How to Turn an iPad On and Off

Each device uses the same technique

Hand of woman pressing light switch

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by Sam Costello
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.
Updated September 06, 2019

Every iPad turns on and off in nearly the exact same, very simple way. There's not much to understand about turning an iPad on. But turning it off, or rebooting it, is a bit more complicated.

While you probably won't want to shut your iPad down every day, it is necessary in some cases, such as if the software is being buggy or if the battery is about to die and you want to conserve the little remaining juice for later.

The instructions in this article apply to every model of the iPad, from the original to all versions of the iPad mini to the latest iPad Pros.

How to Turn an iPad On

Turning on an iPad is super simple. To turn an iPad on, hold down the on/off/sleep button in the top right corner of the iPad until the screen lights up. When the screen lights up, let go of the button and the iPad will boot.

How to Turn an iPad Off

Turning off an iPad isn't much harder. Here's what to do:

  1. Press and hold the on/off/sleep button at the top right corner of the iPad.

  2. Keep holding the button until a slider appears on the screen.

  3. Move the Slide to power off slider all the way to the right, or choose ​Cancel to keep the iPad on.

  4. If you chose to turn it off, you'll see a small, spinning wheel at the center of the screen before it goes dim and shuts off.

What If the iPad Doesn't Turn On or Off?

Sometimes an iPad might not respond to you trying to shut it down or boot it up. There are lots of reasons this could happen. In almost all of these cases, however, hold down the power button and the home button at the same time for around 5-10 seconds to force the device to reboot.

This process is called a force restart.

Use Airplane Mode Instead of Shutting Your iPad Off

If you've brought your iPad with you on an airplane trip, there's no need to shut it down during the flight. Use it at any time, including during takeoff and landing when laptops can't be used, by putting the iPad into Airplane Mode.

When You Should Reset or Reboot an iPad

Rebooting is shutting down the iPad and then turning it back on. Resetting is removing your customizations and preferences to return the iPad to the state it was in when you first got it.

You don't need to reset your iPad unless something is wrong with the way the software is working and it can't be solved any other way. For example, if apps aren't installing incorrectly, the settings aren't staying intact, or the menus and screen aren't consistently working as you'd expect, you might consider resetting the device.