You are shopping for a case, a screen protector or a keyboard and need to know your iPad’s screen size, but you are not sure which model you have or how screens are measured. iPad screen size is the diagonal of the display, corner to corner, in inches, not counting the bezel. The fastest exact answer is to find your model in Settings > General > About and look it up on Apple’s pages; a tape measure across the lit screen is the backup check.
What “Screen Size” Means on an iPad
When Apple says an iPad has an 11-inch display, it means the straight-line distance from one corner of the screen to the opposite corner. Three details trip people up:
- It is diagonal. Not the width, not the height. An 11-inch iPad is much less than 11 inches across in either direction.
- It is the display only. The black or colored border around the screen (the bezel) and the aluminum body are not included.
- It is measured as if the corners were square. Modern iPads have rounded screen corners. Apple measures the diagonal as a rectangle, so your tape measure will usually read a little less than the advertised number. More on that below.
So there are really two numbers you might need: the screen size (for comparing models and for screen protectors) and the body dimensions (height, width and thickness, for cases, sleeves and stands).
Find Your Size From the Model Number
This method gives you Apple’s official figure, with no rounding errors from a ruler. It takes about a minute.
- Open Settings on the iPad.
- Tap General, then About.
- Look at the line labeled Model Number. At first it shows a part number.
- Tap that part number once. It changes to the model number, which starts with the letter A followed by four digits (for example, A2316).
- Open Apple’s Identify your iPad model page and search it for that A number to get the model’s full name.
- If the name includes a size (iPad Pro 11-inch, iPad Air 13-inch and so on), that is your screen size. If it doesn’t, find the same model on Apple’s iPad comparison page, which lists display size and body dimensions for each model.
Apple explains the tap-to-reveal trick on its model number help page. The same About screen holds other handy details, such as the cellular number on Wi-Fi + Cellular models; see how to find the phone number on an iPad.
If the iPad Won’t Turn On
Apple says some iPads have the model number printed on the back. On others, look closely at the USB-C or Lightning connector in bright light: the model number may be printed on the upper side of the port, on the display side. The model identification step is also the first thing you need for repair procedures such as putting an iPad in DFU mode, so it is worth writing down.
Why the Exact Model Matters
Names such as “iPad Air” or “iPad mini” cover several generations with different screens. An iPad Air 2 has a 9.7-inch display, while an iPad Air (5th generation) has 10.9 inches, according to Apple’s comparison page. Searching by the A number removes the guesswork.
Measure the Screen With a Ruler or Tape
Use this to double-check the model lookup, or when you have an iPad you can’t identify.
What You Need
- A flexible tape measure or a clear ruler long enough for the diagonal (14 inches covers every iPad).
- Or a piece of string or thread plus any ruler, for the string method below.
- A clean, flat surface. Take the iPad out of its case first, because a case edge pushes the tape up and away from the glass.
Turning the screen on with a white or light background (open a blank note, for example) makes the edge of the display easy to see against the bezel. You do not need to power the iPad off.
Steps
- Lay the iPad flat, screen up.
- Place the end of the tape at the bottom left corner of the lit display area, where the image starts, not at the edge of the glass or the body.
- Stretch it in a straight line to the top right corner of the display area.
- Read the measurement in inches. If your tape is metric, read it in centimeters and divide by 2.54.
- Repeat from the bottom right corner to the top left. The two numbers should match; if they don’t, one of your corner points was off.
Handling the Rounded Corners
Because the screen corners are curved, there is no sharp point to measure from. The cleanest fix is to skip the diagonal and measure the two straight sides instead:
- Measure the width of the display area, edge to edge across the middle.
- Measure the height the same way.
- Calculate the diagonal: square each number, add them, and take the square root. Any phone calculator can do it.
Worked example: Jordan measures a borrowed iPad’s display as 6.2 inches wide and 8.9 inches tall. 6.2 squared is 38.44, 8.9 squared is 79.21, the total is 117.65, and the square root is about 10.85 inches. That matches the 10.86-inch screen Apple lists for both the iPad (10th generation), sold as 10.9-inch, and the iPad (A16), sold as 11-inch, so the A number decides which one it is.
The String Method
No tape measure? Stretch a piece of string tight from corner to corner of the display, pinch it at the second corner, then lay the string along a ruler. It is slower, but accurate enough to tell a 10.2-inch screen from an 11-inch one.
What About the Measure App?
iPadOS includes a Measure app that, as Apple describes it, uses the camera to measure the dimensions of real-world objects near you. It is handy for a quick estimate of a box or a shelf, but you can’t easily point the iPad’s camera at its own screen, and an estimate isn’t precise enough to separate sizes that are a few tenths of an inch apart. Use a tape or the model lookup instead.
