Getting started with your iPad

Lesson 1: Screen Basics & Gestures

How to move around your iPad using taps and swipes.

The Basics

  • Wake it up: Tap the screen once, or press the top button.
  • Lock it / put it to sleep: Press the top button once. You do NOT need to turn it off.
  • Go Home: Swipe up from the very bottom edge of the screen.
  • See your open apps: Swipe up from the bottom and pause halfway — this shows every app you have open.
  • Switch apps: From that same screen, tap the app you want.
  • Close an app: You almost never need to. If one is frozen, open the App Switcher (above) and swipe that app's card up and off the screen.

Swipes That Matter Most

  • Swipe down from the top-right corner: Opens Control Center (brightness, volume, Wi-Fi).
  • Swipe down from the top-middle of the screen: Shows your notifications (things you missed).
  • Swipe left or right on the Home Screen: Moves between pages of apps.
  • Pinch two fingers together or apart: Zooms out or in — great for reading small text on a webpage.
  • Tap and hold on something: Opens a menu of options, like right-clicking on a computer.

Tip: There is no wrong swipe. If something looks unfamiliar, swipe up from the bottom to go Home and start again.

Lesson 2: Settings & Search

Finding and adjusting the things you use every day.

Opening Settings

  • Tap the gray gear-shaped Settings icon on your Home Screen.
  • The list on the left is a list of categories (Wi-Fi, Display, Sounds, etc). Tap any one to see its options on the right.

The Fastest Way: Search

  • Swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen to open Search.
  • Type what you're looking for — e.g. "brightness" or "notifications" — and tap the matching Settings result.
  • This is faster than hunting through menus, and it works for apps and contacts too.

Settings Worth Knowing

  • Brightness: Settings > Display & Brightness (or swipe down from the top-right for a quick slider).
  • Notifications: Settings > Notifications > pick an app to turn its alerts on or off.
  • Wi-Fi: Settings > Wi-Fi — confirm the blue checkmark is next to your home network.
  • Text size: Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size — makes everything easier to read.
  • Software Update: Settings > General > Software Update — best set to update automatically so you never have to think about it.

Lesson 3: Everyday Apps: Email, Web, and News

The three things you'll use most, every day.

Email (Mail app)

  • Tap the Mail icon to open your email.
  • Tap any message to read it. Tap the curved arrow to reply.
  • Tap the pencil-and-paper icon (usually top-right) to write a new email.

Web Browsing (Chrome)

  • Tap the Chrome icon — it looks and works the same as on your old computer.
  • If you're signed into the same Google account, your bookmarks and saved sites carry over automatically.
  • Tap the address bar at the top to type a website name or search.

Reading News & Articles

  • Open your newspaper's website or the UT writer's page in Chrome, the same way you would search for anything else.
  • For a cleaner read with no ads, look for a small "Reader" or "AA" icon in the address bar — it removes clutter and lets you enlarge the text.
  • To save a site for one-tap access, tap the Share icon in Chrome and choose "Add to Home Screen." It'll sit on your Home Screen like an app.

Tip: Bookmark your two or three favorite news sites first. That alone removes most of the daily friction.

Lesson 4: Talking to Your iPad (Siri)

Voice commands for email and text messages.

Waking Up Siri

  • Say "Hey Siri", or press and hold the top button.
  • Speak naturally — you don't need to use exact phrases.

Email by Voice

  • "Read me my new email."
  • "Reply to that email and say I'll call you Tuesday."
  • "Send an email to [name] saying..."

Text Messages by Voice

  • "Read my messages."
  • "Read the message from [name]."
  • "Reply and say I'm on my way."
  • "Send a text to [name] saying..."

Tip: Siri needs to recognize the person's name from your Contacts app. Before relying on voice commands, make sure your most important contacts are saved with the names you'll say out loud.

If Siri Mishears You

  • Just try again — nothing is broken, and nothing was sent.
  • You can always cancel by saying "cancel" or tapping the X.

Lesson 5: Using Your iPad and iPhone Together

Apple's "Continuity" features across your devices.

Answering Phone Calls on Your iPad

  • If your iPhone and iPad are signed into the same Apple ID and on the same Wi-Fi, an incoming call rings on both devices.
  • Simply tap Accept on the iPad screen — you don't need your phone in hand.

Other Things That Carry Over Automatically

  • Text messages: the same iMessages appear on both devices.
  • Copy and paste: copy something on one device, paste it on the other.
  • Handoff: start reading a webpage or writing an email on one device, pick it up on the other exactly where you left off.
  • Photos: a photo taken on your iPhone shows up on your iPad automatically.

Tip: All of this "just works" because both devices use the same Apple ID. If something isn't syncing, that's the first thing worth checking.

Quick Reference Card

Keep this page handy — it's the short version of everything above.

To do this… Do this
Wake the screen Tap the screen or press the top button
Lock the screen Press the top button once
Go to the Home Screen Swipe up from the very bottom
See open apps / switch apps Swipe up and pause halfway, then tap an app
Open Control Center (brightness, volume, Wi-Fi) Swipe down from the top-right corner
See notifications Swipe down from the top-middle
Search for anything (apps, settings, contacts) Swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen
Zoom in or out Pinch two fingers together or apart
Open a menu on something Tap and hold
Talk to Siri Say "Hey Siri" or hold the top button

Linked Video & Guide Library

Official, free resources straight from Apple. Each one matches a lesson above — type the link into Chrome, or search the bolded title on YouTube.

Apple's Official iPad User Guide (Lessons 1–2)

  • Learn basic gestures: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/learn-basic-gestures-ipad2c09c4d4/ipados
  • Learn gestures to navigate iPad: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/learn-gestures-to-navigate-ipad-ipadab6772b8/ipados
  • Find settings: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/find-settings-ipadba23b9b4/ipados
  • Search with Spotlight: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/search-with-spotlight-ipad997d9818/ipados
  • View and respond to notifications: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/view-and-respond-to-notifications-ipad66f11759/ipados

Everyday Apps (Lesson 3)

  • Get started with Mail: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/get-started-with-mail-ipad3a4b6297/ipados
  • Get started with Safari (works the same way in Chrome): support.apple.com/guide/ipad/get-started-with-safari-ipad999d68f9/ipados
  • Get started with News: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/get-started-with-news-ipad741dad50/ipados

Siri & Voice Commands (Lesson 4)

  • Get started with Siri: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/get-started-with-siri-ai-ipadxz18jnnkvaw9/ipados
  • Find info and get things done with Siri: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/find-info-and-get-things-done-ipadf4e2ae5b/ipados

Using iPad with iPhone (Lesson 5)

  • Intro to Continuity: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/intro-to-continuity-ipad1ddf3831/ipados
  • Allow phone calls and text messages on your iPad: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/phone-calls-text-messages-ipad-ipadf97892b2/ipados
  • Hand off tasks between devices: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/hand-off-tasks-between-devices-ipad16784270/ipados

Video Tutorials (Apple Support's official YouTube channel)

  • Apple Support YouTube channel: youtube.com/@AppleSupport — short, official how-to videos

Tip: Every link above starts with the official Apple support site. If a link ever changes, search the bolded title on support.apple.com/guide/ipad and it will come right up.

For more information or to learn more about how FTS can help, Contact Us.