Smart Cover issue on iPad running iOS 12.

Try powering the device off and back on again. If that does not help, then a force restart may do it. Hold the sleep/wake and home buttons together until you see the Apple logo and then release. The iPad will reboot. Check after that.

The device will power off when you press and hold the power button and the home button, but if you continue to hold it, the device will power back up again. That can take up to 30 seconds at times.

I'm not sure what the issue could be. Looking at my iPad Mini 4, I also see the Lock/Unlock switch directly below the Auto-Lock switch. Since the force restart did not correct the issue, the next step in user troubleshooting is to take a current backup, then restore the device to the backup, Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support

If that does not correct the issue, the next step is to restore the device to factory, Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings - Apple Support, set the device up as new, and test without adding any additional content to the device. If it works then, go ahead and try restoring your backup again.

I understand what version of iPad you have, you identified it earlier. It also seems unusual that the switch is missing. Was it there before you updated to iOS 12? Since it appears on both of my iPads, I'm guessing that we have to wait for someone with a new iPad to respond, or you can contact Apple Support and ask them.

If you believe it to be an iOS issue, then follow the steps to restore the device to factory and set it up as new. After that, check to see if the setting reappears. Then you can try restoring your backup and see if that changes. I cannot find any reference in the iPad User Guide that indicates that the Auto-Lock Setting has changed.

Hi

Go to settings Display & brightness down right hand page lock / unlock.

Cheers

Brian 🇬-1F1E7;

The two links that I gave you describe restores. The first one is depending on the type of backup that you have, either iTunes or iCloud. The second link is to restore the device to factory and then setting it up as a new device, not using a backup. I really would be telling you the same directions that are in the support documents.

Send iPad/iOS 12 feedback here.

iPad Feedback

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

Also, try contacting Apple in Cupertino using this contact phone number here to try and have Apple employees from CA help with your 6th gen iPad/iOS 12 issues.

https://www.apple.com/contact/

Good Luck to You!

If you contact Apple, they maybe able to help you and if Apple has a fix, you can pass on your fix from Apple to these community support forums for others to help them fix this smart cover issue.

I already advised some of these users, with this smart cover issue, to contact Apple support, as well.

I have discussed this smart cover issue in another private Apple community forum with my fellow, long-time Apple Support Community contributing users about this iOS 12 smart cover bug/issue.

They all have the smart cover Lock/Unlock Settings option.

None of us know why some iPads that get upgraded to iOS 12 are missing long-time features.

Some users are reporting that that with new iPad Pro models, that the Tru-tone option is not appearing.

Other iPad users are reporting that the FaceTime front facing selfie camera option is missing, also.

It would appear that the initial release of iOS 12, much like iOS 11, is still very buggy or some features have been accidentally or arbitrarily omitted.

Nothing we users can do.

This is one of the reasons I hold out to update my iDevices until the point releases start making their appearance.

I won't upgrade my iDevices to iOS 12 until, at least iOS 12.2 or iOS 12.3.

Since you cannot return to a previous iOS version once you upgrade/update to a new iOS version, I always wait it out.

I never upgrade my iDevices at very first introduction of any iOS version.

AND iOS 11 was sooo bad, I skipped iOS 11, entirely.

So, I will continue to wait out iOS 12 until all the obvious major bugs/issues get resolved.

Once again, contact Apple and Good Luck to You!

Okay, if you did not see it there, then there may not be a setting there. Is that an Apple cover that you are using? You can contact Support with your question if you wish, or if there is an Apple Store close by, you can ask them.

I am using an Apple Cover. The iPad still supports it, but I don't know if the one that you have does, since that is not the model that I have. I'm surprised that no one with that model has responded here, but if you are close to an Apple Store, make a Genius Bar appointment and bring the iPad in. They can check, and you can also check with a genuine Apple Cover.

Chris,

There is is no secret option that for the smart cover that automatically makes the smart cover Lock/Unloock option appear.

The smart cover Lock/Unlock feature is simply a normal feature setting in iOS.

I have cheaper, third party magnetic covers for my older iPads that turn the iPads’ screens’ on/off, no problem.

The third party case/smart cover I have for my iPad 2 cost me $6 and while not great, in terms of quality, it turns the iPad screen on/off without issue, with the Display Lock/Unlock setting activated.

The OP has an issue with some bug in iOS 12.

I have the option but still not working for me also. I use original apple cover.

edit: now i found an article about it. They changed the polarity of it. So my cover is open ipad only from front but when i try to use cover from behind the ipad it doesnt work. So u can only use from front side. In article it says some covers works both side.

If Apple has a support number in India, try that.

Good Luck!

Okay, it may be it was an anomaly that the cover worked before. I had a Solo cover for my iPad Mini 1st Generation, and it worked at first, then failed, then started again. That has been a few years ago. It wasn't supposed to work, but it did, then didn't. I couldn't control that at all. You can bring the iPad and the cover to the nearby Apple Store to have it checked and see what Apple says. Good luck.