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To change the apps in your iPad Dock, touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen until the icons jiggle, drag an app to the Dock, then tap Done. You can also rearrange the Dock’s fixed apps by dragging them into a different order while the Home Screen is being edited.
Move an app into the Dock
- Go to the Home Screen.
- Touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen until the apps and widgets begin to jiggle.
- Drag the app you want to the Dock at the bottom of the screen. Apple’s iPadOS 27 Home Screen guide confirms that you can drag an app to the Dock while arranging the Home Screen.
- Tap Done in the top-right corner.
Change the order of Dock apps
While the Home Screen is in edit mode and the icons are jiggling, drag a Dock app left or right to place it where you want. Tap Done to finish. This changes the order of apps you have placed in the Dock.
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Find an app that is not on the Home Screen
Swipe left past your Home Screen pages to open App Library, or tap the App Library icon at the far right of the Dock. Search for the app or browse the categories. Apple’s App Library guide explains how to find an app and return it to the Home Screen; once it is there, use the Dock steps above.
Understand the Dock’s two areas
The Dock has your favorite apps on the left and suggested apps on the right. Suggestions can include apps you recently opened on the iPad and apps open on a nearby iPhone or Mac. The far-right icon opens App Library. See Apple’s guide to switching between apps on iPad for details about the Dock’s layout.
#1 Best Overall
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Remove an app without deleting it
Removing an app from the Home Screen is not the same as deleting it. Apple says removing an app from the Home Screen moves it to App Library; deleting it removes the app and its data from the iPad. See Apple’s instructions for removing or deleting apps before choosing an action. The cited guidance does not specify the Dock-specific gesture for removing an icon while keeping the app installed, so this article does not give an unverified gesture.
If an app is open, use the Dock to switch to it
The Dock is also a quick way to launch apps while multitasking. Apple’s iPadOS 26 multitasking guide describes using the Dock as a source for apps. This is separate from changing which favorite apps you keep there.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Smart Connector. 3.5 mm headphone jack. Stereo speakers. On/Off - Sleep/Wake. Home/Touch ID sensor. Dual microphones. Volume up/down. Nano-SIM tray (cellular models). Lightning connector
- A10 Fusion chip.
- Touch ID fingerprint sensor,
- 8MP back camera, 1. 2MP FaceTime HD front camera.
- Stereo speakers.
Rank #4
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- IPADOS — Run pro apps and get more done with iPadOS 26 with Liquid Glass design and game-changing capabilities.* With an intuitive and flexible windowing system, you can control, organize, and manage your workflows like never before.
- APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you communicate, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- 11-INCH ULTRA RETINA XDR DISPLAY — The world’s most advanced display, featuring extreme brightness, precise contrast, ProMotion, P3 wide color, and True Tone.* Nano-texture display glass available in 1TB and 2TB configurations
Rank #3
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Rank #2
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
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