Want to watch MKV videos stored in the Files app on an iPad? You can do that easily once you learn how. This makes it simple to keep locally stored MKV movies on iPad within the Files app to be able to watch directly on the device.
If you have an MKV video file in the Files app of iPad that you want to watch, you may have noticed that by default the Files app is not able to play mkv video files. But not to worry, with the help of a free app you can easily watch any MKV movie that is located in the Files app of an iPad.
Open the Files app on the iPad and navigate to the MKV movie file you want to watch
Tap on the MKV video and then tap on the Share button, it looks like a box with an arrow flying out of the top
Choose “Open in VLC” to open the MKV movie file into the VLC app*
Watch your MKV video in VLC, you can play, pause, fast forward, rewind, and perform all other expected video watching capabilities in VLC on iPad
*Sometimes you must first choose to “Copy to VLC” from the Sharing menu, then tap out of the Share sheet, wait a moment or two, and then open the Sharing screen again to choose “Open in VLC”.
Note that every time you wish to watch the MKV video in VLC you will need to manually choose to do so through the same Sharing menu within Files app.
With iPadOS 13 (and later) you can even use this same trick to watch MKV video files from the Files app that are on a local network share, so if you have an SMB file server you can access that through Files app and then load any mkv movies directly into VLC too.
If for some reason this method doesn’t work from playing the MKV video file directly from Files app on iPad or iPhone, you can also use the wi-fi upload method to VLC to watch MKV, AVI, and other videos on iPhone and iPad, which basically copies the movie file directly to the VLC app storage on the device.
Wondering how long an iCloud backup restore to an iPhone or iPad will take to complete? Restoring an iPhone or iPad from an iCloud Backup can take a while, depending on the size of the iCloud backup, and the speed of the internet connection the iOS device is connected to.
If you want to check on the progress of an active iCloud Restore, you can do so in modern versions of iOS.
How to Check Progress of iCloud Restore from Backup on iPhone or iPad
Open the “Settings” app in iOS
Tap on “Your Name” at the top of the Settings
Tap on “iCloud”
Tap on “iCloud Backup”
Locate the data remaining information on the iCloud backup restore process under the ‘Stop’ button to get a rough idea of how much longer the restore will take
The data remaining information will be shown in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB).
It’s best to let the iCloud Restore process complete, however long it may take. Failure to let the iCloud restore from backup process complete can lead to permanent data loss.
Optionally, but not recommended, you can stop an iCloud Restore from backup to an iOS device. Stopping an iCloud Restore can result in data loss and is therefore not recommended unless there is a compelling reason to do so.
While the iCloud Restore process is ongoing, you may notice notably poor battery life on the iPador iPhone as the devices “Ongoing Restore” background activity and downloading of data uses more energy than usual. Letting the iCloud Restore process complete will return the device to normal expected battery performance.
Note that much earlier versions of iOS do not support this feature.
By comparison, checking the restore progress of an iTunes backup restore is much more obvious because the iTunes window has a progress indicator showing the current progress and how long it will take to complete.
Rarely, an iPad may get stuck on an Apple logo screen when the device is booting or restarting. Getting stuck on the Apple logo usually happens during a failed software update, whether it was interrupted or incomplete, but it can sometimes happen during restores and during other operations as well.
If an iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini is stuck on an Apple logo screen, you can use the tips below to troubleshoot the problem and resolve the issue.
How to Fix an iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Mini Stuck on Apple Logo
This guide will aim to review troubleshooting solutions to resolve an iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini that is stuck on a black Apple logo screen. Follow in the order presented, and be sure to use the advice specific to the iPad model, as the troubleshooting steps differ between iPad with Face ID and iPad with Home buttons.
0: Wait! Does the Apple logo screen on iPad have a progress bar?
If the Apple logo screen has a progress bar underneath the Apple logo, then that likely means the device is installing a system software update, or is being restored. In that situation, you will not want to interrupt the system software update process.
If you see the Apple logo screen on an iPad and it has a progress bar underneath the Apple logo, let it sit for a while with the device plugged into a power source.
If a software update is being applied, the iPad will complete the installation and restart itself normally when it has finished.
You may pick up an iPad and notice it’s on the Apple logo screen seemingly out of nowhere if you have automatic iOS / iPadOS software updates enabled on the iPad. Just let the update complete, do not interrupt it.
