We spend a lot of time on our iPads here at PadGadget, testing out apps, playing games, and discovering new tricks. As a result, we are essentially iPad experts, and now we want to share that knowledge with you.
Each week we will be accepting questions from you, our readers, which we will answer in this new column. You can ask us anything, from how to use a feature on your iPad, to the best apps for a certain task, and anything in between.
Looking for the perfect app for note taking? Want to know how to make phone calls on your iPad? Need a great new game to play, or tips on how to use your iPad to keep in contact with friends and family? Just ask us, because we are here to help. Think of me as your personal iPad tour guide from here on out.
To start things off, I will answer a sample question that I have heard multiple times from my own friends and family: How do I set up iCloud on my iPad?
The answer is simple, luckily, because Apple makes this experience pain free. First you will need an iPad running the latest version of iOS, which is iOS 6. You can check the version of your iPad, and look for any updates, by navigating to the General tab of the Settings menu. You’ll also need an Apple ID, and if you’ve ever downloaded an app, you already have one.
Apple gives you the option to turn on iCloud when you set up a new device, but you can also activate it in the Settings menu. Open it up, scroll down to “iCloud,” and you can turn on individual sections after signing in with the aforementioned ID.
iCloud is useful for syncing Apple apps like Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Safari, Notes, and Passbook. It is also useful for sharing documents in applications like Pages and Numbers, and it’s absolutely essential if you ever lose your iPad. Each of these apps can be turned on one by one, but make sure you turn on Find My iPad, which will locate any missing device.
You will also want to scroll down to the bottom of the screen to turn on iCloud backup. This option ensures that your iPad will sync to the cloud automatically, eliminating the need to back it up on a computer. Photo Stream is also a helpful feature, serving as a backup source for all of your photos. Lory wrote up an excellent guide on how to use Photo Stream, so make sure to take a look for further instruction.
There’s no need to do anything other than turn each iCloud option on, both on your iPad and on your other Apple devices or your Mac. iCloud settings on your Mac are located in “System Preferences,” which can be accessed by clicking on the Apple at the top of the screen.
The syncing will happen automatically whenever you use an iCloud enabled app. For example, once you have turned on iCloud and you make an appointment in the calendar app, it will sync to all of your other devices. It’s an essential service, and it really is simple to use. For an even more precise step-by-step instruction manual, check out Apple’s iCloud setup site.
If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask in the comments. You can expect each week’s post to be detailed, direct, and full of useful information. Let us know what you’re looking for in the answers – we’re aiming to tailor these posts to our reader’s needs.
Commenting on the weekly Ask the Expert posts is one way to ask us a question, but you can also use the PadGadget contact form, which is located here.
If there’s an issue you’ve been trying to figure out or an app you’ve been searching for, you’re in the right place. Ask us, and check back next week for an answer!
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