You'd think it would be simple. You press a button, the screen goes dark, and you go about your day. But honestly, most people are just putting their iPad to sleep rather than actually powering it down. There's a massive difference between a "locked" screen and a total system shutdown. If you've ever pulled your tablet out of a bag after two days only to find the battery at 4%, you've learned this the hard way.
Learning how to turn an iPad off isn't just about saving battery. It’s about clearing out the "junk" in the RAM. It's about stopping that one background app that’s decided to hog all your processing power for no reason.
Apple has changed the hardware layout so many times over the last decade that the method for one iPad might be totally different for another. It depends on whether you have a Home button. It depends on your iPadOS version. Sometimes, it even depends on if your buttons are broken.
The two-button shuffle for modern iPads
If you bought your iPad in the last few years—basically any iPad Pro, the newer iPad Airs, the iPad Mini 6, or the standard 10th generation iPad—you don't have a circular Home button at the bottom. This changes everything. On these models, the "top" button (which Apple calls the Sleep/Wake button) doesn't turn the device off if you just hold it down. If you do that, you'll just summon Siri.
To actually shut it down, you have to perform a little chord. You need to press and hold the Top button and either volume button at the same time. Hold them for about two seconds. You'll feel a slight haptic buzz, and the "slide to power off" slider will appear at the top of the screen.
Drag that slider to the right.
The screen will go black. You might think it’s off instantly, but it’s not. If you look closely in a dark room, you can sometimes see the backlight stay on for a few seconds while the processor finishes its closing tasks. Wait until it’s completely dark before you pack it away.
Why the volume button matters
People get annoyed by this. Why two buttons? Apple’s logic is centered on accidental triggers. If your iPad is in a tight sleeve or a backpack, a single button getting leaned on shouldn't be enough to kill the power. By requiring two distinct points of contact on opposite sides of the chassis, Apple ensures that a shutdown is an intentional act. It's a safety fail-safe.
The old school way: iPads with Home buttons
If your iPad still has that physical, clickable circle at the bottom (or the Touch ID sensor built into a non-moving circle), you’re playing by the old rules. This is actually much more intuitive for most users.
Just press and hold the Top button.
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Keep holding it. Don't let go when the lock screen appears. After about three or four seconds, the power-off slider will pop up. Slide it. Done.
It’s worth noting that on these older models, like the iPad 9th Gen or earlier Airs, the top button is often literally on the top edge when holding the device in portrait mode. On the newer bezelless iPads, that "top" button is often on the side or top-right depending on how you're holding the thing.
How to turn an iPad off when your buttons are broken
Hardware fails. It happens. Maybe you dropped your tablet and the volume rocker is jammed, or the power button just stopped clicking. You aren't stuck with an "always-on" device.
Apple built a software workaround directly into the Settings menu. This is a lifesaver for accessibility and for those of us who are too cheap to pay for a $200 out-of-warranty button repair.
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll all the way to the bottom. Like, the very bottom.
- Tap Shut Down.
The slider appears. You swipe it. The iPad turns off.
This is actually the "cleanest" way to shut down. Since it's triggered by the OS itself, it ensures all file operations are paused before the power is cut. If you're having weird software glitches, I usually recommend using this method over the physical buttons just to be safe.
The AssistiveTouch trick
There is another way. If you find yourself needing to shut down often but your buttons are dead, turn on AssistiveTouch. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and toggle it on. A little floating grey circle will appear on your screen. You can customize the "Top Level Menu" to include a "Restart" or "Power" icon. It's a bit of a clutter on your screen, but it beats digging through the General settings every night.
The "Force Restart" vs. A Regular Shutdown
Sometimes your iPad isn't just "on"—it's frozen. The screen won't respond to your touch. The slider won't move. In these cases, knowing how to turn an iPad off normally doesn't help you because the software that runs the slider is crashed.
This is where the Force Restart comes in. This isn't a "soft" shutdown; it's a hard hardware reset. It cuts the power to the logic board for a split second to force a reboot.
For iPads without a Home Button:
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Top button.
- Keep holding it. Do not let go when you see the power-off slider.
- Wait until the Apple logo appears on the screen, then let go.
For iPads with a Home Button:
- Hold the Home button and the Top button simultaneously.
- Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
Don't do this every day. It’s like pulling the plug on a desktop computer. If the iPad is writing data to the disk when you force a restart, there is a tiny (but real) risk of file corruption. Only use this when the device is totally unresponsive.
Why bother turning it off at all?
Most people never turn their iPads off. They just close the Magic Keyboard or flip the Smart Cover shut. Apple’s chips (especially the M1, M2, and M4 series) are incredibly efficient at "S0 Low Power Standby." They can sit for weeks without losing much charge.
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But here’s the reality: iPadOS is still based on Unix. Tiny processes, logs, and cache files build up over time. Have you ever noticed your Wi-Fi getting wonky? Or maybe the Apple Pencil starts lagging for no reason?
That's usually a memory leak.
When you turn the iPad off, you clear the Random Access Memory (RAM). You're basically giving the operating system a "fresh" slate. I usually tell people to perform a full shutdown at least once a week. It clears out the cobwebs. It’s the easiest tech support "fix" in existence.
Battery Health and Long-Term Storage
If you're planning on not using your iPad for a while—say you're going on a month-long trip and leaving it at home—do not leave it at 100% or 0%.
Lithium-ion batteries are chemically stressed at the extremes. If you want to turn it off for long-term storage, experts at places like iFixit and Apple’s own engineering docs suggest charging it to about 50%. Turn it off completely. Store it in a cool, dry place. This prevents the battery from "deep discharging," which can actually brick the battery so it never charges again.
Common Misconceptions about iPad Power
A lot of folks think that because they don't see a "Quit" button on apps, those apps are running and draining power. Not really. iPadOS "freezes" apps in the background.
However, "Background App Refresh" is a different beast. Even if your iPad screen is off, your iPad is still "on" enough to download emails, update weather widgets, and sync photos. If you really want to be "off the grid," you have to do the full shutdown.
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Another weird thing: If you plug your iPad into a charger while it's turned off, most models will automatically turn back on. It’s a feature, not a bug. If you want to charge it while it's totally powered down, you usually have to plug it in first, then perform the shutdown sequence.
The Siri factor
If you have "Hey Siri" or "Siri" (on newer versions) enabled, your iPad's microphones are technically always active and listening for the trigger word. This consumes a minuscule amount of power. If you're obsessive about privacy or battery, turning the iPad off is the only way to ensure those microphones are truly dead.
Actionable Next Steps for iPad Maintenance
Knowing how to turn an iPad off is the first step in basic device hygiene. If your tablet is acting sluggish or the battery seems to be dropping faster than usual, follow this sequence:
- Check for rogue apps: Go to Settings > Battery and see if one app is using 40% of your power in the background. If so, kill that app or delete it.
- Perform a Soft Restart: Use the volume/top button combo to shut it down. Let it sit for 30 seconds. This allows the capacitors on the logic board to fully discharge.
- Update your software: After you turn it back on, check Settings > General > Software Update. Buggy power management is often fixed in the "point" releases (like iPadOS 17.4 to 17.5).
- Calibrate the battery: Once every few months, let your iPad die completely (until it shuts itself off), then charge it to 100% without interruption. This helps the digital "fuel gauge" stay accurate so your iPad doesn't die at 10%.
If your buttons are physically broken, remember to enable AssistiveTouch immediately so you aren't reliant on the Settings menu for every restart. Taking care of the hardware and giving the software a break once a week will easily add a year or two to the functional life of your iPad.