To install an app on your iPad, open the App Store, find the app with Search or by browsing, tap Get (or the price), and confirm with a double-click of the top button, Face ID, Touch ID, or your password. The app downloads and appears in App Library under Recently Added, and on your Home Screen if that setting is on.
These steps match the App Store on iPadOS 27, the current version in Apple’s iPad User Guide, and they work the same way on iPadOS 26 and iPadOS 18.
Get Online First
- An internet connection. Wi-Fi is the better choice for large games, because some downloads run to several gigabytes.
- An Apple Account signed in on the iPad. Apple says you need both a connection and an Apple Account to use the App Store. Open Settings and check that your name appears at the top.
- A payment method or billing details. Paid apps need one. You may also be asked to add a payment method before you can download some free apps. Updating your Apple Account payment method shows where to add one.
- Free storage. The app’s page lists its size under Information. Compare it with the free space in Settings > General > iPad Storage.
How to Install an App on iPad
- Open the App Store app. Its icon is a white “A” on a blue background. If you can’t find it, swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen and type “App Store.”
- Tap Search and type the app’s name, the developer, or a category such as “budget.” You can also browse the Today, Games, Apps, and Arcade tabs.
- Tap the app in the results to open its page. Check the developer name, ratings, age rating, size, compatibility, and App Privacy details so you know you have the right app.
- Tap Get for a free app, or tap the price for a paid one.
- Confirm the download. When asked, double-click the top button, then glance at the iPad for Face ID or rest your finger on the sensor for Touch ID. If Face ID or Touch ID isn’t set up for purchases, enter your Apple Account password.
- Wait for the download. A progress circle appears on the app’s icon, and the button on the app’s page changes to Open when it’s done.
- Tap Open to launch the app, or find it later in App Library under Recently Added.
Some apps need more setup after they install, such as signing in or linking an account. Installing WhatsApp on iPad is a good example: it covers the official app and linking it to the WhatsApp account on your phone.
Android apps from Google Play can’t be installed this way; see what Google Play content works on iPhone for the alternatives.
What the App Store Buttons Mean
The button on an app’s page tells you what will happen when you tap it.
| Button | What it means |
|---|---|
| Get | The app is free to download. It may still sell in-app purchases or subscriptions. |
| Price (for example $4.99) | The app is paid. Tapping it buys the app. |
| Cloud with a down arrow | You’ve downloaded or bought it before on this Apple Account. Tapping it downloads it again at no charge. |
| Open | The app is already installed on this iPad. |
| Update | The app is installed, but a newer version is available. |
Before you tap Get on a free app, scroll to In-App Purchases on its page if you want to see what it may try to sell you later.
Where Your New App Appears
New apps always go to App Library, the screen past your last Home Screen page that groups apps into folders. Whether they also land on the Home Screen depends on a setting:
- Open Settings > Home Screen & App Library.
- Under newly downloaded apps, choose Add to Home Screen or App Library Only.
If you’ve hidden some Home Screen pages, new apps may go to App Library even with the first option chosen. When an app seems to be missing, the steps to find hidden apps on an iPad cover the App Library and the Hidden folder.
If you can’t find an app you installed, swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen and type its name to use Spotlight Search, or swipe left past your last Home Screen page to open App Library and check Recently Added.
To keep a new app one tap away on every Home Screen page, you can add it to the iPad Dock.
How to Reinstall an App You Deleted
You don’t pay twice for an app you already own. Apple’s redownload steps are:
- Open the App Store and tap your photo or the My Account button at the top of the screen.
- Tap Apps & Purchase History, then tap Your Apps.
- Tap Not on this iPad to see apps you own that aren’t installed.
- Find the app and tap the cloud Redownload button.
You can also search for the app by name and tap the cloud button on its page. A few things don’t come back this way: in-app purchases can’t be redownloaded (some apps have a Restore Purchases option instead), and Apple Arcade games don’t appear in your purchase list, so search for them and download them again. If an app has been pulled from the App Store, it can’t be redownloaded.
To bring over the apps you use on your iPhone, you can transfer apps from an iPhone to an iPad.
Get Apps Your Family Bought
If you’re in a Family Sharing group and the purchaser has purchase sharing turned on, you can download eligible apps a family member bought without paying again. In step 2 of the reinstall steps above, tap that family member’s name under Your Apps to see their purchases, then tap the cloud button next to an app.
