iPad User Guide
- Welcome
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Introducing iPad
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iPad models
- iPad models compatible with iPadOS 26
- iPad mini (5th generation)
- iPad mini (6th generation)
- iPad mini (A17 Pro)
- iPad (8th generation)
- iPad (9th generation)
- iPad (10th generation)
- iPad (A16)
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
- iPad Air (4th generation)
- iPad Air (5th generation)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M2)
- iPad Air 13-inch (M2)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
- iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M4)
- iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (M5)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation)
- iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)
- iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
- Setup basics
- Make your iPad your own
- Streamline your workflow on iPad
- Do more with Apple Pencil
- Customize iPad for your child
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iPad models
- Whats new in iPadOS 26
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Set up and get started
- Turn on and set up iPad
- Wake, unlock, and lock
- Set up cellular service
- Connect to the internet
- View or change cellular data settings
- Apple Account and iCloud
- Find settings
- Set up mail, contacts, and calendar accounts
- Learn the meaning of the status icons
- Charge and monitor the battery
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Basics
- Learn gestures for iPad
- Adjust the volume
- Turn the iPad flashlight on or off
- Use your apps
- Drag and drop
- Use multiple apps simultaneously
- Access features from the Lock Screen
- Perform quick actions
- Search with Spotlight
- Get information about your iPad
- Manage storage on iPad
- Travel with iPad
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Personalize your iPad
- Change or turn off sounds
- Create a custom Lock Screen
- Customize your Home Screen
- Change the wallpaper
- Use and customize Control Center
- Record audio and video
- Adjust the screen brightness and color balance
- Keep the iPad display on longer
- Adjust iPad display and text settings
- Change the name of your iPad
- Change the date and time
- Change the language and region
- Change the default apps
- Change your default search engine on iPad
- Rotate your iPad screen
- Set up Focus, notifications, and Do Not Disturb
- Customize sharing options
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Work with text and graphics
- Enter, select, and revise text
- Add or change keyboards
- Add emoji, Memoji, and stickers
- Capture and record the iPad screen
- Use Markup tools
- Fill out forms, sign documents, and create signatures
- Interact with content in a photo or video
- Identify objects in your photos and videos
- Lift a subject from the photo background
- Camera
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Apps
- App Store
- Books
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Calendar
- Get started with Calendar
- Create and edit events in Calendar
- Send invitations
- Reply to invitations
- Change how you view events
- Search for events
- Change Calendar settings
- Schedule or display events in a different time zone
- Keep track of events
- Use multiple calendars
- Use reminders in Calendar
- Use the Holidays calendar
- Share iCloud calendars
- Calculator
- Clock
- Contacts
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FaceTime
- Get started with FaceTime
- Make and receive FaceTime calls
- Create a FaceTime link
- Take a Live Photo
- Use FaceTime audio call tools
- Use Live Captions and Live Translation
- Use other apps during a call
- Make a Group FaceTime call
- Use SharePlay to watch, listen, and play together
- Share your screen in a FaceTime call
- Request or give remote control in a FaceTime call
- Collaborate on a document in a FaceTime call
- Use video conferencing features
- Hand off a FaceTime call to another Apple device
- Change the FaceTime video settings
- Change the FaceTime audio settings
- Change your appearance
- Leave a call or switch to Messages
- Screen and filter calls
- Block a FaceTime call and report it as spam
- Files
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Find My
- Get started with Find My
- Find people
- Find devices
- Find items
- Adjust map settings
- Turn off Find My
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Freeform
- Get started with Freeform
- Create a Freeform board
- Add content to a board
- Share or present a board
- Search Freeform boards
- Delete and recover boards
- Subscribe to Apple Creator Studio
- Use keyboard shortcuts
- Change Freeform settings
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Games
- Get started with the Apple Games app
- Set up your Game Center profile
- Find and download games
- Subscribe to Apple Arcade
- Connect with friends in the Apple Games app
- Play with friends in the Apple Games app
- Manage your game library
