iPad

Essentials

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Connecting to the Internet

When you use an iOS app or feature that uses the Internet, your iPhone, iPad, or iPod attempts to connect to the Internet as follows:

  1. Your device connects to your current Wi-Fi network if available.
  2. If not available, your device attempts to connect to any nearby Wi-Fi networks you have previously used.
  3. If there are no previous Wi-Fi networks in range, a list of available Wi-Fi networks appears. You can tap to join a Wi-Fi network, and if necessary enter the password to join it.
    Note: Wi-Fi networks that require a password are indicated by a padlock icon  next to them.
  4. If no Wi-Fi networks are available or if you choose not to join one, iPhone and iPad (cellular models) connect using an available cellular data network.

Wi-Fi

  • Wi-Fi is often faster than cellular data networks, but may not be available in many locations.
  • To locate nearby Wi-Fi networks, tap Settings > Wi-Fi. Tap a network to join it.
  • Depending on the Wi-Fi network, it may be necessary to enter a password.
  • When connected to a Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi icon in the status bar displays connection strength. The more bars you see, the stronger the connection.
  • Many Wi-Fi networks can be used free of charge, but some require a fee or subscription to use.

If you are experiencing difficulty joining a Wi-Fi network, see Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connectionsfor more information.

Note: iOS devices sold in China may use the term Wireless LAN (WLAN) instead of Wi-Fi. Not all China iPhone models support WLAN; see this article for more information.

Cellular data networks

  • Cellular data networks provide Internet connectivity using the cellular network. See Understanding cellular data networks for more information.
  • When your iPhone or iPad (cellular model) is connected a cellular data network, the status bar will display4G, 3G, E, or °, depending on your iOS device and your carrier’s network capabilities.
  • When traveling internationally, you may be able to use a cellular data network from another carrier. Roaming charges may apply.
  • You can adjust cellular network settings on iPhone in Settings > General > Cellular; on iPad the settings are located in Settings > Cellular Data.
  • Depending on the carrier, iPad users may sign up for monthly data plans from Settings > Cellular Data. For more information see How to set up a cellular data account.

If you are experiencing difficulty joining a cellular data network, see Troubleshooting a cellular data connectionfor more information.

 

Verify iOS requirements

Make sure the app is compatible with your iPad software:

  • Check the requirements in the App Store.
  • Check your iOS version using Settings > General > About.

If the app requires a newer version of the iOS than the one you are using, update iOS on your iPad.

Update apps

See if there is an updated version of the app on your iPad.

Open the App Store and tap Updates. If updates are available, tap Update All.iPad will then download and install the app updates.

If prompted, enter your iTunes Store account information.

Close App

If only a single app has stopped responding or closes on launch, try the following:

  1. Return to the Home screen, and then click the Home button twice.
  2. Tap and hold on the app.
  3. When it starts to jiggle, tap the Close App icon to close it
  4. Double-click the Home button and try opening the app again.

 

Restart iPad

To restart iPad, first turn iPad off by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button until a red slider appears. Slide your finger across the slider and iPad will turn off after a few moments.

Next, turn iPad on by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button until the Apple logo appears.

Remove app

If you are having issues with a particular app, try removing and reinstalling the app on your iPad.

  1. To avoid losing any app data, first back up your information.
  2. Touch and hold any app icon on the Home screen until the icons start to jiggle.
  3. Tap the “x” in the corner of the app you want to remove. You may be prompted to rate the app.
  4. Tap Delete to remove the app and all of its data from your iPad.
  5. Click the Home button to cancel or stop deleting apps.
  6. Proceed to the next step to reinstall your app.

Reinstall app

After removing an app from your iPad, use these steps to reinstall it.

Open the App Store on iPad and locate the app to reinstall. If you previously purchased the app, tap Purchased to find it quickly, then tap the install button.

If prompted, enter your iTunes Store account information.

After the app is installed, check to see if your issue is resolved.

If you are still having an issue with your app, try the following options:

  • Visit the website of the app’s developer for more information. This is listed on the app’s information page in the App Store.

Syncing with iTunes

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Setting up syncing
Before setting up syncing you should download and install the latest version of iTunes. Wi-Fi syncing requires iTunes 10.5 or later and iOS 5 or later. You can change your sync options at any time. Each time you sync, content is synced between your iOS device and computer to reflect new, updated, or deleted content.

