Do I need to charge my iPad Air before set up.

Not at all. If you have sufficient battery power, set it up and use it.

If you want to automatically backup with iCloud every night, plug it in to charge, make sure it is connected to WIFi and locked. You are killing two birds with one stone by charging every night.

Hi WMPepper,

For yr info, when I bought my iPad 6th Generation, I don’t need to charge up before setting it up, there’s enough battery power.

Hope this helps.