iPad lock/unlock with smart cover doesn't work

I figure out my problem In the Passcode settings there is an option to require password immediately or after so many minutes. I had it set to require password after 5 minutes which was also the setting for Auto-Lock. So when it didn't require the passcode after closing the cover, I thought it wasn't locking the device like it should and it only eventually locking because of Auto-Lock.

Same problem here. I've discovered if I slide it about 5mm in from the edge then it locks, but when slide back to the edge it unlocks again.

My otterbox defender series cover has magnets on it that wake and put to sleep. It seems to be working fine.

Yeah I have been trying to find people with the same issue. Worked fine on my Ipad 2 but the new Ipad will not do it.

I have the same issue

I'm having similar issues with my smart cover/the new iPad. Don't think it's a hardware issue because it works on my iPad 2 with no problems. Could it be a software issue perhaps?.... :S

I have the same problem, works fine with my ipad 2 but not at all on my new iPad 3.

And yes, all my settings are the same on both iPad's.

A fix or solution, will be greatly appreciated.

I have a ZooGue genius case. As unkn0wnvariable said, it works if you shift the cover to the left about 5mm. Apple must've moved the locking mech on the new one. :-( All to make us either buy new cases or deal with it.

I am having the same issue with the STM kicker folio which worked beautifully with the iPad 2.

I have same issue with my Griffin case. But if I use the Apple protector, it works fine. The difference seems to be the thickness of the Griffin case. It is just thick enough that the magent doesnt engage the lock. Of I used the cover alone (without the thickness of the iPad holder) it activates just fine.

I guess is that the reed switch in the iPad3 is not as sensitive as the one in the iPad1/2.

Read a blog site that the magnet issue is related to the polarity of the magnet on the iPad 3. Flipping the magnet around works and turns off the iPad 3. Not sure the suppliers of covers were aware of this issue when they rolled out their accessories.

If you have one of the original Smart Covers (i.e., before the refresh in October 2011), then it may not work because of a polarity issue. See http://markshangout.com/blog/2012/3/17/ipad-3-smart-cover-sleepwake-feature-not- working.html for an explanation. I had the exact same thing. The smart cover worked fine for an iPad 2, but not on an iPad 3. Originally there was no Cover Lock/Unlock option under Settings > General, but I found that when you move the right side of the cover up and down the right side of the iPad, it will show up. I also noticed that when positioned normally on the new iPad, the smart cover won't lock/unlock the screen, even with the option turned on. It only worked when I misaligned the cover and iPad by about two inches, where the cover was sticking out at the top of the iPad.

If you bought the smart cover at an Apple store, you can go there and exchange it for the most recent version, which does work. (I wasn't so lucky as I bought my smart cover on Craig's List, so I had to buy a brand-new one at the Apple store. Bummer.)

I have an original Smart Cover, and it works just fine on the new iPad.

Apparently it's pretty random whether the "original" smart covers work or not with the new iPad. I guess it all depends on how the magnets happen to be inserted in the cover during production. It didn't matter for the iPad 2, but it does for the new iPad. When buying a used smart cover, always try it out on your new iPad before actually buying it.

ClayG,

The odds of an original Smart Cover working properly to sleep/wake an iPad 3 are probably 50/50 (because a magnet has just two poles). It's now obvious that Apple only recently (end of 2011) started making sure the magnet (to trigger the sleep/wake sensor) was oriented with the correct polarity for the iPad 3.

As Seattle_Dutch linked, the situation is explained in my blog posting:

http://markshangout.com/blog/2012/3/17/ipad-3-smart-cover-sleepwake-feature-not- working.html

Mark