Much of your iPad’s advanced functionality simply won’t work unless a Passcode has been initially set - such as TouchID/FaceID and Keychain stored passwords.
Setting a device Passcode is a cornerstone for your iPad's security features; settings the device Passcode enables the Secure Enclave, this being the iPad's security chip within which all of its cryptographic keys are stored.
While full iPad functionality requires that you set a device Passcode, should you choose to do so, you can change the iPad's settings such that you don't have to enter a Passcode all the time:
Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock - set to Never
Having disabled the Auto-Lock function, anyone can access your iPad and the majority of your data. If your iPad is running iPadOS 18.x, your saved Passwords are accessed using the new Passwords App. To access your your Passwords, you will always require either the device Passcode or TouchID (or FaceID for iPad Pro) - whether or not you have disabled the Auto-Lock function.
As documented by Apple in its Security Guide, for devices with TouchID or FaceID enabled, you device Passcode is reportedly required in the following circumstances…
A passcode or password is also required if the device is in any of the following states:
• The device has just been turned on or restarted
• The user has logged out of their Mac account (or hasn’t yet logged in).
• The user hasn’t unlocked their device for more than 48 hours.
• The user hasn’t used their passcode or password to unlock their device for 156 hours (six and a half days), and the user hasn’t used a biometric to unlock their device in
4 hours.
• The device has received a remote lock command
• The user exited power off / Emergency SOS by pressing and holding either volume button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously for 2 seconds and then pressing Cancel.
• There were five unsuccessful biometric match attempts (though for usability, the device might offer entering a passcode or password instead of using biometrics after a smaller number of failures).
When Face ID with a mask is enabled on an iPhone, it’s available for the next 6.5 hours after one of the following user actions:
• Successful Face ID match attempt (with or without a mask)
• Device passcode validation
• Device unlock with Apple Watch
Any of these actions extends the period by an additional 6.5 hours when performed.
