How to Find an iPad App on the App Store

To launch the App Store on your iPad, go to the Home screen and tap the App Store icon. The App Store opens on the Today screen, which shows a curated selection of featured and popular apps. The contents of the Today screen changes daily. Scroll down to see what apps Apple suggests. Usually, this screen has an App of the Day, a Game of the Day, and several collections of related apps. At the bottom of the Today screen (and the other App Store screens) are five icons: Today, Games, Apps, Updates, and Search. Tap one of these to go to that section of the App Store.

How to Download a Game App

If you’re interested in playing games on your iPad, select the Games icon at the bottom of the screen to go to the games section of the App Store. Scroll through the Games screen to see the Top Games of the Week, games the curators recommend, gaming categories, a list of the Top 30 Free Games and Top 30 Paid Games, and other collections of games. Each game has either a Get button next to it, which indicates it’s a free app (free apps may contain optional in-app purchases), or a price for the app. If you see an app that interests you: In most cases, the download time is only seconds. However, larger files take longer to download. The app installs on the iPad. Look for its icon on the Home screen. To open the app, tap it.

How to Install Other Apps

The App Store has more than games. To find other apps in all categories, go to the bottom of the screen and tap Apps. The process of selecting and downloading an app from any category is the same as downloading a game app. As on the Games screen, you’ll see the top apps for the week, best selling apps, top free and top paid apps, editor’s choices, and more categories.

If You Already Know the App You Want

If you know the name of an app you want—maybe a friend recommended it or you read a review online—don’t scroll through the apps to look for it. Instead, go to the bottom of the screen, tap Search, and then enter the name of the app in the search field. Tap Search again, and the information screen for that app displays.

Want to Change an App’s Location on Your iPad?

It doesn’t take long to fill up the screen with apps. When the Home screen can’t fit any more apps, the iPad adds more screens. Swipe left or right on the iPad screen to move between screens of apps. You can also move apps from one screen to the next and create custom folders to hold apps. Learn more about moving apps and organizing your iPad.

Ready for More?

If you want to learn how to navigate your iPad, find the best apps, and delete apps you no longer want, check out the iPad 101 lesson guide.