Computers, Laptops & Tablets Apple 35 35 people found this article helpful How to Lock Your iPad Screen Use a passcode, password, or other method by Daniel Nations Writer Daniel Nations has been a tech journalist since 1994. His work has appeared in Computer Currents, The Examiner, The Spruce, and other publications. our editorial process Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Daniel Nations Updated on April 15, 2021 Tweet Share Email Apple iPad Macs If you're concerned about the security of your iPad, lock the tablet with a numeric passcode or an alphanumeric password. Unless an iPad supports TouchID or Face ID, it can only be used after the password or passcode is entered. The steps described below apply to all iPad models that are protected by a password or passcode. Should You Secure Your iPad With a Passcode? Passcodes aren't mandatory, but they're a good security practice. One reason to lock an iPad with a passcode is to stop a stranger from snooping around if you lose the iPad or it gets stolen, but there are other reasons to lock up your iPad. For example, if you have young children in your household, you might consider a password so that they can't open apps like Netflix and find videos that you don't want them to watch. How to Protect Your iPad With Parental Controls How to Password Protect Your iPad The password settings for iPad are located in the Settings app. Open the Settings app from the iPad Home screen. Many iPads don't have a fingerprint scanner or support facial identification. For these iPads, choose Passcode. If the iPad has a fingerprint scanner, select TouchID & Passcode. On iPads equiped with facial identification, choose Face ID & Passcode instead. Only one of these options will be available in the iPad's settings. Tap Turn Passcode On in the right panel. Lifewire If you enrolled fingerprints on your iPad, you'll be asked if you want to delete or keep them. Use the keypad to enter a passcode or tap Passcode Options and choose a different authentication method such as Custom Alphanumeric Code, Custom Numeric Code, or 4-Digit Numeric Code. Lifewire The iPad can become disabled if you make too many mistakes when logging in with the passcode. Secure your iPad with a phrase or number series that's easy for you to remember but difficult for someone else to guess. Enter the passcode again when asked. Type your Apple ID password and then tap Continue. Lifewire Did you forget your Apple ID password? It's easy to reset. Wait while the passcode or password is set and for the text box or keypad to disappear. Exit the Settings app and lock the iPad to verify that it's secured. Before Leaving the Passcode Lock Settings The iPad now asks for the passcode before letting you into the home screen. However, a few things are still accessible from the lock screen. Siri is accessible from the lock screen. If you use it as a personal assistant, setting meetings and reminders without unlocking your iPad can be a real time saver. On the flip side, Siri allows anyone to set these meetings and reminders. If you want to keep your private information private, toggle Siri off so that it can't be used from the lock screen. Consider disabling access to Today View and Notification Center from the lock screen. These items access meeting reminders, your daily schedule, and iPad widgets you have installed. Disable it from the lock screen to make your iPad super secure. With Face ID enabled, you're free to set a requirement that notifications don't display unless the iPad recognizes your face. You may want to disable Home Control from the lock screen, also. If you have smart devices in your house (such as a smart thermostat, garage door, lights, or a front door lock), restrict access to these features from the lock screen. Consider turning this off if you have any smart devices that allow entry into your home. The 10 Best Smart Home Products of 2021 Enable the Erase Data option so that your iPad will be wiped if the passcode is entered incorrectly 10 times in a row. While it's a neat feature to automatically remotely wipe an iPad should it be stolen, it might not always be helpful. If you have kids around, be aware that should they tap your iPad a few dozen times without knowing what they're doing, it could wipe all the data from your tablet. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit