iPads for School: How to Protect Kids' Devices

Why school iPads take a beating

A school iPad lives a harder life than most adult devices. It gets stuffed into backpacks next to water bottles, carried between classrooms, dropped on gym floors and handed to friends. Most damage comes from a handful of predictable moments, so a few habits go a long way.

The good news: protecting a child's iPad is mostly about the right case, a sensible charging routine and a few settings. Here's what actually helps.

Pick a case that matches your child, not the catalogue

The best case is the one your child will keep on. For younger kids, that usually means a thick foam or rubber case with raised edges and a built-in handle. For older students who type a lot, a rugged folio or a keyboard case with corner protection makes more sense.

• Raised lip around the screen. If the edge of the case sits higher than the glass, a face-down drop hits the case first.
• Reinforced corners. Most cracks start at a corner. Look for extra material there.
• A cover or flap. A folio cover protects the screen inside a backpack, where pens, keys and lunch containers press on it.
• Open, unobstructed ports. A case that half-blocks the charging port leads to wiggled cables and worn ports.

Add a screen protector

A tempered glass protector takes the scratches and small impacts that would otherwise mark the real screen. It's also far easier to replace than the display underneath. If your child uses an Apple Pencil, choose a protector that says it works with the Pencil. Some have a paper-like texture that kids enjoy for drawing.

Replace the protector as soon as it cracks. Shards of a broken protector can scratch fingers and hide damage to the screen below.

Backpack habits that prevent most cracks

1. Give the iPad its own pocket. Many backpacks have a padded laptop sleeve against the back panel. Use it, and keep the iPad away from heavy textbooks.
2. Water bottles go in the side pocket. A leaking bottle in the main compartment is a common way tablets get wet.
3. No iPad at the bottom of the bag. Backpacks get dropped, kicked and sat on. The bottom takes the worst of it.
4. Zip it before lifting. A lot of tablets fall out of half-open bags.
5. Don't leave it in a cold or hot car. Ontario winters and summers are both hard on batteries.

Set a simple charging routine

A tablet that dies mid-class gets plugged in wherever there's an outlet, often with the cable stretched across a walkway. A predictable routine avoids that.

• Charge in the same spot every evening, ideally a shared family charging spot outside the bedroom.
• Use a good-quality cable and adapter, and replace cables that are frayed or bent at the ends.
• Teach kids to pull the plug, not the cable, and never to charge under a pillow or blanket.
• Check the battery settings for charging-optimization options. What's available varies by iPad model and iPadOS version.

Use Screen Time to protect the device and the child

Screen Time is built into every iPad and is managed in Settings › Screen Time. If your family uses Family Sharing, you can manage it from your own iPhone. Useful settings include:

• Downtime to stop most apps at bedtime, which also keeps the iPad on its charger overnight.
• App Limits for games and video during the school week.
• Content & Privacy Restrictions to block in-app purchases and explicit content.
• A Screen Time passcode your child doesn't know, so the settings stay put.

Also make sure the iPad is backing up to iCloud and that Find My is on. A lost school iPad is much easier to recover when it shows up on a map.

If it cracks anyway: glass-only vs laminated screens

How an iPad screen is built affects the repair. The standard iPad (the model without Air, mini or Pro in its name) has a non-laminated screen. The outer touch glass and the display underneath are separate layers, so if only the glass is cracked and the picture still looks normal, the glass can often be replaced on its own.

The iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad Pro use laminated screens. The glass is fused to the display, so a crack usually means replacing the whole screen assembly. Laminated screens look sharper and reflect less, but the repair involves more parts.

Not sure which model you have? Look in Settings › General › About. Our post on whether iPad screen repair is worth it walks through the decision.

Need a hand?

If a school iPad is cracked, won't charge or has a sticky button, Woman Wireless On The Go can come to your home, so your child doesn't miss more class time than necessary. You'll get a free quote before any work starts, and the technician confirms timing when she quotes. See our iPad repair service and the areas we cover, then call or WhatsApp (365) 351-4247 or request a visit online.

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