Homeboard

How to turn an old iPad into a family wall calendar

An iPad that has been in a drawer since 2015 makes a good kitchen calendar: a bright screen, a battery that covers power cuts, and nothing left to spend. This guide covers the whole job, from calendar links to where the cable goes.

Updated 26 September 2026. Using an Android or Fire tablet? Read the Android and Fire guide.

What you need

  • An iPad that runs iOS 12 or later. That is the iPad Air, iPad mini 2 and everything newer. Check your model
  • Its charger, and a cable long enough to reach a socket. A 2 metre cable gives you choices.
  • Somewhere to put it: a wall near a socket, or a stand on the worktop.
  • The family's calendars, wherever they live now.

1. Get the iPad ready

Charge it, connect it to Wi-Fi, then go to Settings, General, Software Update and install whatever it offers. Older iPads stop at a certain version; that's fine as long as it is 12 or higher.

If the iPad still has someone else's messages, photos or Apple ID on it, it's worth erasing it first (Settings, General, Reset, Erase All Content and Settings) so the wall doesn't show their notifications.

A wall calendar reads your calendars through a private link, the same way a phone subscribes to a school calendar. Treat each link like a password: anyone who has it can see that calendar.

iCloud (Apple Calendar)

  1. On an iPhone or iPad, open the Calendar app and tap Calendars.
  2. Tap the i next to the calendar you want.
  3. Turn on Public Calendar, then tap Share Link and copy it.

On a Mac: in Calendar, Control-click the calendar in the sidebar, choose Share Calendar, tick Public Calendar and copy the address.

Google Calendar

  1. On a computer, open Google Calendar and click the gear, then Settings.
  2. Under Settings for my calendars, click the calendar you want.
  3. Scroll to Integrate calendar and copy the Secret address in iCal format.

Outlook and Microsoft 365

  1. In Outlook on the web, open Settings, Calendar, Shared calendars.
  2. Under Publish a calendar, pick the calendar and "Can view all details", then Publish.
  3. Copy the ICS link.

School, clubs and sports teams

Look for a link called Subscribe, iCal, ICS or webcal on their website or app. Those work too, and they keep themselves up to date.

3. Set up Homeboard

  1. On your phone or computer, go to homeboard.uk and choose Start free.
  2. Answer the three setup questions (where you are, a calendar link, and what goes behind the clock), or pick a ready-made layout. Big Calendar puts a month front and centre; Family adds the children's chore chart and notes sent from a phone.
  3. Open the calendar block's settings and paste each link. Give each one a person, so it shows in their colour.
  4. If you want them, add people and chores on the Family page.

Anyone else in the family can have their own login to the same home: use Invite someone on the Account page.

4. Put Homeboard on the iPad

  1. On the old iPad, open Safari and go to homeboard.uk, then sign in.
  2. Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow) and choose Add to Home Screen.
  3. Open Homeboard from the new icon. It opens full screen and remembers your sign-in.
  4. Choose the display to show. From then on the icon goes straight to it.

5. The iPad settings that matter

Keep the screen on

Settings, Display & Brightness, Auto-Lock, Never. Without this the screen goes dark after a few minutes.

Stop small fingers leaving Homeboard

Guided Access locks the iPad into one app. On iOS 12 it is in Settings, General, Accessibility, Guided Access; on newer iPads, Settings, Accessibility, Guided Access. Turn it on and set a passcode. Then open Homeboard, press the Home button three times and tap Start.

No pop-ups over the calendar

Turn on Do Not Disturb, or switch off notifications for the apps left on the iPad.

Brightness that suits the room

Auto-Brightness dims the screen when the room is dark. On iOS 12 it is in Settings, General, Accessibility, Display Accommodations; on newer iPads, Settings, Accessibility, Display & Text Size. Homeboard's night mode can dim it further at set times or from sunset to sunrise.

6. Putting it on the wall

  • Adhesive strips on a slim case are the cheapest way, and come off without marking paint. Use strips rated well above the iPad's weight.
  • A tablet wall mount holds it more firmly, and some hide the cable behind.
  • A stand on the worktop needs no holes at all, and is easy to move.

Put it at eye height where people pass: by the kitchen door, the fridge or the hallway. Run the cable down to the socket with cable clips or a paintable cable channel.

7. Looking after the battery

A lithium battery kept at full charge for years can wear out and, occasionally, swell. Two habits help:

  • Plug the charger into a smart plug that turns on for a few hours in the morning and evening, so the battery isn't sitting at 100% all day.
  • Now and then, look at the iPad from the side. If the screen is lifting or the back bulges, unplug it and stop using it.

Why Homeboard for this

Most family calendar apps now need iOS 17 and won't install on these iPads. Homeboard runs in Safari on iOS 12 and later, shows everyone's calendars in their own colours, and adds the weather, photos and the children's chores. It is free for one wall display, and Plus is £29 once, with 30 days to try it first. See pricing

Start freeCheck your iPad