iPad Air and Smart Covers

Like the previous iPad, I believe that the Smart Cover lock/unlock option only shows in the iPad's settings if it has detected a case that has an embedded magnet in the proper position. Does the case that you purchased have that required magnet (is it advertised as being compatible with the feature)?

To get the setting to show regardless if your case does/does not support the feature, I've heard that you can use an ordinary magnet and pass it in front of the side bezel (likely on the right-hand bezel) to trigger the magnet and the feature. Still if your case does not have the required magnet or support the feature, having the setting alone will do you no good.

I ordered an iPad air online this morning. No Apple stores in Montana, can you believe it? The iPad is set for shipping today but the leather case I ordered is scheduled to ship in several days.

Handle with kid gloves...😉

I've also had this issue with a 3rd party case. No Apple cases here so I bought one made by Kensington but it will not turn the screen off. I tried 2 resets with no luck. I even reset it to new which erased the option for Smart Cover locking, it didn't reappear until I restored a backup from my old ipad so I assume somehow it knows that I had a cover on the old ipad?! No luck tricking it with magnets, I tried lining up the cover from an old ipad case but it still won't trigger it. This has me worried that there might be something wrong with the ipad itself. There aren't many cases available yet here so it's hard to test.

Same her with a Maroo case. The magnets in the case wil unlock an older iPad, but not the iPad Air. Other covers will not lock the screen on an iPad Air, but will on older iPads. I have the switch set to ON to use the feature, but it does not work. I set it to OFF and it still doesn't work. Problem with iPad Air?

Having the same issue here... do we think software or hardware issue? I guess it could even be the case?

I exchanged my iPad Air for a new one & still nothing, the cover won't unlock/lock and trying to do so with the covers of 3 different iPad cases don't activate it either (including the cover of the previous gen Apple smart case). I have seen video on Youtube of it working with Apples own covers which makes me think something in the specs have changed making the old magnet setup invalid but who knows !

If the cover doesn't wake the iPad chances are it does not have that feature built in to the case. So it's a hardware deficiency. Not a failure per se because the ability to wake or sleep the iPad has to be built in to the case. My iPad 2 as a leather Smart Cover. It has worked perfectly from the day I bought it. I'm assuming I'll get the same lifespan from my new Apple SmartCase that I ordered with my iPad Air.

Still waiting for my iPad. Received shipping conformation and fedex is scheduled to deliver on Monday. Will handle that iPad carefully until my smart case comes. Heck I always handle my iPad carefully.

I'm not silly... I have the Apple Smart case and have had every iPad Apple have made so fully aware of how it works... this is a fault either with the iPad Air or the Smart Case so it'll be interesting to see what happens when your Smart Cover and iPad arrive... keeps us posted!

WaltC... I'm not liking that you've swapped your iPad and still no luck! Eek!

The case I was trying does have magnets.

I have the iPad Air with Apple's new Smart Cover for the Air.

I have the cover setting, and it's working just perfectly!

I found an Apple Smart Cover today & the lock function works fine with my Air. When I mentioned the problem with 3rd party cases to a store employee he wasn't surprised at all, almost as if he knew about it already. I guess people may have to stick with Apple until the compatibility issue is worked out.

Oh that's interesting... min is an iPad Air with an Apple Smart case and doesn't lock... maybe it's the case then?