- Connect a game controller
- Change game-related settings
- Report a problem with a game
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Health
- Get started with Health
- Fill out your Health Details
- View and share health data
- View health records
- Track your menstrual cycle
- Manage your medications
- Track your mental wellbeing
- Prioritize your sleep
- Use headphone hearing safeguards
- Back up your Health data
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Home
- Get started with Home
- Intro to Home
- Upgrade to the new version of Apple Home
- Set up accessories
- Control accessories
- Use Grid Forecast to plan your energy usage
- View electricity usage and rates
- Adaptive Temperature and Clean Energy Guidance
- Set up HomePod
- Control your home remotely
- Create and use scenes
- Use automations
- Set up security cameras
- Use Face Recognition
- Configure a router
- Invite others to control accessories
- Add more homes
- iTunes Store
- Journal
- Magnifier
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Mail
- Get started with Mail
- Add or remove email accounts
- Check your email
- Use categories
- Automatically clean up iCloud Mail
- Write and send email
- Work with attachments
- Set email notifications
- Search for email
- Organize your email in mailboxes
- Use iCloud Mail rules to automatically apply actions to emails
- Flag and filter email
- Mail privacy and security
- Change Mail settings
- Delete and recover emails
- Add a Mail widget to your Home Screen
- Print emails
- Use keyboard shortcuts
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Maps
- Get started with Maps
- Set your location and map view
- Explore maps with immersive views
- Navigate
- Customize your experience
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Find places
- Search for places
- Find nearby attractions, restaurants, and services
- Explore airports or malls
- Get information about places
- View and manage Visited Places
- Add places and notes to your Places
- Share places
- Mark places with pins
- Rate places and add photos
- Explore places with guides
- Organize places with custom guides
- Clear location history
- Delete recent directions
- Report an issue with Maps
- Measure
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Messages
- Get started with Messages
- Set up Messages
- About iMessage
- Send and reply to messages
- Schedule a text message to send later
- Unsend and edit messages
- Keep track of messages
- Search
- Forward and share messages
- Group conversations
- Share screens
- Collaborate on projects
- Add backgrounds
- Use iMessage apps
- Poll people in a conversation
- Take and edit photos or videos
- Share photos, links, and more
- Send stickers
- Create and send Memoji
- React with Tapbacks
- Format text and animate messages
- Draw and handwrite messages
- Send and save GIFs
- Send and receive audio messages
- Share your location
- Turn read receipts on or off
- Stop, mute, and change notifications
- Screen and filter texts
- Report spam and block senders
- Delete messages and attachments
- Recover deleted messages
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Music
- Get started with Music
- Get music
- Customize Music
- Apple Music
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Find and play music
- Find music
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Play music
- Play music
- Use the music player controls
- Play lossless audio
- Play Spatial Audio
- Listen to radio
- Play music together using SharePlay
- Play music together in the car
- Queue up your music
- Transition songs
- Shuffle or repeat songs
- Sing along with Apple Music
- Show song credits and lyrics
- Tell Apple Music what you enjoy
- Adjust the sound quality
- Organize songs in playlists
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News
- Get started with News
- Get News notifications and newsletters
- Use News widgets
- See news stories chosen just for you
- Read and share stories
- Read local news
- Follow your favorite teams with My Sports
- Apple News+
- Search for channels, topics, stories, or recipes
- Save stories
- Clear your reading history
- Customize the tab bar
- Subscribe to individual news channels
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Notes
- Get started with Notes
- Create and format notes
- Use Quick Notes
- Add drawings and handwriting
- Enter formulas and equations
- Add photos, video, and more
- Record and transcribe audio
- Scan text and documents
- Work with PDFs
- Add links
- Search notes
- Organize in folders
- Organize with tags
- Use Smart Folders
- Share and collaborate
- Export or print notes
- Lock notes
- Delete and recover notes
- Add or remove accounts
- Change the Notes view
- Change Notes settings
- Use keyboard shortcuts
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Passwords
- Use passwords on iPad
- Find your password for a website or app
- Change the password for a website or app
- Remove a password
- Recover a deleted password
- Create a password for a website or app
