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How to use an old iPad as a family wall calendar
Debs · 3 October 2026
The short answer
To use an old iPad as a family wall calendar: keep it plugged in, set Auto-Lock to Never, turn on Guided Access so it stays on the calendar, mount it at a height everyone can see where the family passes, and show a family calendar that updates from everyone's phones. Android tablets work the same way, using the screen timeout setting and App pinning.
Every family has one: the old iPad in the kitchen drawer, with a cracked corner, a sticker of a cartoon pig and a battery that lasts about as long as a toddler's attention span. It's too slow for anything fun. It's perfect for being a family wall calendar, which only needs to sit still, stay plugged in and show today.
What you need
Not much. An old iPad or Android tablet that still turns on and can run a current web browser, its charger, and somewhere sensible to put it. If you were weighing up a dedicated screen instead, our Skylight calendar alternatives guide compares the options.
- The tablet, its charger and a long cable (two metres is easier than you think).
- A wall mount, a magnetic mount or a simple stand for the worktop.
- A family calendar that updates from everyone's phones.
- Somewhere people already stop: by the kettle, the back door or the shoe pile.
A family calendar only works if it's somewhere you already stand, waiting for someone to find their other shoe.
Left: two settings turn an iPad into an always-on display. Right: the best spot is wherever the family queues in the morning.
How to set up an iPad as a family calendar
Plug it in. Then, in Settings, go to Display & Brightness and set Auto-Lock to Never, so the screen stays on, and turn the brightness down a little: it's a kitchen, not a cinema. Next, turn on Guided Access (Settings, Accessibility, Guided Access) and set its own Display Auto-Lock to Never too. Open your family calendar, triple-click the side or Home button and start Guided Access. The iPad now stays on that one screen, and small hands can't wander off to YouTube.
On an Android tablet, set the screen timeout to its longest in Display settings (or turn on "Stay awake" while charging in Developer options), and use App pinning, in Security settings, to keep it on the calendar. On either, turn off notifications from your old messages so they don't scroll across the kitchen. Then choose a view that's readable from across the room: today and tomorrow, each person in their own colour, big text. Our guide to the family wall calendar covers what it should show.
Guided Access: the setting that stands between your wall calendar and a seven-year-old's YouTube habit.
Which calendar should the iPad show?
The tablet is the easy bit. What matters is what's on it. A shared Google or Apple calendar works if everyone adds their own plans. A family app built for wall displays looks better from across the room and lets children tap their own day. Either way, ask where the school dates will come from, because they're the ones behind the 8:15am panic. Our round-up of the best family calendar apps in the UK compares them.
An old iPad v a dedicated calendar screen
What you give up, and what you save.
| Old iPad or tablet | Dedicated screen (such as Skylight) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Nothing, if you have one | £290 or more for a Skylight 15" in the UK |
| Setting up | Twenty minutes of settings | Ready out of the box |
| Stays on the calendar | With Guided Access or App pinning | Always |
| Screen size | Usually 8 to 13 inches | 15 or 27 inches |
| Can do other things | Yes, which is the risk | No, which is the point |
Mistakes we've all made
- Forgetting to turn off Auto-Lock, so the "wall calendar" is a black rectangle by 7:31am.
- Putting it out of reach of the socket and doing a daily cable relay.
- Leaving your old messages switched on, so the whole kitchen reads your group chat.
- Showing the month view, which is unreadable from more than a metre away.
A wall display made for the iPad you already own
Debs, your own school admin assistant, has a family wall display built for a tablet or Echo Show: everyone in their own colour, today's view by itself, the school-run weather, and each child can tap their column to see what to wear, what to pack and their jobs for stars. It runs in the browser, so there's nothing to install, and it can run with nobody logged in on the tablet, so the kitchen screen shows the week but can't open your account. Because Debs reads the school's emails and letters, the PE days, INSET days and trip dates go on the wall without anyone typing them. See the plans.
Questions parents ask
Can I use an old iPad as a family calendar?
Yes. Keep it plugged in, set Auto-Lock to Never, use Guided Access to keep it on the calendar, and show a family calendar that updates from everyone's phones.
How do I stop my iPad screen turning off?
Go to Settings, Display & Brightness, Auto-Lock, and choose Never. If you use Guided Access, set its own Display Auto-Lock to Never as well.
How do I keep an iPad on one app?
Use Guided Access: turn it on in Settings, Accessibility, Guided Access, open the app, then triple-click the side or Home button to start it.
Is it safe to leave an iPad plugged in all the time?
Many people do, but old batteries can swell after years on charge. Check now and then that the case isn't bulging; a smart plug that switches the charger off overnight can help.
What is the best family calendar app for an iPad?
Choose one with a wall or display view that's readable from across the room, a colour for each person, and a way for school dates to arrive without typing. Debs has a family wall display made for tablets.