How to turn an old iPad into a digital photo frame

Download the free Inklyng app from the Apple App Store on the iPad (it runs natively on iPadOS 17 or later), add it as a display, upload your photos and choose how often they change. Set Auto-Lock to Never and keep the iPad plugged in so it stays on all day.

What you need

  • An iPad with iPadOS 17 or later, of any size from the mini to the 13-inch Pro
  • The free Inklyng app from the Apple App Store
  • A free Inklyng account
  • A Wi-Fi connection and a charger

Steps

  1. Create your account. On your phone or computer, go to inklyng.app and choose Get started free.
  2. Install the app and add the iPad. On the iPad, open the App Store, search for Inklyng and choose Get. Open the app: it shows a code. On your phone or computer, choose Add display, then iPad, and type the code.
  3. Add your photos. Open the Photos screen and add pictures from your phone or computer, as many as you like.
  4. Crop each photo. Crop and frame each photo for portrait or landscape, to match how the iPad will be held.
  5. Choose the order and timing. Shuffle the photos or show them in order, and choose how often they change.
  6. Keep it on. On the iPad, open Settings, then Display & Brightness, then Auto-Lock, and choose Never. Open the Inklyng app so it fills the screen, and keep the iPad plugged in.

Get started free

Tips

  • Mix photos with weather, the Earth and messages in one playlist if you want more than pictures.
  • Lock the iPad to Inklyng with Apple's Guided Access so nobody leaves the app by accident. See the Guided Access guide.

Questions

Is there an iPad app?

Yes. Inklyng for iPad is a free app from the Apple App Store. It runs natively on any iPad with iPadOS 17 or later.

Does it work in portrait and landscape?

Yes. Each photo can be cropped for portrait and for landscape, and the display uses the right one for the way it is held.

Will it work on a very old iPad?

The app needs iPadOS 17 or later. An older iPad that cannot update can still be a display: choose Add display, then Web Browser, and open the link in Safari.

More guides

Keep an iPad on Inklyng all day with Guided AccessLock an iPad to Inklyng with Apple's Guided Access so it stays on your photo frame or display. Set a passcode, start Guided Access and stop the screen sleeping.Use an Apple TV as a digital photo frameTurn an Apple TV and your TV into a digital photo frame and always-on display with the Inklyng app. Pair it with a 6-digit code and choose what it shows.Show photos, weather and more in one playlistBuild a playlist so one display rotates through photos, weather, the Earth, stock prices, text and messages on its own, from every few minutes to every fifteen.

Still stuck? Visit support or write to support@inklyng.app. Last updated 2026-10-26.