping, social networking, sports, travel, utilities, weather. Tap the category you wish.
When you see a list of apps or categories, put your finger in the list’s middle and try swiping in all directions. If you swipe your finger toward the left (or right), you might see more apps. If you swipe your finger up (or down), you might see more apps or categories or subcategories.
To search for a particular topic, tap “Top Charts” (at the screen’s bottom) then the magnifying glass near the screen’s top-right corner. Then a keyboard appears. Using the keyboard, type the topic you want to search for. At the end of your typing, tap the keyboard’s Search button.
Tap an app In the lists of apps, when you see an app that interests you, tap its name.
Explore it. If you change your mind and stop being interested in the app, tap one of the screen’s corners. (Their background is gray, not white.)
Download the app You see a blue button. Inside the button, you see the app’s price or “GET” (which means the app is free) or “OPEN” (which means you got the app already) or a cloud (which means the app was bought for one of your other devices but you can put it on this tablet too, at no extra charge).
To use the app, tap that blue button. Then you might see a green INSTALL button (if the app is free) or a green BUY button (if you must pay money first). To pay, you typically have to type your Apple ID’s password then tap “OK”. Then complete the rest of the process.
Then the tablet downloads the app (copies the app from the Internet) and tries to put the app’s icon on Home screen 2. (If Home screen 2 is already full, the tablet puts the app’s icon on Home screen 3 instead.)
Run the app To run the app, tap its icon (which is typically on Home screen 2).
Updates When programmers invent updates to the apps you had, the App Store icon’s top-right corner shows how many updates that have been invented. To get the updates, do this:
Tap the App Store icon. Tap “Updates” (at the screen’s bottom-right corner). Tap “Update All” (at the screen’s top-left corner.
If the computer asks for your Apple ID password, type it then tap “OK”.
News
To see news (from newspapers, magazines, TV networks, and Websites) on your tablet, go to the Home screen then tap the News icon.
If the screen says “Get Started”, tap it. If the screen says “Next”, do this:
Tap “Next”. Tap “Next” again. Then, for the moment, tap “Not Now” then “Not Now” again. Tap “Allow”.
To make sure your screen is normal, do this:
Tap the time (at the screen’s top) twice.
If the screen’s top-left corner says “<”, tap that repeatedly until it disappears, then tap the time again twice.
If “For You” (at the screen’s bottom-left corner) isn’t blue yet, tap that then tap the time again twice.
You start seeing a story. To see more stories, put your finger in the screen’s middle and swipe up.
To see more of today’s top stories, tap “>” (which is to the right of “TOP STORIES”) then put your finger in the screen’s middle and swipe up.
When you see a story that interests you, tap it; then you see the story’s details.
iBooks
To read books on your tablet, go to the Home screen then tap the iBooks icon.
If the screen says “iCloud for iBooks”, tap “Not Now” (to keep things simple).
If the screen’s top-left corner says “<”, tap that repeatedly until it disappears.
Find a book At the screen’s bottom, you see these choices:
My Books Featured NYTimes Top Charts Top Authors Purchased
If you tap “Top Charts”, you see which books are most often copied to Apple’s devices. (Most of those books cost money, but some are free.) If you then tap “Categories”, you see these 28 categories:
arts (& entertainment), biographies (& memoirs), books in Spanish, business (& personal finance), comics (& graphic novels), computers (& Internet), cookbooks (& food & wine), education, fiction (& literature), health (& mind & body), history, humor, kids, lifestyle (& home), mysteries (& thrillers), nonfiction, parenting, politics (& current events), professional (& technical), reference, religion (& spirituality), romance, sci-fi (& fantasy), science (& nature), sports (& outdoors), textbooks, travel (& adventure), young adult
If you tap “NYTimes” (available just on the tablet), you see which books are most often bought in bookstores, according to the New York Times.
If you tap “My Books”, you see bookshelves holding the books you already got.
Explore (using the same techniques as the App Store) and download the books you want. Have fun!
Read the book When you finally get into a book (by tapping it), here’s how to read it:
To turn to the next page, tap the screen’s right edge (or, for a more dramatic visual effect, put your finger at the screen’s right edge and slowly swipe toward the left). Do that repeatedly to read the whole book. (The book’s first few pages and last few pages are ads you can ignore.)
To turn back to the previous page, tap the screen’s left edge (or put your finger at the screen’s left edge and swipe toward the right). Do that repeatedly to go back to the book’s preface and front cover.
Here’s how to get a word’s definition. Rest your finger on the word, until you see it magnified. Take your finger off the word. The word has a blue background. Tap “Look Up”. You see the beginning of the word’s definition. To see more of the word’s definition, tap “>”. When you finish looking at the definition, tap “Done”.
To enlarge a picture (a drawing or photo), double-tap it. When you finish admiring the enlargement, tap “X” (at the screen’s top-left corner).
Controls The screen’s top and bottom can show controls. To make the controls appear or disappear, tap the screen’s middle.
Here’s how to use the controls:
To skip to a different chapter, tap the ≡ button (which is near the screen’s top-left corner). You see a list of chapters (unless the book’s iPad version was invented too crudely). Tap the chapter you want.
To skip to a different page, put your finger on the blue circle that’s near the screen’s bottom, and drag that circle until you see the page number you want.
To switch to a different activity, tap “<” (at the screen’s top-left corner). You see the bookshelves again, holding the books you downloaded. Tap one of those other books — or tap again the book you were reading (to continue on the page where you left off) — or tap “Top Charts” (to download more books to read) — or tap the Home button (to return to the Home screen).
iTunes Store
To get music and videos for your iPad, tap “iTunes Store” on the Home screen.
If the screen says “Set Up Family Sharing”, tap “Not Now” for the moment.
The iTunes Store app resembles the Apps Store app and uses the same techniques. Go explore!
Here are some things to notice.…
At the screen’s bottom, you see these choices:
Music Movies TV Shows Top Charts Genius Purchased
Music Tap “Music” (at the screen’s bottom). Then you see lists of music albums (and singles).
To see more music choices, swipe up (or down again), so you see these headings:
New Music
Hot Tracks
Recent Releases: $7.99 or Less
Pre-Orders
Greatest Hits: Albums from $7.99
Hot Albums
69¢ Songs
Under each of those headings, you see examples of such music. To see more examples, put your finger on one of those examples and swipe to the left (or right again).
If you tap “Genres” (at the screen’s top), you see these 27 genre choices —
alternative, blues, children’s
music, Christian (& gospel), classical, comedy, country, dance, electronic,
essentials, fitness (& workout), greatest hits,
hip-hop/rap, holiday, indie, jazz, K-pop, Latino, metal, music videos, pop,
R&B/soul, reggae, rock, singer/songwriter,
soundtrack, world
plus “Tones” (which means “ringtones and other alerts”) and “All Genres”.
If you want that list of genres to disappear, tap “Cancel” (which is at the list’s top).
If you want to restrict yourself to one genre, tap the genre you want. Afterwards, if you want to remove that restriction, tap “Genres” again (at the screen’s top) then “All Genres”.
When you find an album that interests you, tap its name. Then you see a numbered list of the songs (tracks, compositions) on that album.
To hear part of a song, free, tap the song’s number. Then listen. (If you hate the song and want to interrupt it, tap the song’s blue circle or a different song’s number.)
To buy the whole album, tap the album’s price (which is typically $9.99). To buy just one song, tap the song’s price (which is typically $1.29 and to the right of the song’s name), unless you’re blocked by a message saying “Album Only”, which means you can’t buy just that song.
When you tap the price, the price’s box turns green. To confirm your purchase, tap that green box then type your Apple ID password then tap “OK”. The music will download from the Internet to your tablet.
To hear the music you bought, tap the Home button (so you see the Home screen) then tap the Music icon (which is at the screen’s bottom-right corner and shows musical notes). You see a list of the songs you bought. To hear a song, tap its name. To interrupt the playing, tap the “;” (which is near the screen’s bottom-right corner).
Movies Tap “Movies” (at the screen’s bottom). Then you see lists of movies.
To see more movie choices, swipe up (or down again), so you see these headings:
New & Noteworthy
$9.99 in HD: Recent Releases
Browse by Genre
Watch Today — 99¢ Rentals
Under $10 in HD: Editors’ Choice
Bundles at Limited-Time Prices
Top Kids & Family
Under $10 in HD: Family-Friendly Movies
Top Pre-Orders
Under each of those headings, you see examples of such movies. To see more examples, put your finger on one of those examples and swipe to the left (or right again).
If you tap “Genres” (at the screen’s top), you see these 17 genre choices —
action (& adventure),
classics, comedy, documentary, drama, essentials, foreign, horror, independent,
kids (& family), music, romance,
sci-fi (& fantasy), short films, sports, thriller, western
plus “All Genres”.
If you want that list of genres to disappear, tap “Cancel” (which is at the list’s top).
If you want to restrict yourself to one genre, tap the genre you want. Afterwards, if you want to remove that restriction, tap “Genres” again (at the screen’s top) then “All Genres”.
When you find a movie that interests you, tap its name.
