This guide will help you set up your APS-issued iPad for at-home distance learning. You should only have to do these things once during the first time you set up your iPad, unless we reset your iPad and we have to re-do these steps.

Your iPad should be powered on, and when you press the home button, you should see the home screen regularly, and not a white “Hello” screen. If you see a white “Hello” screen, click here.

Follow each section step by step.

If setting up your iPad isn’t what you want to do, consider going back to iPad: Start Here.

Record your Asset Tag

Make note of the seven-digit barcode number on the back of the iPad. It is called an “asset tag.” It looks like this:

A sample of the APS inventory barcode sticker

Any time you need help with your iPad, please include this number. It lets us know which iPad you’re using. We have a record of this, but it saves time if we don’t have to look it up!

Powering On and Off

This image shows where the buttons on the iPad are located and how to use them.

A diagram of the iPad showing the power button on the top right and the home button on the front center.

Turning the iPad off and then on again is a great first troubleshooting step whenever you have a problem.

Practice it now: Power-cycle the iPad before proceeding with setup, turning it off then on again.

AppleID, Passcodes, and Siri

Do not add an AppleID to the APS-owned iPad. Do not set a passcode or screen lock. If you need to secure the device, physically lock it up. Do not configure Siri; if prompted to set up Siri, select “not now” or whichever option says “no.”

Always Allow Permissions

If at any time during setup, you are asked to give permissions for your iPad to do something, give permission. If you have several choices for “allowing” the permission, choose the one that lasts the longest, like “Always Allow.”

Examples of things to click include:

“Always Allow”
“Allow While Using App”
“Allow
“OK”

This will often be asking permission to use your iPad’s camera or microphone. Be careful to choose “allow,” or we might have to reset the iPad and start over, which can take a long time.

Troubleshooting Setup

If you have trouble with any of these steps, read the section again carefully and go step-by-step. Almost always, the problem is using the wrong username or password.

If you still have trouble after trying to set up the device, make a note of what went wrong, and proceed to Level 1 Support.

To move to the next step, press on "Next"

The Elementary Online sections of the APS website were created by Keith Reeves of Discovery Elementary School, and shared to assist all of the students of APS.