1. Activating and Customizing Your iPad

In This Chapter

• Setting up your iPad

• Choosing and activating a wireless data plan

• Custom configuring the pre-installed apps

• Personalizing your tablet

Before you can begin using an iPad you’ve just acquired, it must first be activated. Then—in addition to choosing your tablet’s Lock screen and Home screen wallpaper, and rearranging the app icons on your Home screen—you can customize your iPad, as well as individual apps, in a number of ways. Activating and customizing your iPad is the focus of this chapter.

Turning Your iPad On or Off

Like any electronic device, your iPad has a Power button. It’s located near the top-right corner of the tablet. To turn on the iPad when it’s powered off, press the Power button for between one and three seconds. You see the Apple logo appear and the iPad boots up within about 15 seconds, causing the Lock screen to be displayed.

To turn off (power down) the iPad, press and hold the Power button for between three and five seconds, until the Slide to Power Off slider appears. Then, swipe your finger from left to right along this slider.

Placing Your iPad into Sleep Mode

In addition to being in a powered on or powered off state, your iPad can also be placed in Sleep Mode when it’s not actively being used. While in Sleep Mode, various apps can continue running in the background and the tablet automatically wakes up if an alert, alarm, or notification is generated by an app that requires your attention. Also while in Sleep Mode, the iPad can automatically access the Internet to check for incoming emails or update data within a specific app, for example.

To place your iPad into Sleep Mode, press the Power button once quickly (do not hold it down for several seconds as you would when powering it off). Or simply place an Apple Smart Cover (or compatible cover) over the iPad’s screen.

While in Sleep Mode, your iPad’s screen is turned off. To wake up the iPad from Sleep Mode, quickly press and release either the Power button or the Home button on the tablet. Whenever you wake up the iPad, the Lock screen appears.

Activating Your iPad

When you first purchase your iPad 2 or new iPad, take it out of the box, and turn it on, you see a black screen that displays the iPad logo. Before you can begin using your tablet, you must initialize it and set it up for the first time. When prompted, swipe your finger on the onscreen slider switch to begin the setup procedure.

iPad Wireless Setup

If you’re setting up a brand-new iPad that comes with iOS 5.1 (or later) installed, and you’re within a Wi-Fi hotspot, you can use the wireless setup procedure.

The very first time you turn on a new tablet, you see a black screen with the word iPad displayed near the center of the screen (shown in Figure 1.1). Near the bottom-center of this screen is a virtual slider switch. Using your finger, move this slider from left to right.

Figure 1.1. This is the first thing you see when you turn on your brand new iPad.

When the Welcome screen appears (shown in Figure 1.2), select your language (the default option is English), and then tap the right-pointing arrow icon that’s displayed near the upper-right corner of the screen.

Figure 1.2. Select your language preference, and then tap the arrow icon to continue with the initial setup procedure.

Next, select your country or region. If you purchased the iPad within the United States, the default option is United States. Tap the Next icon that’s displayed near the top-right corner of the screen to continue.

On the screen that displays, you can enable or disable the iPad’s Location Services feature. This option allows your iPad (and the various apps running on it) to pinpoint your exact location and utilize (and sometimes share) your location information. The pros and cons of this feature are covered in more detail later in this chapter, but for now, turn On this main Location Services feature. From the Settings app, you can later decide which specific apps can utilize this feature.

From the Wi-Fi Networks screen (shown in Figure 1.3), select the Wi-Fi network your tablet should connect to. The available Wi-Fi networks are displayed on this screen. When you tap the network you want to choose, a small check mark appears next to the Wi-Fi network’s name. Tap the Next icon that’s displayed near the upper-right corner of the screen to continue.

Figure 1.3. To continue with the wireless setup, your tablet must be within a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The Set Up iPad screen displays next. From this screen, you can set up your iPad from scratch, or restore the tablet from a previous backup. Near the bottom center of this screen are the following three options (shown in Figure 1.4):

• Set Up As new iPad

• Restore from iCloud Backup

• Restore from iTunes

Figure 1.4. When you activate your iPad, choose whether you want to set it up as a new device or restore your data from an older iPad.

