How to Get a Full Screen on iPad

Maximize your iPad screen

by
Sam Costello
Sam Costello
Writer
Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others.
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Sam Costello
Updated on March 16, 2021
reviewed by
Jerrick Leger headshot
Jerrick Leger
Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.
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Article reviewed on Apr 11, 2021
Jerrick Leger

What to Know

  • There's no way to make your iPad full screen in every situation, but there are a few ways to make it work.
  • Some websites can go full screen, but only if they're coded to support it.
  • You can make videos and iPhone apps run on iPad full screen by tapping the button showing two arrows going in opposite directions.

This article explains the situations in which you can get full screen on iPad and how to do it.

How to Get a Full Screen on iPad

If you want to get full screen on your iPad—that is, no clock, date, or battery icon on the screen—we've got bad news for you: There's no way to do it in every situation. The iPadOS doesn't provide that option. But, there are some cases in which you can do something similar in certain apps.

How to Get a Full Screen on iPad in Safari

One of the most common cases in which people want an iPad to be full screen is the Safari web browser. Getting iPad Safari in full screen appeals to people who wish to have the most immersive web browsing experience possible. Here's what to do:

This tip doesn't work on all websites. It works on relatively few. This tip is the only way to make Safari full screen on an iPad. It relies on web developers who have added a bit of code to the site, and most developers don't do that.

  1. Find the website you want to view full screen.

    Screenshot of a website on iPad

  2. Tap the action button (the button with the arrow coming out of it).

    iPad website with Action button highlighted

  3. Tap Add to Home Screen. This creates a shortcut to the site on your iPad home screen (aka a web clip).

    ESPN website on an iPad with Add to Home Screen highlighted

  4. Edit the display name for the shortcut and then tap Add.

    ESPN website on iPad with Add highlighted

  5. When you tap the shortcut from your home screen, it will open the website in Safari.

    ESPN shortcut highlighted on an iPad home screen

How to Get a Full Screen on iPad: For Video

Screenshot of a video app on iPad showing full screen option

Another way to get full screen on iPad is in video apps. Some video apps offer actual full screen, with no menu bar at the top, while others keep the menu bar but otherwise go full screen. Users can't control which is which; it's up to the developer of the app.

Whichever your video app supports, you can view it full screen by tapping the icon that looks like two arrows pointing in opposite directions.

If you're viewing the video picture-in-picture, tap the right-corner icon showing two squares with one that has an arrow in it.

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