- Show passwords in large text
- Use passkeys to sign in to websites and apps
- Sign in with Apple
- Share passwords
- Automatically fill in strong passwords
- See websites excluded from AutoFill
- Change weak or compromised passwords
- View your passwords and related information
- View password history
- Find your Wi-Fi password
- Share passwords securely with AirDrop
- Make your passwords available on all your devices
- Automatically fill in verification codes
- Sign in with fewer CAPTCHA challenges
- Use two-factor authentication
- Use security keys
- See your Mac FileVault recovery key
- Import and export
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Phone
- Make a call
- Record and transcribe a call
- Change your Phone settings
- View and delete the call history
- Answer or decline incoming calls
- While on a call
- Have a conference or three-way call
- Set up Voicemail
- Check voicemail
- Change voicemail greeting and settings
- Select ringtones
- Make calls using Wi-Fi
- Set up call forwarding
- Set up call waiting
- Screen and block calls
- Photo Booth
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Photos
- Get started with Photos
- Browse your photo library
- Browse your photo collections
- View photos and videos
- See photo and video information
- Find your photos and videos
- Sort and filter the photo library
- Back up and sync your photos and videos with iCloud
- Delete or hide photos and videos
- Search for photos and videos
- Get wallpaper suggestions
- Watch and personalize memories
- Use photo albums
- Share photos and videos
- Edit photos and videos
- Make stickers from your photos
- Hide people, memories, or holidays
- Duplicate and copy photos and videos
- Merge duplicate photos
- Import and export photos and videos
- Print photos
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Podcasts
- Get started with Podcasts
- Find podcasts
- Watch and listen to podcasts
- View podcast transcripts
- Follow your favorite podcasts
- Rate or review podcasts
- Use the Podcasts widget
- Select your favorite Podcasts categories and channels
- Organize your podcast library
- Download, save, remove, and share podcasts
- Subscribe to podcasts
- Listen to subscriber-only content
- Change download settings
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Preview
- Get started with Preview
- View PDFs and images
- Edit PDFs
- Edit images
- Manage PDFs or images
- Reply to an email with a PDF attachment
- Scan text and documents
- Create an image
- Share PDFs or images
- Print PDFs or images
- Customize the toolbar
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Reminders
- Get started with Reminders
- Create reminders
- Make a grocery list
- Add details
- Complete items
- Delete and recover reminders
- Edit and organize a list
- Search your lists
- Organize multiple lists
- Tag items
- Use Smart Lists
- Share and collaborate
- Print a list
- Work with templates
- Add or remove accounts
- Change Reminders settings
- Use keyboard shortcuts
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Safari
- Get started with Safari
- Browse the web
- Search for websites
- See highlights
- Customize your Safari settings
- Change the layout
- Create multiple Safari profiles
- Use Tab Groups
- Listen to a webpage
- Mute audio in tabs
- Bookmark a website
- Open as Web App
- Bookmark a website as a favorite
- Save pages to a Reading List
- Find links shared with you
- Download a PDF
- Annotate and save a webpage as a PDF
- Fill in forms
- Get extensions
- Hide distractions
- Clear your cache and cookies
- Enable cookies
- Privacy and security
- Import and export
- Shortcuts
- Stocks
- Tips
- Translate
- TV
- Voice Memos
- Weather
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Siri
- How to use Siri
- Find out what Siri can do
- Turn on and activate Siri
- Customize Siri
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Apple Intelligence
- Intro to Apple Intelligence
- Translate messages and calls
- Create original images with Image Playground
- Create your own emoji with Genmoji
- Use Image Wand with Apple Intelligence
- Use Apple Intelligence with Siri
- Find the right words with Writing Tools
- Use ChatGPT with Apple Intelligence
- Summarize notifications and reduce interruptions
- Use Apple Intelligence with apps
- Apple Intelligence and privacy
- Block access to Apple Intelligence features
- Family Sharing
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Screen Time
- Get started with Screen Time
- Protect your vision health with Screen Distance
- Create, manage, and keep track of a Screen Time passcode
- Set schedules with Screen Time
- Block apps, app downloads, websites, and purchases
- Block calls and messages with Screen Time
- Check for sensitive images and videos
- Set up Screen Time for a child
- Respond to a Screen Time request
- Wallet & Apple Pay
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Accessories
- Power adapter and charge cable
- AirPods and EarPods
- Use headphone audio-level features
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Apple Pencil