If you’re upgrading from an original iPad to the iPad 2, or from the iPad 2 to a new iPad, and want to load all of your apps, iPad customizations, and data, you have two choices. If your backup data is stored on iCloud, select the Restore from iCloud Backup option. Or, if the backup data from your original iPad is stored on your primary computer (because it was created using the iTunes Sync or iTunes Wireless Sync process), connect your tablet to your primary computer via the supplied USB cable, and follow the onscreen prompts.

However, if you’re not upgrading, tap the Set Up As New iPad option, and then tap the Next icon that appears near the upper-right corner of the screen to continue.

When the Apple ID screen appears, you see a handful of enlarged app icons scrolling across the screen. Near the bottom center of this screen are two command icons:

• Sign In with an Apple ID

• Create a Free Apple ID

If you already own any other Apple computer or iOS device, chances are you already have an Apple ID account set up. Tap the Sign In with an Apple ID command icon to continue. When the next screen appears, use the iPad’s virtual keyboard to enter your Apple ID and password.

By entering your existing Apple ID and password, your new iPad automatically loads app-related data stored on iCloud, including your Contacts database, Calendar data, Safari bookmarks, and iCloud-related email account information.

Next, you’ll be able to set up iCloud services from the Set Up iCloud screen. Near the bottom center of this screen, you can turn on or off the iCloud service. When you’ve made your selection, tap the Next icon that’s displayed in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Setting up iCloud is free, and because many apps enable you to share data and sync files using this online-based file-sharing service, this is something you should do now. However, you have the opportunity to set up iCloud later via the Settings app.

Continue working your way through this step-by-step iPad activation procedure, which should take less than five more minutes to complete. When you’re done, the Thank You screen appears.

If you’re activating a new iPad, you have the option to turn on the new Dictation feature (as shown in Figure 1.5). Tap on the Use Dictation option to activate it. You learn more about this useful feature at the end of this chapter.

Figure 1.5. If you’re activating a new iPad, you can turn on the Dictation feature. This feature is not available on the original iPad or iPad 2.

Now that your iPad has been set up, the tablet’s Home screen is displayed. On the Home screen are the app icons for all the core apps that come preinstalled on your tablet.

Activating Your iPad’s Data Services

Now that you have activated your iPad, if you have an iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G or new iPad Wi-Fi + 4G model, you can activate a wireless data service plan. To do this, make sure your iPad is not in Airplane Mode. (If it is in Airplane Mode, see the “Switching to Airplane Mode” section later in this chapter for information on where to turn off Airplane Mode.) You should see the 3G or 4G connection signal bars and the AT&T or Verizon label in the upper-left corner of the screen. Next, tap the Safari app icon from the Home screen.

Within the U.S., before you’re allowed to gain access to the wireless web via a 3G or 4G connection, you must activate an account with AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless, or another compatible wireless data service provider.

When you tap the Safari icon for the first time, follow the onscreen prompts when asked if you want to set up an AT&T Wireless or Verizon Wireless account. You must choose a monthly service plan that costs between $14.99 and $50.00 per month, depending on the plan you choose. This is a month-to-month plan that you can cancel or change any time. No long-term service agreement is required, however, it is auto-renewing until you cancel it.

Customizing iPad’s Settings

Along with adding apps to your iPad to customize the tablet’s features and functionality, you can use the built-in Settings app to personalize a wide range of options that affect your interaction with the tablet, how it connects to the Internet, and how your apps function.

Regardless of what you use your iPad for, you will occasionally need to access the Settings app. Think of the Settings app as the control center for the tablet’s operating system. For example, it’s from here that you can put your tablet into Airplane Mode, find and connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot, set up your email accounts, and customize your tablet’s wallpapers. In fact, there are dozens of options available from the various Settings menus and submenus that directly affect how your iPad operates.

Upon launching the Settings app on any iPad model, you can see the screen is divided into two sections. On the left are the main options offered within the Settings app, starting with the virtual Airplane Mode (On/Off) switch that’s located near the top-left corner of the screen (shown in Figure 1.6)

Figure 1.6. The left side of the screen displays the main Settings menu. Tap on a menu option to display a relevant submenu on the right side of the iPad’s screen.

On the right side of the screen are the various submenu options available to you based on the highlighted selection on the left side of the screen. If you hold your iPad vertically (in portrait mode), you can see the entire main Settings screen at once. As you can see, the General option on the left is highlighted (in blue on your screen), and the specific options you can adjust on your iPad under the General option are displayed on the right side of the screen.