USB syncing

 
  1. Open iTunes.
  2. Connect the iOS device to your computer using the included USB cable and select it in iTunes under Devices on the left-hand side. Some tabs may not appear if you do not have corresponding content in your library. For example if you do not have any podcasts in your library, the corresponding Podcast tab will not appear.
  3. Click Apply, in the lower-right corner of the screen, to sync.

Wi-Fi syncing

 
  1. Open iTunes
  2. To set up Wi-Fi syncing, connect your iOS device to your computer with the included USB cable. Select your device under Devices on the left-hand side.
  3. In the Summary tab, select “Sync with this [device] over Wi-Fi”.
  4. Whenever the computer and the iOS device are on the same network, the iOS device will appear in iTunes, and you can sync it. The iOS device will sync automatically when all of the following are true:
  5. The iOS device is plugged in to power
  6. iTunes is open on the computer
  7. The iOS device and the computer are on the same Wi-Fi network
  8. While the iOS device appears in the left-hand column of iTunes, you can select the content tabs and configure sync options.
  9. Click Apply or Sync to sync the iOS device.

If the iOS device does not appear in the Devices section or you are unable to sync, please see this article for troubleshooting.

What you can sync

  1. Applications
  2. Audio content—music, podcasts, audiobooks, and iTunes U content
  3. Bookmarks
  4. Books
  5. Contacts
  6. Calendars
  7. Movies and TV shows
  8. Photos
  9. Notes
  10. Documents (File Sharing apps only)
  11. Ringtones

Additional Information
The first time you sync the Info tab with your iOS device, you are asked if you want to merge data, replace data on the service, or replace the data on your computer from the following applications:

Mac: Address Book, iCal, Microsoft Entourage, or Microsoft Outlook 2011
PC: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Addressbook (XP) and Windows Contacts (Vista and Windows 7)

Connecting iPod, iPad, instruments or home stereo

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You can easily connect guitars, microphones, keyboards, digital music players, home stereos, and speakers to your Mac. Learn how to connect third-party audio and music devices to your Mac, and how to configure them for use.

Playing and streaming music from your Mac, iPod, or iPad 
You can play music from your Mac using iTunes, or, stream it wirelessly to external speakers using an iPod, iPhone or iPad. 

If you need to use a third-party audio device to connect your speakers to your Mac, it needs to be plugged-in using a FireWire, USB or S/PDIF cable.  If drivers are required for the audio device, you should install them first, before plugging the device into the Mac for the first time.  If you aren’t sure if a driver needs to be installed for your audio device, check with the documentation which was included with it, or, consult the manufacturers web site.  Class compliant audio devices do not require a software driver to work with a Mac, whereas non-class compliant audio devices require a driver for correct operation.  The most obvious clues that a required driver has not been installed for a third party audio device include no sound, constantly blinking lights on the audio device itself and/or difficulty choosing the device as an input (or output) in the Sound system preferences.     

You can also stream music (as well as videos and photos) from your iPod, iPad, or iPhone using AirPlay. Additionally, with iOS 5, you can wirelessly sync your iOS device (including music) over a shared Wi-Fi connection.

Connecting your home stereo to a Mac
If you want to digitize your vinyl record or cassette tape collection, or other sound source, you can easily connect your home stereo to your computer, then use audio recording software such as GarageBand to record the music on your Mac.

To do this, you will need a USB or FireWire audio interface that has dual RCA inputs, or if your Mac has an audio input, you can use a 1/8-inch stereo mini plug to dual RCA female connectors adapter.

Follow these steps to record from your home stereo to your Mac:

  1. Connect the RCA connectors to your stereo receiver’s auxiliary (Aux) output. (This may also be called “Record” or “Tape Out” on some receivers)
  2. Connect the other end of the cable either to the audio input port on your Mac, or, to your Mac-connected audio interface.
  3. Turn on your home stereo.
  4. Make sure your stereo is set to output via auxiliary.
  5. From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences, then click Sound.
  6. Click the Input tab and select your audio interface or the audio line In.

Connecting headphones and speakers
Macs have built-in speakers, but you may also consider connecting a set of headphones for personal listening, or, connect external speakers (which are sometimes also referred to as monitors) to your computer for audio mixing or other tasks.  You don’t even need to install additional software to do so, unless you have a surround sound speaker system which requires a driver to be installed on your Mac.

