The dock on an iPad allows for quick access to your most frequently used apps. Having your go-to apps easily accessible in the dock can save you time and make multitasking much simpler. Adding apps to your iPad’s dock only takes a few easy steps.
Table of Contents
What is the iPad Dock?
The dock is the toolbar that runs along the bottom of your iPad’s screen. It contains up to 15 app icons depending on the size of your iPad model.
The left side of the dock is reserved for your favorite apps that you manually add. The right side shows recently used apps and suggested apps that you can access quickly.
Benefits of the iPad Dock:
- Quick access to frequently used apps
- Easy multitasking with Split View and Slide Over
- Available from any screen with a simple swipe up
How to Add Apps to the iPad Dock
Adding apps to your iPad’s dock is an easy process that only takes a few seconds. Follow these steps:
For iPadOS 16+
- Press and hold the app icon you want to add
- Drag the icon down towards the dock
- Release the icon over an open dock space
The other dock icons will shift over to make room for the new addition.
For iPadOS 15 and Earlier
- Press and hold any app icon until the home screen icons start to jiggle
- Tap “Edit Home Screen” in the menu that pops up
- Locate the app you want to add to the dock
- Drag the app icon down to the dock area
- Lift your finger to drop the icon into place
The dock will automatically make space for the new app.
Tip: You can add both individual apps and folders to your iPad’s dock using this method.
Customizing Your iPad Dock
Beyond just adding apps, there are a few customizations you can make to tailor your iPad dock to your needs:
- Rearrange apps – Drag dock icons left or right to reorder them
- Remove apps – Drag unwanted apps up and off the dock
- Show recent/suggested apps – Toggle this on/off in Settings > Home Screen & Dock
- Add widgets – Long press the dock background to add widgets
- Enable dark mode – Toggle in Settings for a darker dock background
Take some time to organize your dock so your most-used apps are closest to the left side for easy access.
Accessing the Dock
Once you’ve added apps to your dock, you’ll probably want to actually use them. Accessing the dock is easy from anywhere on your iPad:
- Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen
- Pause when the dock appears, then release to open it
- Tap any icon in the dock to launch that app
The dock will hide when you open an app, but you can bring it back at any time with the swipe gesture.
Dock Tips and Tricks
- Use the dock for multitasking – Open two apps at once in Split View/Slide Over
- Reveal widgets – Long press the dock background to view widgets
- Put important apps on the left side for easy access
- Use the dock to quick launch apps when multitasking
Take some time to set up your iPad dock for maximum efficiency tailored to your personal usage needs. Pin your most-used apps so you can be more productive.
Conclusion
The dock provides easy access to your favorite iPad apps from anywhere. Customizing which apps sit in your dock slots allows you to optimize your workflow. Follow the steps outlined above to start adding your most important apps to the iPad dock today.