To select a different Settings category, tap its menu option that’s listed within the left column of the Settings screen.

Switching to Airplane Mode

The first option found under the Settings heading, within the left column of the main Settings app screen, is the virtual Airplane Mode On/Off switch. This option enables you to turn off the iPad’s capability to communicate with the Internet using a 3G (4G) or Wi-Fi connection. To switch Airplane Mode to the On or Off position, simply tap the virtual switch that’s displayed near the upper-left corner of the main settings screen.

When Airplane Mode is turned off, and you’re using an iPad with 3G (or 4G), the tablet automatically connects to the wireless data network to which you’ve subscribed (as long as you’re not within the signal radius of a Wi-Fi hotspot). The signal bars for this wireless data connection are displayed in the upper-left corner of the screen.

If you turn on Airplane Mode, the tablet’s wireless data connection shuts down and your existing Wi-Fi connection also turns off. Everything else on your tablet remains functional. Some apps, however, (such as FaceTime) do require an active Wi-Fi connection to work. When your tablet is in Airplane Mode, a small airplane-shaped icon appears in the upper-left corner of the screen.

Connecting to a Wi-Fi Hotspot

Located directly below the Airplane Mode switch is the Wi-Fi option. When you tap Wi-Fi in the left column of the main Settings screen, the right side of the screen immediately displays the various options available to you for choosing and connecting to a Wi-Fi hotspot.

At the top, the first user-selectable option is labeled Wi-Fi. It’s accompanied by a virtual On/Off switch to its right. When the Wi-Fi option is turned on, your iPad immediately begins looking for all Wi-Fi hotspots in the vicinity.

The available networks are displayed under the Choose a Network heading on the right side of the screen. A lock icon to the right of any network listed in the Choose a Network section indicates the Wi-Fi hotspot is password protected. The signal strength of each Wi-Fi hotspot in your immediate area is also displayed to the right of the network’s name.

Tap a public hotspot that does not display a lock icon, unless you possess the password for a locked network. Keep in mind that the network options you see displayed under the Choose a Network heading are based on the active Wi-Fi hotspots in your immediate vicinity.

When you select a Wi-Fi network that is password protected, an Enter Password window displays on your screen. Using the iPad’s virtual keyboard, enter the correct password to connect to the Wi-Fi network you selected. You might also have to do this when connecting to a public Wi-Fi hotspot offered within a hotel, for example.

In a few seconds, a check mark appears to the left of your selected Wi-Fi hotspot, and a Wi-Fi signal indicator displays in the upper-left corner of your iPad’s screen to confirm that a Wi-Fi connection has been established.

If you leave the Wi-Fi option turned on, your iPad can automatically find and connect to an available Wi-Fi hotspot, with or without your approval, based on whether you have the Ask to Join Networks option turned on or off.

Benefits of Accessing the Web via a Wi-Fi Hotspot

There are several benefits to connecting to the Internet using a Wi-Fi connection, as opposed to a 3G or 4G connection (if you’re using an iPad 2 or new iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G or Wi-Fi + 4G capabilities). These benefits include

• A Wi-Fi connection is often much faster than a 3G or even a 4G connection; however, the signal strength and number of people simultaneously accessing the Wi-Fi network affects your connection speed.

• When connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, you can send and receive as much data as you’d like, stream content from the Web, and upload or download large files without worrying about using up your monthly wireless data allocation that’s associated with your 3G or 4G wireless data plan.

• Using a Wi-Fi connection, you can use the FaceTime app for video conferencing, plus download movies and TV show episodes from iTunes directly onto your tablet.

Configuring Notifications Settings

The Notifications option, also displayed in the left column of the Settings app, enables you to globally turn Notifications on or off using a virtual switch that appears on the right side of the screen. When turned off, all sounds, alerts, and Home screen badges are disabled.

From the Notifications option within Settings, you can also customize the Notification Center, which is continuously operational when your iPad is turned on. To learn more about Notification Center, refer to Chapter 4, “Using the Calendar, Reminders, and Notification Center Apps.”

Setting Location Services Options

The fourth option displayed on the left side of the Settings screen is labeled Location Services. When this option is turned on, the iPad can automatically utilize the GPS functionality built in to the device in conjunction with various apps. Certain apps and services, such as Maps or Find My iPad, rely on knowing your exact location to function properly.