To see part of the movie, free, tap a “„” under “Trailers”. You’ll see the movie’s trailer (ad with scenes from the movie). Switch to landscape mode, for enlarged viewing. (If you hate what you see and want to interrupt it, tap the screen’s top-left corner then “Done”.)
To get the whole movie, tap “HD” (for “high definition”) or “SD” (for “standard definition”, which is cheaper). Then tap “BUY” (which usually costs $14.99 for SD, $19.99 for HD) or “RENT” (usually $3.99 for SD, $4.99 for HD, and giving you a 24-hour rental whose beginning you can delay for up to 30 days). Then the BUY or RENT box turns green. To confirm your purchase, tap that green box then type your Apple ID password then tap “OK”. Wait awhile for the movie to download from the Internet to your tablet.
To see the movie you bought, tap the Home button (so you see the Home screen) then tap the TV icon, because that icon handles TV shows & movies. (If the screen says “Welcome to the TV app”, tap “Continue”.) You see a list of TV shows & movies you bought. To watch a movie, tap its name. To interrupt the playing, tap the screen’s middle then the “;” (which is at the screen’s bottom.
TV Shows Tap “TV Shows” (at the screen’s button). Then you see a list of TV shows. To see more TV choices, swipe up (or down again), so you see many categories. In each category, swipe to the left (or right again), to see more choices.
If you tap “Genres” (at the screen’s top), you see these 9 genre choices —
animation, classic, comedy,
drama, kids, nonfiction, reality TV,
sci-fi (& fantasy), sports (& fitness)
plus “All Genres”.
If you want that list of genres to disappear, tap “Cancel” (which is at the list’s top).
If you want to restrict yourself to one genre, tap the genre you want. Afterwards, if you want to remove that restriction, tap “Genres” again (at the screen’s top) then “All Genres”.
When you find a TV show that interests you, tap its name. Then you see a numbered list of the episodes for that show’s season.
To see part of an episode, free, tap “„”. Switch to landscape mode. Watch. (If you hate what you see and want to interrupt it, tap the screen’s top-left corner then “Done”.)
To buy, do this, tap “HD” (for “high definition”) or “SD” (for “standard definition”, which is cheaper).
Then tap the appropriate BUY button (which usually costs $1.99 per SD episode, $2.99 per HD episode, $14.99 per SD season, $19.99 per HD season). Then the BUY box turns green. To confirm your purchase, tap that green box then type your Apple ID password then tap “OK”. Wait awhile for the video to download from the Internet to your iPad.
To see the TV show you bought, tap the Home button (so you see the Home screen) then tap the TV icon. You see a list of TV shows & movies you bought. To watch a TV show, tap its name. To interrupt the playing, tap the screen’s middle then the “;” (which is at the screen’s bottom).
Rearrange the icons
While you’re looking at Home screen 2 (which contains icons for the apps you downloaded), you can rearrange those icons, to put them in a different order. Here’s how:
Rest your finger lightly on one of the icons awhile, until all the icons on that page start jiggling.
Then drag each icon to where you want it. (Drag to a blank space, not to another icon. While you’re dragging an icon, the other icons rearrange themselves to fill the dragged icon’s old space.)
If an icon’s top-left corner has an X, you’re allowed to erase the icon (and uninstall its app). To erase & uninstall the app, tap the icon’s X then the red “Delete”.
When you finish dragging & erasing icons, press the Home button. Then the icons stop jiggling.
You can use the same method to rearrange the icons on the main Home screen:
Go to the main Home screen (by tapping the Home button). Put your finger lightly on one of the icons until all the icons jiggle. Rearrange the icons by dragging (but don’t drag to another icon). When you’ve finished, press the Home button (to stop the jiggling).
Settings
To customize your tablet so it fits your personal needs, tap “Settings” on the Home screen.
Then at the screen’s left edge, you can see these choices:
Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Notifications, Control Center, Do Not Disturb, General, Display & Brightness, Wallpaper, Sounds, Siri, Passcode, Battery, Privacy, iCloud, iTunes & App Store, Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Reminders, Messages, FaceTime, Maps, Safari, News, Music, TV, Photos & Camera, iBooks, Podcasts, iTunes U, Game Center, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Vimeo, TV Provider
To see all those choices, scroll down by flicking your finger up. You see more choices, too, if you got more apps!
General
Tap “General” (at the screen’s left edge). Then you can see these choices near the tablet’s right edge:
About, Software Update, Spotlight Search, Handoff, Multitasking, Accessibility, Lock Rotation, Mute, Storage & iCloud Usage, Background App Refresh, Restrictions, Date & Time, Keyboard, Language & Region, Dictionary, iTunes Wi-Fi Sync, VPN, Regulatory, Reset
To see all those choices, scroll down by flicking your finger up.