Installing Apps on a Child’s iPad
On a child’s Apple Account in Family Sharing, Ask to Buy may be on. Depending on where you live, Apple turns it on by default for children under 18. When the child taps Get or a price, a request goes to the parent instead of downloading.
- The parent gets a notification and can approve or decline the request in Messages. Approving means signing in or using Face ID, and the app then downloads on the child’s iPad.
- Requests that aren’t approved within 24 hours expire, and the child has to ask again.
- Updates and redownloads of the child’s own purchases don’t need approval.
Apple’s Ask to Buy page has the details. To set age limits on what can be installed at all, change the age restrictions on iPad.
Stop Being Asked for a Password on Free Apps
If you use your Apple Account password for purchases, you can change how often it’s required. Go to Settings, tap your name, tap Media & Purchases, then Password Settings. This menu doesn’t appear when Face ID or Touch ID is turned on for purchases, and in that case you confirm every download, free ones included. You can’t turn off authentication for paid apps on iPad.
Keep Your Apps Updated
App Store apps update automatically by default. To check manually, open the App Store, tap your photo or My Account, tap App Updates, and tap Update All. To turn automatic updates on or off, go to Settings > Apps > App Store and use the App Updates switch. Updating all your iPad apps at once covers more detail.
Why Won’t the App Install?
Work through these in order:
- No internet or not signed in. Load another App Store page. If nothing loads, fix Wi-Fi first, then check that your name shows in Settings.
- Not enough storage. Open Settings > General > iPad Storage to check storage on your iPad. Offloading or deleting large apps you don’t use frees space quickly.
- The app isn’t compatible. The Compatibility section on the app’s page lists what it needs. If it requires a newer iPadOS, update your iPad if your model supports it. Not every iPhone app has an iPad version. For what that message means and what to try when no update is available, see how to fix the not compatible with this iPad error.
- The download is stuck. Touch and hold the app’s icon on the Home Screen and tap Prioritize Download. If that doesn’t help, restart the iPad and try again.
- A billing message appears. “Billing problem with previous purchase” or “verification required” means Apple needs you to fix your payment details, even for free apps.
- You’re asked to confirm your age. In some countries and regions, Apple requires adults to confirm their age before downloading certain apps. Follow the on-screen prompt.
- The App Store is missing. Content & Privacy Restrictions may be on. In Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, open the store purchases setting (App Store, Media, Web & Games, or iTunes & App Store Purchases on older versions) and set Installing Apps to Allow.
- A child’s download isn’t finishing. Ask to Buy may be waiting on a parent’s approval.
If none of these fix it, Apple’s guide for when you can’t download or update apps lists the same checks and a link to Apple Support.
How to Remove an App You Installed
Touch and hold the app’s icon, tap Remove App, then tap Delete App and confirm. Deleting removes the app and its data from the iPad, but you can reinstall it free with the steps above. You can also remove an app from the Home Screen without deleting it.
iPad App Install Questions
Do free apps cost anything?
You won’t be charged for downloading an app with a Get button. Some free apps offer in-app purchases or subscriptions, which you pay for only if you approve them.
Why does the App Store ask for a payment method for a free app?
Apple sometimes requires a payment method or billing details on your Apple Account before you can download apps, including free ones. Adding it doesn’t charge you for a free app.
Can I install apps from outside the App Store?
In most countries, no. In the European Union, iPad apps can come from alternative app marketplaces and some developer websites, but Apple can’t help with those apps’ purchases, refunds, or safety, and Ask to Buy doesn’t apply to them. Apple’s page on alternative app distribution in the EU explains the rules.
Can I get apps that my family bought?
Yes, if you’re in a Family Sharing group and the purchaser shares purchases. Open your purchase list in the App Store and tap the family member’s name.
Do I need to install the same app on my iPhone and iPad separately?
Yes. Each device downloads its own copy, but for an app made for both iPhone and iPad you only pay once per Apple Account. A few developers sell a separate iPad edition, which shows a price instead of the cloud button. Sign in with the same account on both and use the cloud button to download it on the second device.
Where did the app go after it installed?
Check App Library under Recently Added, or use Spotlight Search. If your iPad is set to App Library Only, new apps won’t appear on the Home Screen until you drag them there.
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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