When Location Services is selected in the left column menu, a virtual On/Off switch that completely enables or disables this feature is displayed on the right. Below that is a listing of all apps currently installed on your iPad that can use Location Services. You can turn on the master Location Services switch, but turn off the feature in conjunction with specific apps that would otherwise utilize it.

When the Location Services option is on, your iPad can fully utilize its GPS capabilities. When the option is off, your tablet is not able to determine (or broadcast) your exact location.

Some apps automatically track your whereabouts and add that geographic information to files. For example, if Location Services is turned on, when you snap a photo using the Camera app, the exact location where the photo was shot is automatically saved.

Likewise, when posting a tweet, you can set the Twitter app to automatically display your exact location within that tweet message if Location Services is turned on. And, theoretically, your boss, spouse, or someone else who knows your Apple ID could track your whereabouts using the Find My iPad service from any computer. Or, with your permission, the Find My Friends app can be used for this purpose.

Configuring Cellular Data Options

When you select the Cellular Data option, a virtual On/Off switch appears on the right side of the screen (see Figure 1.7). The Data Roaming option also appears, and on the new iPad an Enable LTE option is also available.

Figure 1.7. From the Cellular Data option, you can control whether your iPad can connect to the 3G or 4G wireless data network. You can also give your tablet the ability to roam (for an additional fee) to other networks for 3G or 4G Internet access.

When the Cellular Data option is on, your tablet can access either the 3G or 4G wireless data you subscribe to. When it’s off, your iPad can access the Internet only using a Wi-Fi connection, assuming a Wi-Fi hotspot is present.

When set to on, the Data Roaming option enables your iPad to connect to a 3G (or 4G) network outside the one you subscribe to. The ability to tap into another wireless data network might be useful if you must connect to the Internet, there’s no Wi-Fi hotspot present, and you’re outside the coverage area of your wireless data network (such as when you’re traveling abroad).

You can view or modify your 3G (or 4G) wireless data plan account details by tapping the View Account option. After you log in with the username and password you created when you set up the account, you can do things such as change your credit card billing information or modify your monthly plan.

Adjusting the Screen Brightness

Also along the left column displayed within the Settings app is the Brightness & Wallpaper setting. When you tap this setting, the Brightness & Wallpaper options appear on the right side of the Settings screen (see Figure 1.8).

Figure 1.8. Use the Brightness slider to control how light or dark your iPad’s screen appears. You can change this based on the external lighting conditions where you’re using your iPad to make what’s displayed on the screen easier to view.

At the top of the screen is a Brightness slider. Place your finger on the white dot on the slider and drag it to the right to make the screen brighter, or drag it to the left to make the screen darker. Manually adjusting the brightness resets the “base” brightness of the Auto-Brightness option, making the screen easier to read in certain lighting conditions (based on your personal preference).

The Auto-Brightness option displayed under the brightness slider has a virtual On/Off switch associated with it. The default setting for this feature is On, which means the iPad uses its built-in ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the brightness of the screen. Leave the setting on unless you consistently have difficulty seeing what’s displayed on your iPad’s screen based on its brightness setting.

Customizing the Lock Screen and Home Screen Wallpapers

One of the ways you can customize the appearance of your iPad is to change the wallpaper displayed on the device’s Lock screen and behind your app icons on the Home screen.

Choosing a Preinstalled Wallpaper

From the Brightness & Wallpaper option in the Settings app, you can quickly change the wallpapers that are displayed on the tablet. Your iPad has 34 preinstalled wallpaper designs, plus you can use any digital images stored on your iPad (within the Photos app) as your Lock screen or Home screen wallpaper.

Below the brightness slider is the Wallpaper option. Here, you see a thumbnail graphic of your iPad’s Lock screen on the left and Home screen on the right. Tap either of these thumbnail images to change their appearance. The right side of the Settings screen changes, and two options are listed. The Wallpaper option is on top and the Camera Roll or Photos option is on bottom.

Tap the Wallpaper option to display thumbnails for the 34 preinstalled wallpaper graphics you can choose from (shown in Figure 1.9).

Figure 1.9. Choose from 34 preinstalled wallpaper graphics for your iPad’s Lock screen and Home screen.

