I’ve heard it’s possible to copy songs and photos from my computer to my iPad without having to use the USB cable or iCloud. How do you do it?
Apple began to include a feature called iTunes Wi-Fi Sync last year with its iOS 5 software, and it does allow you to transfer the same content between iTunes on the computer and your iPad over a wireless network that you can transfer with the USB cable. Both the computer and the iPad need to be on the same Wi-Fi network, and you need to be using at least iTunes 10.5. Before you can use the feature, you need to turn it on within iTunes for each device, so you need to connect the iPad to the computer with the USB cable at least one more time.
When you have plugged tablet into the computer, click the iPad’s icon on the left side of the iTunes window and then click the Summary tab in the row that appears in the middle of the window. On the Summary screen, scroll down until you get to the Options area. Put a check in the box next to “Sync with this iPad over Wi-Fi” and click the Apply button (and then the Sync button) in the bottom corner of the iTunes window to change the setting.
Once you have turned on the iTunes Wi-Fi Sync option, an icon of the iPad stays visible in the iTunes window, even if you do not have it plugged into the computer with the cable. If you are not set to automatically synchronize new content between devices, you can drag new songs or videos onto the iPad’s icon to add them to the tablet, just as if it was physically connected, and the files will copy to the iPad over your Wi-Fi network.
The iPad should sync itself to the computer at least once a day as long as you have iTunes open, the iPad plugged into its power charger and both devices on the same network. Apple site has more on iTunes Wi-Fi Sync and troubleshooting tips if things go awry.