If you own an iPhone and an iPad then you’ll probably need to sync them at some point. It makes sense because if you sync your iPhone and iPad, you’ll be able to access the same data on the two different devices like photos, messages, and your calendar. Fortunately, Apple makes it very easy to share information across multiple devices but there is the odd occasion where you may find that your devices do not sync. In this guide, we’ll go over the simple steps you need to take to sync your iPhone to your iPad and vice versa.
Syncing your iPhone to your iPhone
Apple doesn’t allow you to sync your iPhone or your iPad in the same way you can sync your device to your computer. Unfortunately, you cannot buy a cable that allows you two connect the two devices and sync your data. To do this, you’re going to need access to Wi-Fi to sync your iPhone and iPad properly. This is great because it means you don’t need to buy any extra accessories to be able to sync your iPhone and your iPad, making the process free to do.
Apple focuses on syncing data in the cloud (on online servers) which is why you need access to the internet through Wi-Fi. The solution to sync your iPhone to your iPad is Apple’s iCloud. This of course comes with all Apple devices and is easy to navigate once you get used to it. As long as both your iPhone and your iPad are connected to the same iCloud account and the same Apple ID, you should be able to sync your devices easily.
Set up iCloud on your devices
1. Open the Settings app on one device, put your name to open the Apple ID screen, then select iCloud from the menu.
2. Turn on the toggle switches next to every category of app and content that you want to sync between the iPhone and iPad. Repeat this process with the second device.
Note: You must “toggle on” the same apps on both devices that you want to sync. If you only complete this step on one device, they will remain unsynced. For example, if you only toggle on Messages on your iPhone, you won’t receive them on your iPad.
3. Go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts and ensure the email accounts are set up the same on both devices.
4. Go to Settings > iTunes & App Store and turn on automatic downloads for Music, Apps, Books & Audiobooks, and Updates on both devices by moving the toggle switches next to them to the on position.
Once you have completed these steps on both your iPhone and your iPad, they should be synced and any future app updates will happen at the same time on both devices so when you use each device, all settings will appear the same.
If you need to unsync your iPhone and your iPad for any reason, simply follow these instructions in reverse.