When looking at the collection of wallpaper graphics, tap the one you’d like to use, such as the planet earth graphic that’s displayed on the top row. Next, the graphic you select is displayed in full-screen mode. In the upper-right corner of the screen are three command buttons. Choose one of these options by tapping its icon:

• Set Lock Screen: Tap this icon to change just the wallpaper graphic of your iPad’s Lock screen. This is the screen you see when you first turn on your tablet or wake it from Sleep Mode.

• Set Home Screen: Tap this icon to change just the wallpaper graphic of your iPad’s Home screen. This is the graphic that displays behind your app icons on each of your Home screen pages.

• Set Both: Tap this icon to use the same wallpaper graphic as both your Lock screen and your Home screen wallpapers.

After you make your selection, your newly selected wallpaper graphic is displayed when you return to the iPad’s Lock screen or Home screen.

Instead of choosing one of the preinstalled wallpaper graphics, you also have the option to use any of your own digital images. This includes photos you’ve transferred to your iPad and have stored within the Photos app, and photos you’ve shot using the tablet’s Camera app.

Displaying a Custom Image as a Wallpaper

To select one of your own photos to use as your Lock screen or Home screen wallpaper, tap the Brightness & Wallpaper option in the Settings app.

On the right side of the screen, tap the thumbnails of your iPad’s Lock screen and Home screen. Underneath the Wallpaper option, tap the folder that contains the image you want to use as your wallpaper. This might be a photo you’ve shot using your iPad (found within the Camera Roll folder), or a photo you’ve imported into the Photos app of your tablet. You could also use a photo you’ve saved on your iPad from your iCloud Photo Stream, a feature that is discussed later in Chapter 9, “Syncing Your iPad via iTunes or iCloud.”

When the image thumbnails appear, tap on the one you want to use as your wallpaper for your Lock screen or Home screen (or both). When the photo you selected appears in full-screen mode, tap one of the three command icons that appear in the upper-right corner of the screen. Once again, your options include Set Lock Screen, Set Home Screen, or Set Both.

After you make your selection, your newly selected wallpaper graphic displays on your Lock screen and Home screen, as you can see in Figure 1.10 and Figure 1.11.

Figure 1.10. A newly selected Lock screen graphic, chosen from a photo stored on the iPad within the Photos app.

Figure 1.11. The image selected from the Settings app is displayed as your Home screen wallpaper appearing behind your app icons.

Transforming Your iPad into a Digital Picture Frame

When your iPad isn’t in use or on the go with you, it might sit idly on your desk. If this is the case, you could transform the device into a digital picture frame and have it display an animated slideshow of your favorite images when it’s not otherwise being used. You can set up and customize an animated slideshow using the Picture Frame option of the Settings app.

General Options

Several options found under the General heading are things you’ll probably never need to tinker with or adjust, such as International or Accessibility, so just leave them at their default settings. Others are things you might need to change often as you use your iPad for different tasks.

The General option of the Settings screen enables you to view and adjust the following options:

• About: Tap the About option to access information about your iPad, including its serial number, which version of the iOS is running, the memory capacity, and how much memory is currently available on the device. This is purely an informative screen with no options to customize or adjust.

• Software Update: Periodically, when Apple releases a revision to the iOS operating system, you must download and install an update. You can do it wirelessly using the Software Update feature. When you tap Software Update, your iPad checks to see whether a new version of the iOS is available and, if so, prompts you to download and install it.

• Usage: Tap the Usage option to decide whether to display your tablet’s battery life as a numeric percentage (such as 73%) or only as a battery-shaped graphic icon. Also, from this screen you can see how much data the iPad has sent or received using the 3G/4G wireless data network to which it’s connected.

Tap the Reset Statistics option to reset the Sent and Received settings. When you add the Sent and Received numbers together, you can determine your total data usage since you last tapped the Reset Statistics icon. This feature is particularly useful to determine how much you’ll be billed when you’re overseas and roaming, or for making sure you don’t go beyond your monthly allocated data use based on the 3G/4G wireless data plan you have.

• Sounds: Tap this option to adjust the overall volume of the iPad’s built-in speaker (or the volume of the audio you hear through headsets), as well as to turn on or off various audible tones and alarms your tablet is able to generate. All of these sound-related options have virtual On/Off switches associated with them.

• Network: This option enables you to select and connect your iPad to either a virtual private network (VPN) or Wi-Fi network, assuming one is present. For help connecting to a VPN, contact the IT department in your company.