If the iPad remains unresponsive and stuck on the black Apple logo screen for an extended amount of time, say after an hour or so, it may be stuck and need further troubleshooting. When the iPad is truly stuck on the Apple logo screen, use the troubleshooting tricks below to resolve the issue.
1: Force Restart the iPad
Sometimes simply forcibly restarting the iPad will resolve being stuck on an Apple logo screen. Forcibly rebooting an iPad varies on the iPad model and the iPad model year, use the instructions below depending on the specific iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, or iPad Pro.
Force Restart iPad Pro 11″ and iPad Pro 12.9″ (2018 and newer)
You can force restart iPad Pro with Face ID (2018 and newer) including the iPad Pro 11″ and iPad Pro 12.9″ models, with the following instructions:
Press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, press and hold Power button until the iPad Pro restarts
Force Restart iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and older iPad Pro
You can force restart an iPad with a clickable Home button, including iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and older iPad Pro models, with the following instructions:
Hold the HOME button and POWER button concurrently until the device screen turns off to black and back on to an Apple logo screen appears
Occasionally, force rebooting works and the iPad returns to the lock screen or home screen as usual. If not, carry on for more troubleshooting.
2: Update iPad with Recovery Mode (or Restore)
The next troubleshooting trick is to update the iPad using Recovery Mode. Using Recovery Mode requires the use of a computer (Mac or Windows PC) with a modern version of iTunes, and you will need a USB cable to connect the iPad to the computer. Much like force rebooting, entering Recovery Mode varies per iPad model.
Update iPad Pro with Face ID via Recovery Mode
If the iPad has Face ID and no Home button, you can enter Recovery Mode on iPad Pro (2018 and newer) with the following instructions:
Open iTunes on the computer (or Finder if Mac is running Catalina)
Press and hold the Power button and Volume Up button until the “Slide to Power Off” screen appears, then drag that slider to turn OFF the iPad Pro
Next, hold down the POWER button and connect the iPad Pro to a computer with a USB cable. Continue holding the POWER button until iPad is in Recovery Mode
Choose “Update” when the alert message appears on screen
Updating the iPad in Recovery Mode may take a while so be patient and let 20 minutes or so pass. If this is successful, the iPad Pro will update the system software and then reboot itself eventually back and work as normal.
If this fails, you will need to repeat the steps above, but at step 4 choose to “Restore” the iPad instead of ‘update’ (Important note: by restoring the iPad it will reset it as new and erase all data on the iPad, however if you have a backup you can restore from that backup when complete).
Update any iPad with Home button via Recovery Mode
If the iPad has a Home button, you can enter Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and older iPad Pro with the following instructions:
Open iTunes on the computer (or Finder if Mac is running Catalina)
Press and hold the Power button until the “Slide to Power Off” screen appears, then slide to turn OFF the iPad
Hold down the HOME button while connecting the iPad to a computer using a USB cable
Continue holding the HOME button until the iPad is in Recovery Mode and detected by the computer
Choose “Update” when the alert message appears on screen
Updating the iPad can take a while, give it at least 20 minutes to see if this works. If updating is successful, the iPad will reboot and become usable as usual.
If this fails, you will need to repeat the steps above, but at step 5 choose to “Restore” the iPad rather than update. (Important note: restoring the iPad will erase all data on the iPad and set it up as new, however if you have a backup you can restore from that backup during the setup after restore).
3: Erase & Restore iPad with DFU Mode
If the above Recovery Mode methods fail to resolve the issue, you can try to use DFU mode to restore the iPad or iPad Pro instead. DFU mode is a lower restore method that may work when Recovery Mode fails. Using DFU mode will erase the iPad completely, meaning all data on the iPad will be lost. If you have a backup of the iPad, you can restore the iPad backup to the iPad when DFU restore has finished.
Restoring iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, older iPad Pro with DFU Mode
You can enter DFU mode on any iPad with a Home button with these instructions:
Connect iPad to a computer (Mac or PC) and launch iTunes (or Finder if Mac is running Catalina)
Hold down the POWER button and the HOME button at the same time, and continue holding both of those buttons for 10 seconds
After 10 seconds, release the POWER Button but continue to hold the HOME button for another 5 seconds
Choose to Restore the iPad with iTunes, this will erase all data on iPad and set it up as new
Connect iPad Pro to a computer and launch iTunes (or Finder if Mac is running Catalina)
Press and release Volume UP, then press and release Volume DOWN, then press and hold the POWER button for 10 seconds
While still holding the Power button, also press and hold Volume DOWN button for another 5 seconds
Release the Power button but continue to hold Volume DOWN for another 10 seconds
When you see an alert on the computer that a device has been detected in recovery mode, choose to Restore to erase the iPad and set it up as new
When the iPad Pro has successfully restored you can either set it up as new or then restore it from an available backup during the setup.
