How to Disconnect an iPad From an iPhone

The quickest way is to sign out of your Apple ID on the iPad in Settings

By
Matthew S. Smith
Matthew S. Smith
Writer
  • Beloit College
Matthew S. Smith has been writing about consumer tech since 2007. Formerly the Lead Editor at Digital Trends, he's also written for PC Mag, TechHive, and others.
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Updated on May 30, 2024
Reviewed by
Michael Barton Heine Jr
Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr
    Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
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    What to Know

    • You can disconnect your iPad from your iPhone by signing out of your Apple ID on your iPad.
    • Alternatively, you can disable iCloud syncing on a per-app basis in your iPad’s iCloud settings.

    This article explains how to disconnect an iPad from an iPhone and how to stop syncing between devices under various conditions.

    How to Unsync an iPad and iPhone by Signing Out

    Your iPad, iPhone, and other Apple devices will sync when you set them up using an Apple ID. This setup is often helpful, but it if you don't want to sync data all the time this method will disconnect your iPad from iCloud entirely and, in doing so, completely disconnect your iPad from your iPhone.

    Files and settings will not sync between the two devices.

    1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.

    2. Tap your Apple ID user name shown at the top of the Settings options menu to open your Apple ID settings.

    3. Tap Sign Out.

    Signing out will remove the iPad from your Apple ID entirely and disable syncing across all apps and services.

    How to Desync Apps Individually

    Removing your iPad from your Apple ID is the only way to completely disable all syncing features, but it's inconvenient. Disconnecting your Apple ID will disable features like Apple Pay and stop yourfrom accessing Apple subscriptions you've purchased.

    You can instead turn off iCloud syncing to disable it for selected apps. Here's how to do it.

    1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.

    2. Tap your Apple ID user name shown at the top of the Settings option menu to open your Apple ID settings.

    3. Tap iCloud.

    4. Under an Apps Using iCloud heading, you'll see a list of items with toggle switches. Most of them are on by default. Turn off the services you don't want to sync between your iPad and iPhone.

    This method is a better way to mange data syncing between devices because it lets you keep using the basic Apple ID functionality like not having to buy apps again, using subscriptions across devices, and saving your contacts and text messages.

    Turning off iCloud syncing of an app or feature will disable any cloud backups related to that feature. For example, turning off syncing for the Photos app means you won't have an automatic backup of any photo you take with your iPad.

    How to Stop an iPad and iPhone from Syncing With Handoff

    Handoff is an Apple device feature that lets you pass activity from certain apps, such as Safari, across devices. For example, you can start a web search on your iPad and then use Handoff to pick up that session on a Mac.

    This feature might prove annoying if an iPad is used by multiple family members, however. Here's how to turn it off.

    1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.

    2. Tap General.

    3. Choose AirPlay & Handoff.

    4. Tap the toggle next to Handoff to turn it off.

    This guide focuses on the iPad, but these tips generally work for other iOS devices including the iPhone. For example, you can turn off iCloud syncing of Messages on your iPhone if you don't want texts from the Messages app to appear on other devices.

    FAQ
    • How do I disconnect iPhone Photos from iPad?

      To prevent your iPhone Photos from syncing to your iPad via iCloud, go to Settings on your iPad > select your Apple ID user name > iCloud > Photos. Turn the toggle to the off position beside iCloud Photos.

    • How do I disconnect my iPad from Find My iPhone?

      You can turn off Find My iPad on your iPad from Settings > Your_Name > Find My iPad. You can also remove your iPad and from your list of Find My devices on iCloud.com. Go to Find My iPhone > All Devices > select your device > choose Remove from Account.

    • How do I disconnect my iPad from iPhone messages?

      To prevent your iPhone messages from appearing on your iPad, go to Settings > Messages and turn off iMessage. Next, go to Send & Receive and deselect the email addresses and numbers linked to your Apple ID.

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