Planes, ferries, long drives and holiday cottages often have no internet, or internet that's too slow to stream. Here's how to make sure the stories and games your child loves will actually work.
1. Test everything in Airplane Mode, at home
This is the step that matters most. Open Control Centre (swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen), turn on Airplane Mode, make sure Wi-Fi is off too, then open each app your child will want. Many apps that look offline still need the internet to load a story, play a video or speak. Anything that shows a spinner or an error now will do the same on the plane.
2. Download and update on Wi-Fi the night before
- Install any new apps and updates at home. Big apps can take a while, and airport Wi-Fi is slow.
- In video and audiobook apps, download episodes for offline use; streaming won't work without a connection.
- Open each new app once while you're still online, in case it has a first-time download.
3. Look after the battery
Charge the iPad fully and pack the cable. A small power bank helps on long days. Lowering the screen brightness makes the battery last noticeably longer.
4. Headphones and volume
Children's headphones with a volume limit are worth having. The iPad can also cap the volume itself: look for Headphone Safety in the iPad's sound settings and turn on Reduce Loud Audio.
5. Keep little fingers in one app
Guided Access keeps the iPad in a single app until you unlock it. Turn it on in Settings › Accessibility › Guided Access, set a passcode, then triple-click the top (or Home) button inside the app to start it. It's ideal for a toddler who keeps swiping out to the home screen.
To stop surprise purchases, use Screen Time › Content & Privacy Restrictions on the iPad, or Ask to Buy if your family uses Family Sharing.
6. Pack a few screen-free things too
A sticker book, a small toy and a paper book or two give everyone a break from the screen, and they never run out of battery.
How Popfables fits
Popfables was built to work with no internet at all, including the storyteller's voice, which is made on the iPad itself rather than streamed. Once it's installed, every book your family owns reads aloud in Airplane Mode. It's about a 400 MB download, so install it on Wi-Fi before you leave, and open the free book once to check. There are no ads and no in-app links for a child to tap, and buying a book Set sits behind a grown-ups gate.