- Apple Pencil compatibility
- Pair and charge Apple Pencil (1st generation)
- Pair and charge Apple Pencil (2nd generation)
- Pair and charge Apple Pencil (USB-C)
- Pair and charge Apple Pencil Pro
- Enter text with Scribble
- Draw with Apple Pencil
- Take and mark up a screenshot with Apple Pencil
- Quickly write notes
- Apple TV 4K, smart TVs, and video displays
- HomePod and other wireless speakers
- Keyboards
- Trackpads
- Mouse devices
- External storage devices
- Connect Bluetooth accessories
- Play audio from your iPad on a Bluetooth accessory from your iPad
- Apple Watch with Fitness+
- Printers
- Polishing cloth
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Use iPad with iPhone, Mac, and Windows devices
- Intro to Continuity
- Use AirDrop to send items to nearby devices
- Hand off tasks between devices
- Copy and paste between devices
- Stream video or mirror the screen of your iPad
- Allow phone calls and text messages on your iPad
- Share your internet connection with Personal Hotspot
- Use your iPad as a webcam for Apple TV 4K
- Insert sketches, photos, and scans on Mac
- Use your iPad as a second display
- Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad
- Connect iPad and your computer with a cable
- Transfer files between devices
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Accessibility
- Get started with accessibility features
- Use accessibility features during setup
- Change Siri accessibility settings
- Quickly turn accessibility features on or off
- Share your Accessibility settings with another device
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Vision
- Overview of accessibility features for vision
- Read or listen to text in apps with Accessibility Reader
- Zoom in
- View a larger version of text youre reading or typing
- Change display colors
- Make text easier to read
- Customize onscreen motion
- Use iPad more comfortably while riding in a vehicle
- Customize per-app visual settings
- Hear whats on the screen or typed
- Hear audio descriptions
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VoiceOver
- Turn on and practice VoiceOver
- Change your VoiceOver settings
- Use VoiceOver gestures
- Operate iPad when VoiceOver is on
- Control VoiceOver using the rotor
- Use the onscreen keyboard
- Write with your finger
- Keep the screen off
- Use VoiceOver with an external keyboard
- Use a braille display
- Type braille on the screen
- Use Braille Access with a braille display
- Customize gestures and keyboard shortcuts
- Use VoiceOver with a pointer device
- Get live descriptions of your surroundings
- Use VoiceOver in apps
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Mobility
- Overview of accessibility features for mobility
- Use AssistiveTouch
- Use an adjustable onscreen trackpad on iPad
- Control iPad with the movement of your eyes
- Control iPad with the movement of your head
- Adjust how iPad responds to your touch
- Auto-answer calls
- Change Face ID and attention settings
- Use Voice Control
- Adjust the top or Home button
- Use Apple TV 4K Remote buttons
- Adjust pointer settings
- Adjust keyboard settings
- Control iPad with an external keyboard
- Adjust AirPods settings
- Adjust double tap and squeeze settings for Apple Pencil
- Switch Control
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Hearing
- Overview of accessibility features for hearing
- Use hearing devices
- Use Live Listen
- Use sound recognition
- Get notified when your name is called
- Set up and use RTT
- Flash the indicator light or screen for notifications
- Adjust audio settings
- Play background sounds
- Display subtitles and captions
- Show transcriptions for Intercom messages
- Get live captions of spoken audio
- Speech
- Cognitive
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Privacy and security
- Control what you share
- Protect access to your iPad
- Turn on Lock Screen features
- Block contacts
- Keep your Apple Account secure
- Manage what you share with apps
- Create and manage Hide My Email addresses
- Protect your web browsing with iCloud Private Relay
- Use a private network address
- Use Advanced Data Protection
- Use Lockdown Mode
- Install Background Security Improvements
- Receive warnings about sensitive content
- Use Contact Key Verification
- Restart, update, reset, and restore
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Safety, handling, and support
- Important safety information
- Important handling information
- Find more resources for software and service
- FCC compliance statement
- ISED Canada compliance statement
- Apple and the environment
- Class 1 Laser information
- Disposal and recycling information
- Unauthorized modification of iPadOS
- ENERGY STAR compliance statement
- Copyright and trademarks
Use AirDrop on iPad to send items to nearby Apple devices
With AirDrop, you can wirelessly send photos, videos, documents, and more to a nearby iPhone, iPad, or Mac. You can use AirDrop to send files to your own devices or to share files with others.