• Bluetooth: If you plan to use any type of Bluetooth device with your tablet, such as wireless external speakers, a headset, or a wireless keyboard, you first need to turn on the Bluetooth feature on your iPad and then pair that device with your tablet. You can manage Bluetooth devices from the Bluetooth submenu within Settings.

• iTunes Wi-Fi Sync: Instead of using iCloud or the traditional iTunes Sync process to back up or synchronize your iPad, the iTunes Wi-Fi (Wireless) Sync option enables you to utilize the iTunes Sync process without directly connecting your iPad to your primary computer using the supplied USB cable. Instead, you can link wirelessly, as long as both the computer and iPad are connected to the same wireless network.

• Spotlight Search: Determine which apps are searched when you use the Spotlight Search feature built in to the iPad.

• Auto-Lock: Set your iPad to switch into Sleep Mode anytime it is left idle for a predetermined amount of time. This helps conserve battery life. From the Auto-Lock option, you can determine whether Sleep Mode should be activated after 2, 5, 10, or 15 minutes of nonuse. Or you can choose the Never option so the iPad never automatically switches into Sleep Mode, even if you leave it unattended for an extended period.

• Passcode Lock: Use this feature to set and then turn on or off the Passcode option built in to the iPad’s operating system. To learn more about this feature, see “Keeping Your iPad Private with the Passcode Lock Feature,” later in this chapter.

• iPad Cover Lock/Unlock: This feature is only applicable if you’re using an optional Apple Smart Cover with your iPad. If so, when the feature is turned on, your tablet automatically goes into Sleep Mode when the Smart Cover is placed over the screen, and it wakes again as soon as the Smart Cover is removed.

• Restrictions: Use these features to “childproof” your tablet. You have the option to Enable Restrictions and then manually set those restrictions. For example, you can block certain apps from being used, keep the user from deleting or adding apps to the iPad, keep someone from making in-app purchases, or keep someone from accessing certain types of iTunes or app content (including TV shows, movies, music, and podcasts).

• Use Side Switch To: There is a tiny switch located on the right side of your iPad, just above the volume up/down button. You can determine what the primary function of this switch should be. Use it either as a Lock Rotation switch or a Mute switch.

• Multitasking Gestures: When the Multitasking Gestures option is set to On, several additional finger/hand motions are usable when interacting with your tablet’s touch-screen. For example, you can start with your fingers spread out and perform a full-hand pinch motion while in any app to return to the Home screen. Or, you can swipe upward to reveal the multitasking bar (instead of pressing the Home button twice). You can then perform a full hand swipe to switch between apps in multitasking mode.

• Date & Time: Switch between a 12- or 24-hour clock and determine whether you want your iPad to automatically set the time or date (when it’s connected to the Internet). To ensure the time and date are correct regardless of what time zone you travel to, leave the Set Automatically option set to On.

• Keyboard: You can make certain customizations from the Settings screen that affect how your virtual keyboard responds as you type. The Keyboard option gives you six customizable settings, such as Auto-Capitalization, Auto-Correction, and Check Spelling. You also have the option to turn on or off the Split Keyboard feature, plus create and edit keyboard shortcuts that are useful when typing text. A keyboard shortcut might include typing “omw,” which the iPad translates into “on my way.”

• International: By default, if you purchased your iPad in the United States, the default language and keyboard options are for English. However, you can adjust these settings by tapping the International option.

• Accessibility: The Accessibility options are designed to make the iPad easier to use by people with various sight or hearing difficulties, or with some type of physical limitation.

• Reset: Every so often, you might run into a problem with your iPad, such as when the system crashes, or you need to reset specific settings. To restore your iPad to its factory default settings and erase everything stored on it, tap the Reset option, and then tap the Erase All Content and Settings option. In general, you should refrain from using these settings unless you’re instructed to use them by an Apple Genius or technical support person.

Keeping Your iPad Private with the Passcode Lock Feature

There are several simple ways to protect the data stored on your iPad and keep it away from unauthorized users. If you want to keep data on your tablet private, the first thing to do is set up and activate the Passcode Lock feature that’s built in to the iOS.

To set up the Passcode Lock feature, from the Settings app, tap the General setting on the left side of the screen. Next, tap the Passcode Lock option that’s listed on the right side of the screen, and set the Passcode feature to On. (By default, the Passcode option is set to Off.)