These choices are particularly useful:
If you tap “About”, you get info about your tablet. For example, you find out your tablet’s Model number, Serial Number, iPadOS Version number (such as 10.1.1), Capacity (how many gigabytes your tablet can hold, beyond the operating system), how many of those gigabytes are still Available (unused), and how many Photos, Videos, and Songs your tablet is storing.
If you tap “Software Update”, your tablet will say either “Your software is up to date” or “Install Now” or “Download and Install”. If it says “Install Now” or “Download and Install”, tap that to install a newer version of iOS, free!
If you tap “Storage & iCloud Usage”, you see a printout such as this:
STORAGE
Used 10.8 GB
Available 44.7 GB
Manage Storage >
ICLOUD
Total Storage 5.0 GB
Available 1.1 GB
Manage Storage >
Here’s what that means. In your tablet, 10.8 gigabytes are already Used (by the operating system and apps), 44.7 gigabytes are unused and so still Available. Apple lets you also copy 5 gigabytes to the iCloud (Apple’s own computers on the Internet) free, for backup storage and to share with your friends’ computers, and you can buy extra gigabytes there if you wish; the printout means that in the iCloud, you’re allowed to have 5 gigabytes of Total Storage (because you haven’t bought any extra iCloud gigabytes yet); and of those 5 gigabytes, 1.1 gigabytes are unused so still Available. If you then tap the appropriate “Manage Storage” (for your tablet or for the iCloud), you see each app and how many gigabytes (or megabytes or kilobytes) it consumes; the biggest apps are listed first. To delete an app, tap its name then the red “Delete App” button then the next red “Delete App” button. To delete some music, tap “Music” then “Edit” (near the screen’s top-right corner) then the red circle next to what you want to delete (such as “All Songs” or just one album) then the red “Delete” button; when you finish editing music, tap “Done”.
Sticking out of your tablet’s right edge, close to the top corner, is a circular switch (called the “Side Switch”), which you can slide up and down. The up position makes the tablet act normally. The down position usually disables the sound (mutes the volume); but if you want the down position to instead disable the gyroscope (so rotating the tablet won’t switch the orientation between portrait and landscape modes), tap “Lock Rotation” instead of “Mute”.
After tapping one of those choices, return to the previous menu by tapping the “<” at the screen’s top.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is way to communicate with a nearby device (such as a headphone or keyboard) wirelessly. Your tablet is probably not using Bluetooth, so you should turn off Bluetooth (to save electricity), by doing this: tap “Bluetooth” (at the screen’s left edge) then the circle at the screen’s right edge (so any green next to the circle disappears).
Display & brightness
Here’s how to adjust the screen’s display & brightness.
Tap “Display & Brightness”, which is at the screen’s left edge. Then do this:
Find the brightness circle (which is above “Auto-Brightness” and to the right of a blue line). If you slide that circle slightly toward the right, the screen will glow brighter (but unfortunately also consume more electricity, so your battery will run down faster). If you slide that circle toward the left, the screen will be dimmer.
If you don’t touch the
tablet for 2 minutes, it usually goes into sleep mode, so the screen goes
black. To change to a different time length, tap
“Auto-Lock”
then choose from this menu: 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes,
never. After choosing, tap “<” (at the screen’s top).
When you write an email (by using the Mail app), the tablet normally puts this signature below your writing:
Sent from my iPad
Here’s how to create a signature that’s more personal.
Tap “Mail”, which is at the screen’s left edge.
Tap “Signature”, which is the bottom choice.
A keyboard appears. Type whatever signature you want.
For example, you might want the signature to include your name, address, and phone number. If you work for a company, you might want to include your company’s name, your job title, and your company’s Web address. You might also want to include your favorite saying, such as “Don’t worry! Life will get better!”
After typing, tap “<” (at the screen’s top).
Contacts
If you tap “Contacts” (which you see when you scroll down), you can change whether your contacts are alphabetized (sorted) by first name or last name.
To alphabetize by first name, do this:
Tap “Sort Order” then “First, Last” then “<” then “Display Order” then “First, Last” then “<”.
To alphabetize by last name, do this:
Tap “Sort Order” then “Last, First” then “<” then “Display Order” then “Last, First” then “<”.
Further help
For free
help using your tablet, you can phone me at
603-666-6644 (day or night, I’m usually in). You can also get help from Apple’s
Website:
Go to http://help.apple.com/ipad