Why Your Number Differs From Apple’s
It is normal for a careful ruler measurement to come in slightly under the advertised size. The main reasons:
- Rounded corners. On the iPad (10th generation) specs page, Apple’s footnote says the display has rounded corners and, measured diagonally as a rectangle, the screen is 10.86 inches. It adds that the actual viewable area is less. In other words, the advertised figure is a rectangle drawn around the curved screen.
- Rounding in the name. Apple lists the iPad (10th generation) screen as 10.86 inches and sells it as 10.9-inch. The iPad (A16) specs give the same 10.86 inches, yet Apple sells it as an 11-inch model. Names round to one decimal place or to a whole number.
- Where you started the tape. Starting at the glass edge instead of the lit display adds the bezel on both ends, which can push the reading well past any real screen size.
- Tape slack or parallax. Reading a tape from an angle, or letting it sag, shifts the number by a few hundredths of an inch.
If your result is within roughly a tenth or two of a size Apple sells, you have found your size. If it falls between two sizes, the model lookup settles it.
Common iPad Screen Sizes
These figures come from Apple’s iPad comparison page. Use them to sanity-check a ruler result, then confirm your exact model with the A number.
| Screen size (inches) | Centimeters | Example models listed by Apple |
|---|---|---|
| 7.9 | 20.1 | iPad mini 2, mini 3, mini 4, mini (5th generation) |
| 8.3 | 21.1 | iPad mini (6th generation), iPad mini (A17 Pro) |
| 8.5 | 21.6 | iPad mini (A20 Pro) |
| 9.7 | 24.6 | iPad (5th and 6th generation), iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad Pro 9.7-inch |
| 10.2 | 25.9 | iPad (7th, 8th and 9th generation) |
| 10.5 | 26.7 | iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Pro 10.5-inch |
| 10.9 | 27.7 | iPad (10th generation), iPad Air (4th and 5th generation) |
| 11 | 27.9 | iPad (A16), iPad Air 11-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch |
| 12.9 | 32.8 | iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st through 6th generation) |
| 13 | 33.0 | iPad Air 13-inch, iPad Pro 13-inch |
Centimeters are converted at 1 inch = 2.54 cm and rounded to one decimal. Apple adds new models over time, so if yours isn’t in the table, check the comparison page directly.
Measure the Whole iPad for a Case or Stand
A case fits the body, not the screen, so measure the outside of the iPad when the case maker asks for dimensions.
- Remove any case or skin.
- Measure the height along the long edge, outer edge to outer edge.
- Measure the width along the short edge.
- Measure the thickness (depth) at the thickest point. A caliper is ideal; a ruler held against the edge on a flat table works.
- Compare the result with the dimensions Apple lists for your model on the comparison page or the model’s tech specs page.
Apple lists height, width and depth for each model, so a close match to your own numbers helps confirm the model too. Thickness matters more than you might expect: two generations with the same screen size can differ in depth, which affects snug cases.
Buying a Case or Screen Protector: Match the Model
The inch figure alone is not enough to buy accessories that fit.
- Same size, different body. Apple’s comparison page lists an 11-inch display for the iPad (A16), the iPad Air 11-inch and the iPad Pro 11-inch. Their bodies, camera bumps and button positions are not identical, so a case for one may not fit the others.
- Screen protectors follow the glass shape. Corner curves, front camera position and Home button cutouts (on older models) differ by generation.
- Keyboards and pencils depend on the model. Connectors and supported accessories change between generations; check the accessory’s compatibility list against your model name. For pencils in particular, see how to identify and use the right Apple Pencil on your iPad.
When you shop, search for your exact model name (for example, “iPad Air 11-inch (M2)”) or A number rather than “11-inch iPad case.” The same model check helps when an app says it is not compatible with this iPad.
iPad Screen Size Questions
Does the screen size include the bezel?
No. Apple’s figure covers the display only. The bezel and body are part of the overall dimensions, which Apple lists separately.
How can I tell a 10.9-inch iPad from an 11-inch one?
Often you can’t by ruler. Apple lists the iPad (10th generation), sold as 10.9-inch, and the iPad (A16), sold as 11-inch, at the same 10.86 inches measured as a rectangle, and other 10.9-inch and 11-inch models differ by only a few hundredths. Use Settings > General > About > Model Number and look up the A number on Apple’s Identify your iPad model page.
How many centimeters is a 10.9-inch screen?
About 27.7 cm (10.9 x 2.54). An 11-inch screen is about 27.9 cm, and a 13-inch screen about 33 cm.
Why does Apple say “actual viewable area is less”?
Because the corners are rounded. The advertised diagonal is measured as though the screen were a full rectangle, so the curved corners trim a little off the area you actually see.
Can I measure the screen in landscape orientation?
Yes. The diagonal is the same whichever way you hold the iPad; only the labels “width” and “height” swap.
With your model name and screen size in hand, search accessories by the model rather than the inch figure, and you’ll avoid most returns. Screen size also decides whether you can edit in Microsoft Word on your iPad for free.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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