When the Passcode Lock screen appears (see Figure 1.12), tap the Turn Passcode On button to activate this security feature.

Figure 1.12. From the Passcode Lock screen, you can set and then activate the Passcode Lock feature built in to the iPad. Use it to keep unauthorized people from using your tablet or accessing your sensitive data.

When the Set Passcode window appears on the tablet’s screen (see Figure 1.13), use the virtual numeric keypad to create a four-digit security passcode for your device. You must enter this code every time you turn on the tablet or wake it from Sleep Mode.

Figure 1.13. Create a four-digit numeric passcode for your iPad from this Set Passcode window.

You can enter any four-digit code as your passcode. When prompted, type the same code a second time. The Set Passcode window disappears and the feature becomes active.

From the Passcode Lock screen in the Settings app, you can further customize this feature. For example, tap the Require Passcode option to determine when the iPad prompts the user to enter the passcode. The default option is Immediately, meaning each time the tablet is turned on or woken up.

If you don’t believe a four-digit passcode is secure enough, turn off the Simple Passcode option, which makes a Change Passcode window appear along with the iPad’s full virtual keyboard. You can create a more complicated, alphanumeric passcode to protect your device from unauthorized use.

From the Passcode Lock screen, you can determine whether the Picture Frame app option is displayed on your Lock screen. This option has a virtual On/Off switch associated with it. When turned on, the Picture Frame app icon displays on the Lock screen. When turned off, you are not able to turn on the Picture Frame app from the Lock screen because the icon does not display.

Also on the Passcode Lock screen is the Erase Data option. If an unauthorized user enters the wrong passcode 10 consecutive times, the iPad automatically erases all data stored on it when the feature is turned on.

Customizing iCloud Settings

From the left side of the Settings screen, tap the iCloud option to customize the settings associated with Apple’s online file-sharing and data backup service. You learn more about this service in Chapter 9, “Syncing Your iPad via iTunes or iCloud.”

From Settings, however, you can adjust what data automatically gets wirelessly backed up and/or synced with the iCloud service, including Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, (Safari) Bookmarks, Notes, and Photo Stream. You can also turn on or off the Find My iPad service. Your options are shown in Figure 1.14.

Figure 1.14. Being able to back up your iPad and transfer files wirelessly using Apple’s iCloud service is a major enhancement to the iPad 2 or new iPad that’s running iOS 5.1 (or later). You can customize your iCloud settings from the Settings app.

Your free iCloud account comes with a predetermined amount of online storage space. Tap the Storage & Backup tab near the bottom of the iCloud screen to manage your existing online storage space or purchase additional online storage space. From the Storage & Backup screen within Settings, you can also turn on or off the Back Up to iCloud feature. This determines whether your iPad automatically and wirelessly backs up your tablet using iCloud.

Adjusting the Settings for Mail, Contacts, and Calendars

If you use your iPad for work, three apps you will probably rely heavily on are Mail, Contacts, and Calendars. From the Settings app, you can customize a handful of options pertaining to each of these apps, and you can set up your existing work and personal email accounts to work with your tablet.

Setting Up the Twitter App

The Twitter online social networking service is fully integrated into iOS 5.1 and your iPad, and is accessible from within several different iPad core applications, as well as the actual official Twitter app.

The Twitter features built into the iPad’s operating system work with your existing Twitter account; however, you need to download the free, official Twitter app. You can also set up a free Twitter account if you don’t already have one. Customize the settings as desired so you can send tweets from a variety of different iPad core apps, including Photos or Safari.

Customizing Your Web Surfing Experience with Safari

Safari is the web browsing app built in to the iPad. It’s similar to the Safari web browser available on all Mac computers. The Safari app has a handful of settings you can customize using the Settings, such as which search engine to use, whether to show the Bookmarks bar, or whether you want to block pop-up ads. These options, as well as the others found in the Safari settings, are explained in Chapter 3, “Surfing the Web.”

Customizing the Messages App

iMessage is an online-based text messaging service operated by Apple. This service works very much like the text messaging capabilities of your cell phone, but with this service, you can freely send and receive an unlimited number of messages. The service is compatible with all Macs, as well as with iOS-enabled devices, including the iPad, iPad 2, new iPad, iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, and iPod touch.

