How to Turn Off an iPad: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide That Actually Helps

Ever tried to turn off your iPad and felt like Apple moved the buttons just to mess with you? Yeah… been there. What used to be one click now depends on the model, the settings, the buttons, and sometimes the iPad’s mood (kidding… sort of).

If you’re sitting with your iPad wondering “how to turn off iPad?”, “how do you turn off an iPad?”, or “how to switch off an iPad without losing my mind?” — this guide’s for you.

I’ll walk you through every method, why your iPad won’t power off sometimes, and quick fixes.
Simple words. No fancy jargon. No robotic lines. Just a real human explaining stuff.

Let’s jump in.

Why Turning Off an iPad Even Matters

Most people just let their iPad sleep forever. But turning it off comes in handy when:

• The screen freezes
• A glitch keeps looping
• Apps won’t close
• The battery drains too fast
• You just want to reset things quietly

A full shutdown resets background processes, kinda like letting your iPad “take a breath.”

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How to Turn Off an iPad (Any Model)

Good news: every iPad shuts down using one of two methods — buttons or settings.
Bad news: Apple keeps changing button layouts… so follow the one that matches your device.

Method 1: Turn Off an iPad Using Buttons (Most iPads)

This works on:

• iPad Air (any gen)
• iPad Pro (Face ID and Touch ID models)
• iPad Mini
• Standard iPad
• Basically everything made after 2018

Step 1 — Press & Hold the Power Button + Volume Button

Hold Top Button + Volume Up or Down at the same time.
Keep holding until you see the “slide to power off” bar.

Step 2 — Slide to Power Off

Just swipe the bar from left to right.
Give it a few seconds. The screen will go fully black when it’s done.

Step 3 — Confirm Shut Down

Once it’s off, the screen won’t light up if you tap it. If it does, you might’ve put it to sleep instead of turning it off (happens to all of us).

Method 2: How to Switch Off an iPad From Settings (No Buttons Needed)

Great if your buttons are broken or the iPad case is a pain.

Step 1 — Open Settings

The grey gear icon. Easy.

Step 2 — Go to “General”

Scroll the list on the left if you don’t see it right away.

Step 3 — Scroll Down & Tap “Shut Down”

It’s literally the last option at the bottom.

Step 4 — Slide to Power Off

Same shutdown slider as before.
Swipe and done.

How to Turn Off an Old iPad (Models With a Home Button)

These are the classic ones — if your iPad has a physical round Home button, use this:

Step 1 — Press & Hold the Top Button

Just one button. No need for volume buttons.

Step 2 — Slide to Power Off

Swipe the bar and wait for the iPad to turn off.

That’s it. Older iPads are stubborn sometimes but simple.

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What If Your iPad Won’t Turn Off? (Quick Fixes)

Sometimes the iPad completely ignores your shutdown attempts. Here’s what helps:

Fix 1 — Force Restart

This doesn’t delete anything.
Just resets the system.

For Face ID iPads:

1. Tap Volume Up
2. Tap Volume Down
3. Hold Top Button until Apple logo appears

For Home Button iPads:

Just hold Home Button + Top Button until the Apple logo pops up.

Fix 2 — Disconnect Accessories

Bluetooth keyboards, screen protectors pressing buttons, and bulky cases can block shutdown gestures.

Remove them and retry.

Fix 3 — Charge the iPad

A dead or dying battery sometimes freezes power functions.
Plug it in for 10 minutes and try again.

Fix 4 — Shut Down from Settings

When physical buttons fail, this always works.

How to Turn On the iPad Again

Turning it back on is easy:

Press & Hold the Top Button

Hold until the Apple logo shows up.
Release.

Done.

FAQ: Turning Off an iPad

Final Thoughts

Turning off an iPad should be simple, but Apple loves making us tap, hold, swipe, and guess which button is which. Now you know every method — buttons, settings, old models, new models, troubleshooting, all of it.