An iPad makes a great teleprompter for one simple reason: the screen is big. Larger text means you can sit the iPad further from the camera and still read it comfortably, which keeps your eyes relaxed and your delivery natural.
Key takeaways
- ✓Runs in **Safari** — no App Store download, no account needed on the iPad itself.
- ✓**Add to Home Screen** turns it into a fullscreen, tab-free prompter with a home-screen icon.
- ✓The large screen lets you **read from across the room**, not just inches from the lens.
- ✓**Mirror modes** flip the text for beamsplitter glass rigs.
- ✓**Send a script from your computer** to the iPad with a QR code; a wake lock keeps the screen awake.
The big-screen advantage
On a phone, the text has to be close to your lens to stay legible. An iPad changes the math: bump up the font size and you can place the tablet a few feet back and still read every line. More distance between you and the screen means your eyes move less and you look more like you're speaking to a person, not scanning a page.
You control font size, column width, and line height, so you can tune the text to whatever reading distance your setup uses. Widen the column for a tablet across the room, or narrow it for a tight beamsplitter rig.
Mirror mode for beamsplitter rigs
Serious behind-the-lens setups use a beamsplitter: a piece of angled glass that reflects the tablet's screen toward you while the camera shoots straight through it. The reflection reverses the text, so a prompter needs to flip it back.
Turn on mirror flip and the text reads correctly in the glass. If you mount the iPad below or above the rig, screen rotation (0, 90, 180, 270) lines the text up the right way. Shooting without glass and just propping the iPad next to the lens? Leave mirror off and you're set.
Set up your iPad teleprompter
- Open DocPrompter in Safari on your iPad and choose Add to Home Screen for a fullscreen app.
- Paste a Google Docs link (shared as *Anyone with the link*) or paste your raw text.
- Position the iPad behind or beside the lens — back it off a bit and raise the font size for a relaxed read.
- For a beamsplitter rig, turn on mirror flip and set screen rotation to match how the tablet is mounted.
- Choose voice-follow so the script tracks your speech, run the countdown, and record.
Send the script from your computer
Write on your laptop, prompt on the iPad. Send to device shows a QR code on your computer; scan it with the iPad and the script opens — no login required on the tablet. It's the fastest way to get a script onto an iPad that lives on your camera rig.
On Pro, point the iPad at a Google Doc and keep it in live sync — edit on your computer between takes and the iPad updates on its own. The full setup is in our Google Docs teleprompter guide.
Pricing
A free account saves one script and prompts it as much as you like, with voice-follow, every control, and send-to-device included — enough to shoot from your iPad today. Pro ($12/mo or $120/yr) adds 25 scripts, live Doc sync, fixed-time mode, and per-script settings. Studio ($29/mo or $290/yr) is unlimited scripts with priority support.
Set up your iPad teleprompter
Open DocPrompter in Safari, add it to your home screen, and read your next take from behind the lens. No App Store, free to start.
Start prompting — freeFrequently asked questions
Is there a teleprompter app for iPad I need to download?+
No download required. DocPrompter runs in Safari on your iPad. You can Add to Home Screen to install it as a fullscreen, tab-free app with its own icon, but there's nothing to get from the App Store.
Why use an iPad instead of a phone as a teleprompter?+
The iPad's bigger screen lets you raise the font size and place the tablet further from the lens while still reading comfortably. More distance keeps your eyes relaxed and your delivery looking natural.
Does it work with a beamsplitter teleprompter rig?+
Yes. Turn on mirror flip so the text reads correctly when reflected in beamsplitter glass, and use screen rotation to match how the iPad is mounted on the rig.
Can I send a script from my computer to the iPad?+
Yes. Send to device shows a QR code on your computer; scan it with the iPad and the script opens, no login needed on the tablet. On Pro, a Google Doc stays in live sync so edits on your computer appear on the iPad automatically.
Does the iPad screen stay awake while prompting?+
Yes. A screen wake lock keeps the display awake while you're prompting, so it won't dim or sleep during a take.