To use headphones, just plug in your headphone cable into the headphone/line out port on your Mac, if your headphones have a 1/4-inch stereo plug, you will need a 1/4-inch stereo female phono connector to 1/8-inch stereo mini phono plug adapter.

Depending on your speaker connections and your computer’s ports, you will need to connect them to your computer’s headphone/line out jack, USB port, FireWire port, or optical digital audio output port. Generally, regardless of what type of connector you use, you’ll need to connect one main cable to the appropriate port on your Mac to then “feed” the audio signal to your speaker system. Please consult the instructions that came with your speakers for information and about hooking up your speaker system. Your speakers instructions may also contain suggestions for ideal speaker placement locations.

Tip: If surround sound content plays on only two speakers of a 5-speaker (or more) surround sound setup, it may indicate a configuration problem with the speakers, or the application being used to play the content on the Mac doesn’t support surround sound output.  For best results, always use either the iTunes or DVD Player applications to enjoy surround sound content on your Mac.

Attaching an audio interface
Using a third-party audio interface allows you to easily and quickly record yourself singing or playing a musical instrument on your Mac, and allows you to output your Mac’s audio to professional speakers even if they use different connection types than your Mac has.

If you want to record instruments on your Mac, USB or FireWire audio interface devices are the easiest and fastest way to get started!  A variety of third-party audio interfaces are available to connect your musical gear (which uses connections such as XLR, 1/4 inch phono, RCA jacks, S/PDIF or MIDI) to your Mac.

A number of third-party companies produce Mac-compatible audio interface devices that allow you to quickly and easily record yourself, including Alesis, Apogee Digital, Digidesign, Roland, MOTU, PreSonus.

This combined FireWire/USB interface (the Audio Express by MOTU) features a built-in audio interface and supports a wide range of audio connections

Once you’ve selected a third-party audio interface device, install any drivers (if needed) and then connect it to your Mac.

  1. Follow the setup instructions that came with your audio interface device and install the software drivers first, as necessary.
  2. If you have a USB audio interface, connect it to a USB port on your computer, using the cable that came with your device. If you have a FireWire audio interface, attach it to your computer’s FireWire port, using the appropriate FireWire cable.
  3. Turn on your audio interface and connect its accompanying power supply, if needed.
  4. To make your Mac use the audio interface as its audio input or output, choose System Preferences from the Apple () menu.
  5. From the View menu, choose Sound. This opens the Sound preferences pane.
  6. Click the Input tab.
  7. Choose your audio interface in the list to select it for use. Note: If you don’t see your interface in the list, be sure that you’ve installed the correct driver.
  8. Click the Output tab.
  9. Choose your audio interface in the list to select it for use. 

Plug in your guitar, bass, keyboard or microphone
If you are connecting a musical instrument to your Mac, its recommended that you use an audio interface as they typically provide the preamp boost needed to bring up audio levels for instruments and mics. If you don’t have one but your Mac has an 1/8-inch audio input port, you can still attach a guitar, bass, or microphone.

You’ll need a 1/8-inch stereo mini plug to 1/4-inch phono adapter to bridge the connection from computer to guitar, bass, or mic with 1/4-inch phono connector, or a 1/8-inch stereo mini plug to XLR connector adapter for professional mics. Many professional mics require 48-volt phantom power. These will not work plugged directly into the audio input of the computer, even with the stereo mini to XLR adapter cable.

Once you’ve got an adapter, simply connect the 1/8-inch mini plug end to your computer’s audio input port and the other end to your instrument or microphone. From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences, click Sound, click the Input tab, and make sure that the audio Line In is the selected input device.

To use your computer’s audio input port as a sound input, select it in the Sound Input pane of System Preferences

Connect a USB musical keyboard
If you have a musical USB keyboard or controller, you can easily connect it to your Mac and set it up for use. If you have a MIDI keyboard, you’ll need an audio interface that contains a MIDI In and Out port. See “Attaching an Audio Interface” above.

Simply install the third-party device driver for your keyboard if needed, restart your computer if prompted and then connect the keyboard to a USB port on your Mac. From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences, click Sound, click the Input tab, and select your keyboard controller in the list to make it the sound input source.