The iOS version of Pages for your iPad includes a selection of templates for new documents, and you can create new documents from scratch. Unfortunately, Pages on the iPad does not offer the ability to create your own templates.

However, you can still work around this limitation by duplicating an old document and using the duplicate to create the new document. If you own a Mac desktop or laptop and have Pages on it, you can also create templates there and import them into Pages on your iPad.

Duplicating a Document in Pages on the iPad

To duplicate a Pages document on the iPad, follow these easy steps:

  • From the document manager screen, tap Edit in the upper right corner.Tap the document you want to duplicate.In the upper left corner, tap the button that looks like a stack of papers with a plus sign.

A duplicate of your document will appear on the document manager screen. The new document will share the original’s name but also include “copy #” to differentiate it from the original.

Adding Your Own Templates Created in Pages on Your Mac

Though you cannot create templates directly in Pages on your iPad, you can in Pages on your Mac laptop or desktop to create your own templates for Pages, and then use them on the iOS version of Pages on your iPad. To use your own Pages template on your iPad, you must first save the template in a location that can be accessed by your iPad. These locations include:

  • iCloud Drive
  • Google Drive
  • Microsoft’s OneDrive

The easiest place to save a template to access on the iPad is in iCloud Drive, as you likely have iCloud access enabled on both your Mac and your iPad.

Once you have the template you created on your Mac uploaded to one of the locations listed above, follow these steps on your iPad to access it:

  • On the Pages document manager screen, tap the plus symbol in the upper left corner.Tap the location where the template from your Mac has been saved (e.g., iCloud Drive). This will open that storage location.Navigate to your template file and tap it.You will be asked to add your template to your Template Chooser. Tap Add, and you will be taken to the Template Chooser page where your template is now located.Tap your template to open a copy.

Once your template is added to your Template Chooser, it will be available to reuse whenever you need it. 

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day