From your iPad, the iMessage service must be accessed using the Messages app, which comes preinstalled on the tablet. Tap the Messages option within Settings to set up an iMessage account using your Apple ID and to manage your account. You learn more about the Messages app and iMessage service from Chapter 12, “Conducting Video Conferences and Virtual Meetings.”

Personalizing Music Settings

One of the apps built in to your iPad is the Music app, which transforms your tablet into a full-featured digital music player, and enables you to experience the music and audio files you have stored on your tablet. This includes music, podcasts, and audiobooks acquired from iTunes.

Using the Settings app, you can customize a handful of options relating to the Music app. From the left column of the main Settings app screen, tap the Music setting. Then, on the right side of the screen, adjust the Sound Check, EQ, Volume Limit, and Lyrics & Podcast Info options.

Personalizing Video Settings

Use the Videos app that comes on your iPad to watch TV show episodes and movies you’ve purchased or rented from the iTunes Store. From the Settings app, you can adjust how the Videos app functions by turning on or off various settings.

From the Settings app, tap the Videos setting in the left column. When the Video options appear on the right side of the screen, you can adjust four main options, starting with the Start Playing feature. The default option for this feature is to resume playing a video where you last left off. However, you can change this option so videos always start at the beginning. You can also turn on or off closed captioning, for example.

You learn more about the Videos app in Chapter 15, “Downloading Versus Streaming Online Content.”

Making App-Specific Adjustments

You can also customize settings for the preinstalled apps, such as the Photos, FaceTime, Notes, and App Store apps. These are all displayed toward the bottom of the main Settings screen’s left column.

To make adjustments that are specific to any of the apps listed, tap the app name (displayed in the left column of the Settings screen), and then adjust the app-specific settings on the right side of the screen. The customizations you can make are specific to each app.

As you begin installing optional apps on your iPad, apps that have customizable options are also adjustable from within the Settings app. When this is the case, those apps are listed within the left column of the main Settings app screen. For example, the Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps are each listed within the Settings app after you install them.

Using the New iPad’s Dictation Feature

One feature that is exclusively available to new iPad users is the Dictation mode. When activated, almost anytime the iPad’s virtual keyboard becomes active, an extra key with a microphone on it is visible (see Figure 1.15).

Figure 1.15. The new iPad offers the Dictation feature, which enables you to speak directly to your tablet.

Instead of manually typing information into the iPad when using a compatible app, you can tap on the Dictate key once, which causes a larger microphone icon to be displayed (see Figure 1.16). At the same time, the iPad generates a quick tone. At this point, you can begin speaking, in a normal voice, to your iPad.

Figure 1.16. After tapping on the Dictation feature, a larger microphone-shaped icon displays, indicating that your iPad is recording what you’re saying, so start speaking.

In Dictation mode, anything you say is recorded by your tablet. Then, when you tap the Dictate key again on the virtual keyboard, your iPad translates whatever you said into text and inserts that text into the app you’re using.

This feature works with many different apps on your iPad and can be a huge time saver, as it is a viable alternative to touch-typing or manual data entry. As you’re speaking to your iPad when the Dictation mode is active, speak as clearly as possible using a normal volume and speed.

As you’re speaking, you can include punctuation in your text, by speaking that as well. For example, you can say, “comma,” “period,” “colon,” “open quotes,” “close quotes,” “exclamation point,” and so on.

For example, as you’re using the Pages or Notes app, you could say, “This is a test of the iPad’s dictation mode period I really love this feature exclamation point.” Your iPad translates this as, “This is a test of the iPad’s dictation mode. I really love this feature!” and enters the text into your Pages or Notes document (as shown in Figure 1.17).

Figure 1.17. When the Dictation mode is engaged, what you say is translated into text and inserted into whatever compatible app you’re currently using.

Use the new iPad’s Dictation mode to enter text into a text editor or word processor, compose tweets or Facebook page status updates, or insert text into virtually any compatible app without having to type. The Dictation feature works with an optional headset, which can be used to reduce background noise if you’re using your iPad in a busy area.

Now, Let’s Put Your iPad To Work

Now that you understand the basics of how to set up and interact with your iPad, let’s start putting it to work by focusing on the job-related tasks for which you can use many of the tablet’s preinstalled applications, starting in Chapter 2 with surfing the Web using the Safari web browser app.