Fortunately getting stuck on a black Apple logo screen is a pretty rare occurrence for iPad, and while the same thing can happen on an iPhone it’s also not particularly common to run into with that device either. Usually the troubleshooting steps outlined above will resolve the issue. Let us know in the comments below what worked to resolve your problem.
Tried all of the above and still stuck on an Apple logo screen? Something else may be going on, so the next best option is to contact official Apple Support or an Apple Authorized Repair Center for further assistance in repairing the iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, or iPad Pro.
Sometimes an iPad must be placed into Recovery Mode before it can be restored or updated successfully with a computer. For example, if an iPad gets stuck on a black screen with an Apple logo for a very long time, Recovery Mode can usually remedy that. Typically Recovery Mode is used for a troubleshooting endeavor, but it can also be used for downgrading from iOS beta / iPadOS beta versions as well.
The instructions here will show how to enter Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and the earlier iPad Pro models with a Home button. Basically if the iPad has a Home button, the instructions detailed here will work to put the iPad into Recovery Mode. However, any newer model iPad Pro without any front buttons and with Face ID instead must use these instructions to enter Recovery Mode instead on iPad Pro 2018 and newer devices.
How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, early iPad Pro
To enter Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and earlier iPad Pro with Home button (2017 and earlier models, this will not work on the modern iPad Pro 2018 and later models), you will need a computer (Mac or Windows PC) with iTunes and a USB cable to connect the device to the Mac or PC with.
First turn the iPad off, do this by pressing and holding the Power button until the Power Off slider appears on the screen and then sliding on that to power it off
Launch iTunes on the computer *
Hold down the Home button while connecting the iPad to the computer with a USB cable
Continue holding the Home button until iTunes (or Mac Finder) shows a message stating that an iPad in Recovery Mode has been detected
After the iPad, iPad mini, or iPad Air has been detected by iTunes (or Finder), it can be restored with iTunes, or updated as usual. If you’re on a beta iOS version, you can also downgrade to the last stable build while in Recovery Mode.
* Use iTunes for MacOS Mojave 10.14 and earlier, and all Windows PC computers will use iTunes too. If the Mac is on MacOS Catalina 10.15 or later, then use the Mac Finder instead of iTunes.
Exiting Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini
If you want to exit out of Recovery Mode without performing any action in iTunes, you can do so with a simple force restart of the iPad.
Hold down the POWER button and the HOME button concurrently until the Apple logo appears on the screen, signifying it has been force restarted
After you reboot the device to exit recovery mode, it will boot as normal. Or if it was experiencing difficulty, like getting stuck on the Apple logo screen, it will probably just boot directly back into that if you didn’t actually run through recovery to restore the iPad.
Almost all serious issues with an iPad can be resolved through Recovery Mode, but rarely in some very stubborn cases you may need to put the iPad into DFU mode instead and restore from there. That’s quite rare however, and is really only applicable for when Recovery Mode is not working successfully for a restore or device update.
All iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch models can be placed into Recovery Mode, though the instructions for doing so differs per device.
iPad Battery and Power Services Costs in Australia
If your battery needs replacement, we can repair or replace your iPad for a battery service fee. There’s no fee if your battery is defective and your iPad is covered by warranty, consumer law, or AppleCare+. Our warranty doesn’t cover wear from normal use.
If you have AppleCare+ for iPad, it offers replacement coverage if your iPad battery can hold only 80 percent or less of its original capacity.
Battery service for all eligible iPad models:
AppleCare+: FREE
Out-of-warranty: AUS$ 165 (updated: 14/09/2021)
All prices are in Australian dollars and include GST. If your iPad is out of warranty and requires shipping, we’ll add an additional A$ 19.95 shipping fee to the listed service price.
Other battery and power issues
Your iPad battery’s performance depends on how you use apps and settings. These tips show you how to maximize the life of your iPad battery.
If your iPad won’t turn on or if the screen turns black, follow these steps and see if the issue gets resolved. Your iPad might not require service.
How long will it take?
Depending on the type of service, your repair might take from 5-12 business days. If your iPad was engraved by Apple, it could take up to 15 business days.
