
Technology and the devices we use are evolving at very high speeds, and we’re talking about both hardware and software. And as our electronics evolve, the focus is on design and sleekness — for example, there are fewer buttons and ports on our tablets than ever before. And if you aren’t constantly keeping up with changes, you might catch yourself wondering how to manage basic operations. For example, if you were wondering how to turn off iPad Air 4, believe us when we say that it’s a commonly asked question! And to find out the answer, just keep reading.
How to Turn Off iPad Air 4
To shut down or turn off your iPad Air 4, simply press the power button at the top and either one of the volume buttons simultaneously. Keep these buttons pressed until the ‘Slide to power off’ notification and the slider appear on your iPad screen. This method works on both iPad Air 4 and 5 — the iPads without the Home button. The other way to turn the iPad off is by navigating to Settings > General > Shut Down.
How to Turn Off iPad Air 4: Primary Methods
Not a lot of people are aware that iPads, like iPhones, can be switched off from the Settings menu. On a similar note, many people are unaware of iPad functions like how to change time on the iPad and how to right-click on your iPad! But back to powering off, it’s far easier to remember the button method using the Power button and the volume keys as it feels more intuitive. Let’s look at how to power off your iPad Air 4 using the hardware buttons.
After Apple discontinued the Home button in the pursuit of better design, the standard method of powering off the iPad changed as well. The iPad Air 3 was the last iPad Air with a Home button. Here’s how you power off the iPad Air using the power button and the volume rockers:
- Press the Power button at the top of your iPad and either one of the volume buttons at the same time.
- Hold this combination until the animation that says ‘Slide to power off’ appears on the screen of your iPad.
- At this point, let go of your buttons, and use the slider. Your iPad should now power off.
- To turn it back on, wait at least 10-15 seconds and then press and hold the Power button. Keep it pressed until the white Apple logo appears.

Via Settings
Powering off your iPad via Settings is fairly easy. Here are the steps involved:
- Turn on your iPad and open the Settings menu.
- Here, look for General. Tap it.
- In the General menu, skip everything else and scroll down right to the bottom.
- Here, you will see an option called Shut Down. Tap it.
- Once you tap the Shut Down option, you will see the ‘Slide to power off’ slider on your screen. Go ahead and slide it to switch off your tablet. If you cancel, you will be asked to enter your PIN as this is a security feature.
How to Force Restart Your iPad Air 4
Besides shutting down your iPad 4, you can also force restart the device. Here are the steps:
- Press and release the volume button that is closest to the Power button on the top.
- Immediately after, do the same with the volume button that is farthest from the Power button — quickly press and release it.
- As soon as step 2 is done, press and hold the Power button. The ‘Slide to power off’ message will appear on your screen but you should continue to hold it until your screen goes black and then, you see the Apple logo appear.
- At this point, you can let go of the Power button because the force restart has been executed.
Here’s a great video that demonstrates these methods of powering off and restarting your iPad Air 4:
How to Turn Off iPad Air 4: Other Options
Typically, people leave their iPads on all the time. It’s uncommon that people power off their tablets or smartphones after use, they mostly just lock them. If you’d like to simply switch the screen off and leave the iPad Air 4 on standby, you can do this too. Additionally, if you don’t want the iPad connecting to the internet, you can also put it on airplane mode which will prevent it from running any Web-related services or apps. Let’s take a closer look at these options.
How to lock iPad
To lock your iPad, all you need to do is press and release the top Power button. You can also add security by adding a PIN or using Touch ID. To configure Touch ID, simply go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode. Make sure you remember your passcode or write it down somewhere because this gives you complete access to your iPad. You will also need to enter it to re-access your security settings!
In the Touch ID section, you can use it to make sure no one else gets into your iPad. You can also use Touch ID to protect App Store and iTunes purchases, your Wallet, and Apple Pay and control access to the Password Manager. Many third-party apps, especially banking and financial services apps, use Touch ID to authorize transactions and access secure gateways.
Once you are satisfied with the security settings, all you need to do to lock your iPad is press the Power button once. This will lock your iPad until you choose to unlock it again. And how do you do that, you ask?
How to unlock iPad
Once you learn to lock your iPad, unlocking it is a breeze. The power button of the iPad Air 4 has a built-in touch sensor, which you must have realized while setting up Touch ID. To unlock the tablet, all you need to do is touch the Power button with the registered fingerprint, and it will unlock your iPad!
Use Airplane Mode instead of shutting iPad down
As we mentioned earlier, putting your iPad in Airplane Mode cuts off internet access to the iPad and saves battery life. You can do this by swiping down from the top right side of your iPad. This opens up your iPad’s Control Center. Here, you should see an icon of an airplane with a circle around it. Tap this once, and your iPad immediately goes into Airplane Mode. To disable it, all you have to do is tap it again.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Power button on your iPad Air will be on the top. There is no other button next to it. The only other buttons on the iPad Air 4 are the volume buttons on the side.
Why can’t I turn off my iPad Air?
To turn off your iPad Air, you have to press the power button and either one of the volume buttons simultaneously. If you tried this and were unable to power off your iPad, try a force restart. You can do this by pressing the Volume Up key, followed by the Volume Down key, followed by pressing and holding the Power button, all in quick succession.
The Power button acts as the sleep/wake button for the iPad Air 4. This button also locks and unlocks your iPad Air 4.
Conclusion
We hope our detailed steps above helped you figure out how to turn off iPad Air 4. It’s quite an easy procedure and one that you should get familiar with. In general, a simple lock is sufficient, as you won’t have to wait to power the iPad back on each time that you use it. It’s best to power off the iPad Air 4 only when you plan to not touch it for long periods of time. If you have any more questions, leave us a comment!
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