The iPad is a wonderfully versatile object with a huge range of features and capabilities: it’s possible to happily own and use an iPad for years without doing any more than scratching the surface of what it can do.
Read next: Best cheap iPad deals UK | iPad reviews | How to set up a new iPad | How to speed up a slow iPad
This article, then, is for both absolute iPad beginners – who may have just bought an iPad or received one as a present – and for veterans who are looking to get more out of their tablet. We’re going to list all of the tutorials we’ve written for iPad users, taking you from the basics, such as setup and Settings, to more advanced steps such as jailbreaking.
Before we start, here’s a more general overview of our favourite iPad tips: 40 awesome tips for iPad users
THE BASICS
Which iPad: This might be too late, but just in case you haven’t chosen your iPad yet, here’s our huge iPad buying guide, recently updated for winter 2015/2016. It walks you through the differences between the 61 different combinations of iPad model, storage capacity, connectivity and colour that Apple currently sells, and offers clear buying advice to help you decide which is the one for you.
And if you prefer your advice in video form, take a look at this:
At the other end of the product lifecycle, if you decide you want to sell your iPad, here’s our advice on getting the best price for it:
How to sell your old iPad: Get the best price for a second-hand iPad
Setup: The next stage, once you’ve actually got an iPad, is to get it set up and running. This is a reassuringly user-friendly process: let us talk you through it.
Again, we’ve created a video to help you through this procedure:
How to put a SIM card into a new iPad
Settings: It’s not a glamorous part of the iPad, but the Settings app holds the key to customising your iPad experience. Our guide to configuring settings in iOS will help you make your iPad behave exactly the way you want it to.
Guide to iPad (and iPhone) settings
Best of the rest: Here are eight more handy beginner-level tutorials that we think will prove invaluable.
How to set up & use Find My iPad
How to change your passcode from six digits back to four
How to turn off keyboard click sounds
How to take a screenshot on iPad
How to apply a screen protector
How to wipe all the personal data from an iPad
COMMUNICATION & SOCIAL
The iPad is great for keeping in touch. We’ve got four useful tutorials that will help you more out of the iPad as a communications tool.
The complete guide to using emoji
How to send a group email: Quickly add a mail group on an iPad
How to send text messages from an iPad
iOS
iOS is the operating system software that runs on every iPad (and iPhone and iPod touch, for that matter). Learning iOS’s abilities, as well as how to upgrade it to the latest version (if this is the right decision for you) is a key part of mastering the iPad.
How to downgrade from iOS 9 to iOS 8
How to install iOS 9 via your Mac if you haven’t enough space on your iPad
APPS & GAMES
The reason we say that iOS devices are so versatile comes to the huge library of apps and games: more than a million and continuing to grow all the time. Well over half of these are optimised for iPad.
Of course, not all of these apps are excellent – in fact most are not. Which means that finding the best software to install on your iPad is a key skill you’ll need to develop.
How to stop kids buying apps & in-app purchases
How to get extra lives in Candy Crush and similar ‘wait or pay’ games
How to get Flash on iPad: Play Flash videos and games
How to create a preview video for your app
ENTERTAINMENT
How to connect an iPad or iPhone to a TV
Complete guide to the iOS 9 Music app: How to put music on an iPad, set up playlists, stream music
How to download movies to iPad without iTunes
How to watch Game of Thrones on your iPad
How to get back missing music, films and TV shows that have disappeared from Apple’s iTunes Store
How to get US Netflix on a UK iPad
How to watch movies on your iPad for free: where to find feature-length films online for iOS devices
How to get Flash on iPad: Play Flash videos and games
THE WEB
How to export bookmarks from Chrome to Safari
PHOTOGRAPHY
Tips for using the camera and photos apps on the iPad
How to set up Photo Stream: See all your photos on all your Apple devices
How to share photos to an iPad: share photos from your Mac, camera or iPhone
WORK
How to get Word, Excel and PowerPoint on your iPad for free
HACKING & JAILBREAKING
FAMILY
TROUBLESHOOTING
What do you do when something goes wrong with your iPad? Here are tutorials we’e written explaining how to deal with a number of common complaints; Apple’s discussion forums are an excellent resource if we haven’t got the answer you’re looking for.
11 fixes for when FaceTime is not working
What to do if you can’t connect to the App Store
How to fix a broken Lightning port
How to make iTunes recognise an iPad
Finally, if you get your iPad wet, take a look at our guide to drying out a wet iPhone. The same techniques apply to the iPad.
Author: David Price, Editor
David has loved the iPhone since covering the original 2007 launch; later his obsession expanded to include iPad and Apple Watch. He offers advice to owners (and prospective owners) of these devices.