You can use AirDrop with an iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Transfers are encrypted for security, and the recipient can accept or decline each transfer as it arrives.
Note: If you leave Bluetooth or Wi-Fi range after an AirDrop transfer is initiated, the transfer continues over the internet.
[A Mac is next to an iPad. The AirDrop dialog is open on the Mac desktop, ready to share a document with the iPad. iPad iPhone screen has a notification about receiving the document.]![[A Mac is next to an iPad. The AirDrop dialog is open on the Mac desktop, ready to share a document with the iPad. iPad iPhone screen has a notification about receiving the document.]](https://help.apple.com/assets/698A8EFC4AF0A5C4CF042598/698A8F004AF0A5C4CF04259E/en_US/63398e10a230bdc4208d13cf5ef363dc.png){kind=link}
Before you begin
Make sure of the following:
The devices are within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other.
If youre using a VPN, make sure its configuration doesnt prevent local networking, as that may interfere with some Continuity features.
If you want to use AirDrop to send items between your Apple devices, sign in to the same Apple Account to automatically accept and save the items.
Turn on AirDrop
On an iPhone or iPad:Open Control Center, touch and hold the top-left group of controls, then tap
[the AirDrop icon]. Tap Contacts Only or Everyonefor10Minutes to choose who you want to receive items from.Note: The Contacts Only and Everyone for 10 Minutes options are available only on devices with minimum system requirements.
On a Mac: Click
[Control Center status menu] in the menu bar, then click [the AirDrop icon]. When its blue, its on.To choose who can send items to you, click the right arrow next to AirDrop, then click Contacts Only or Everyone.
![[the AirDrop icon]](https://help.apple.com/assets/698A8EFC4AF0A5C4CF042598/698A8F004AF0A5C4CF04259E/en_US/c19eb4d44c3797927c95f150b5e5181f.png){kind=link}
![[Control Center status menu]](https://help.apple.com/assets/698A8EFC4AF0A5C4CF042598/698A8F004AF0A5C4CF04259E/en_US/3045264ba38d067fcdf39c07a1129c88.png){kind=link}
Send an item using an AirDrop code
With iOS26.2, iPadOS26.2, macOS 26.2, or later, if someone tries to send you an item with AirDrop and theyre not in your contacts, they must use an AirDrop code.
If you choose to receive the item, select Continue. The AirDrop code appears on your device. After you share the code with the sender and they enter it on their device, the item is shared.
You can continue to share and receive items using AirDrop with that person for 30 days without needing to use another AirDrop code. If you no longer want to share items before the 30 days are up, go to the Contacts app 
[], find the sender in your Other Known list, then select Forget This Person.
![[]](https://help.apple.com/assets/698A8EFC4AF0A5C4CF042598/698A8F004AF0A5C4CF04259E/en_US/16b966e440ec5fb9278ce6235caabc74.png){kind=link}
Send an item using AirDrop
To send an item to someone with AirDrop, both you and your recipient must have AirDrop turned.
