Set up an old tablet as a hallway screen

Turn it on and check the model

If it won’t turn on, see the guide on a tablet that won’t charge. Then check that the model is new enough, in the guide on which iPad you have.

Is it locked to someone else’s account?

An iPad that belonged to someone else may still be linked to their Apple ID. Then it can’t be reset without their password.

1. Ask the previous owner to remove the tablet from their account, on icloud.com under Find My.
2. Then you can erase it: Settings, General, Reset, Erase All Content and Settings. On newer iPads, Reset is called Transfer or Reset iPad.
3. An Android tablet can be locked to a Google account in the same way after a reset.

Update it

1. Connect to Wi-Fi and put the tablet on the charger.
2. Open Settings, General and Software Update, and install whatever is available.
3. If it says it’s up to date, it has the latest version it can run.

Keep the screen on

1. Open Settings, then Display & Brightness, and set Auto-Lock to Never.
2. Turn the brightness down a little so it isn’t too bright in a dark hallway.
3. If you want the tablet to show only one thing, you can turn on Guided Access under Settings and Accessibility.

Put it up on the wall

1. The tablet needs to be on charge all the time, so pick a spot near a socket.
2. Avoid direct sun and heat, for example above a radiator. The battery is happiest kept cool.
3. A wall mount with room for the cable makes it look neat. We can send one.

Look at the tablet about once a month. If the screen bulges, the battery has swollen, and the tablet should be unplugged and taken to a repair shop or to recycling.