If youre sending items to someone who only accepts items from a contact, you must be in their contacts list and they need to have your Apple Account email address or phone number included in your contact card.
Then do any of the following:
On an iPhone or iPad: Open the item, then tap
[the Share icon], Share, [the AirDrop icon], 
[the More ellipsis button], or another button (depending on the app). Tap [the AirDrop icon], then tap the recipient you want to share with. The recipients you see are those who are nearby, have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, and are able to accept files from your device.On a Mac: Open the item on a Mac, click
[the Share icon] in the toolbar, then click AirDrop. Select the recipient you want to share with. The recipients you see are those who are nearby, have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, and are able to accept files from your device.Tip: You can also share items with AirDrop in the Finder. To open a Finder window, click
[the Finder icon] in the Dock. Click AirDrop in the sidebar, then drag the item you want to share to the recipient you want to send it to.
![[the Share icon]](https://help.apple.com/assets/698A8EFC4AF0A5C4CF042598/698A8F004AF0A5C4CF04259E/en_US/748a151e2276ad5df4d03ec8d4506bf7.png){kind=link}
![[the More ellipsis button]](https://help.apple.com/assets/698A8EFC4AF0A5C4CF042598/698A8F004AF0A5C4CF04259E/en_US/38f95724ed0a62ccb8a071d3df51b3b2.png){kind=link}
![[the Finder icon]](https://help.apple.com/assets/698A8EFC4AF0A5C4CF042598/698A8F004AF0A5C4CF04259E/en_US/0747c30af3c765f8a1d18cbabfd90c9d.png){kind=link}
If you see a notification to enter a code in order to share the item, enter the AirDrop code generated on the recipients device.
To use AirDrop to securely share app and website passwords with someone using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, see Share passwords and passkeys with people you trust on iPad.
Receive items with AirDrop
On your device, tap or click Accept on the AirDrop notification.
If you see a notification that you need an AirDrop code in order to receive the item, tap or click Get AIrDrop Code and share it with the sender. The sender enters the code on their device in order to send the item with AirDrop.
Note: If youre sending an item between devices where youre signed in to the same Apple Account, the item is automatically accepted.
Most items are saved in the app that theyre sent from. For example, if someone uses AirDrop to send a photo from the Photos app, its saved in the Photos app on your device.
Depending on the device, you may find your files in other places. On an iPhone or iPad, some items may be saved in the Files app. On a Mac, some items are automatically saved in the Downloads folder, but you may also have the option to choose where to save itemsfor example whether to save a photo in the Downloads folder or open it in Photos.
Note: If you opened AirDrop in the Finder on a Mac, the notification to accept or decline appears here, rather than in Notification Center.
If you send items from one of your Apple devices to another (for example, from your Mac to your iPad), and youre signed in to the same Apple Account on both devices, the item is automatically accepted and saved.
Turn off cellular data for AirDrop
Cellular data charges may apply when you use AirDrop.
If you dont want to use cellular data when youre out of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi range, go to Settings
[] > General> AirDrop, then turn off Use Cellular Data.
![[]](https://help.apple.com/assets/698A8EFC4AF0A5C4CF042598/698A8F004AF0A5C4CF04259E/en_US/610900798ec772fa266e98f9f6042807.png){kind=link}
Typically this is a one-time setting, but you might want to change it if, for example, youre traveling and want to avoid roaming charges.
If AirDrop isnt working
Make sure that both the sender and recipient have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on and that youre both using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Check that the recipient has their AirDrop settings set to receive from Everyone or Contacts Only.
If youre having difficulty getting AirDrop to work, restart your device and try again.
For additional support, see the Apple Support article How to use AirDrop on your iPhone or iPad.
AirDrop is best for sharing a small selection of files between devices. If you want to share many files between your Mac and other Apple devices, see Transfer files from iPad to a storage device, a server, or the cloud or How iCloud keeps information up to date across all your devices.