Hardware necessary for running online store and shopify. Can I do it with ipad air?

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

The original poster asks whether an iPad Air (Gen 3) is sufficient for building and managing a Shopify online store without POS functionality, or if a laptop is necessary—and if so, whether Apple or Windows offers any advantages.

Official Response:

  • Shopify supports web-based functionality on both tablets and laptops through Safari (iPad) and Chrome (Android/desktop).
  • A Shopify mobile app is also available for managing stores on mobile devices.
  • No significant difference exists between Apple and Windows computers for Shopify, though Chrome is recommended due to more available extensions.
  • Suggests using the 14-day free trial on the iPad to test comfort level before committing.

Conflicting User Experience:

  • One user reports that iPad customization is “buggy,” with sections not displaying properly and editing/updating functionality not working as expected.
  • This contradicts the official claim that full store-building is feasible on tablets.

Side Issue:

  • A separate user cannot edit their theme, likely due to being on the Shopify Starter Plan, which restricts theme customization and requires upgrading to access full features.
Summarized with AI on October 29. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I am about to start building my online store. There will not be any POS functionality. I don’t want to waste time with trial and error. Can I do everything I need to do with an ipad air gen. 3, or do I need a laptop? If I need a laptop, is there an advantage to apple or windows over the other?

thank you!

2

Greetings, @Sunsead .

Thank you for reaching out and posting this question!

The Shopify platform supports web-based functionalities, so you can use a laptop or a tablet to build and manage your store. Both, the Safari browser (on the iPad) and the Google Chrome browser (for Android devices), are supported browsers, so you can definitely use your iPad Air to build your store. However, while there are some stores built entirely on tablets, this will depend on how comfortable you are in working with tablets. We also have an app, called the Shopify mobile app, which can provide the same functionalities for mobile devices.

There isn’t a difference between an Apple or a Windows computer when it comes to Shopify, as both operating systems will be using the web-based functions through a browser. However, since there are more extensions available from apps for the Chrome browser, we do recommend using Google Chrome with computers.

That being said, you can use our free 14-day trial to start exploring and developing the store on your iPad. This way, you can see how it works and whether you’re comfortable doing everything on a tablet. Have you created an account using our 14-day free trial yet?

1 Like
3

I just created my shopify app with over 80+ items but for some reason i’ve never had the option to edit my shop or theme?

4

Hey, @Gensky .

Thank you for joining the thread and bringing this to our attention!

If you’re not seeing the option to edit your theme, then it’s possible that your store is using the Shopify Starter Plan. The Starter Plan is designed for merchants that are just starting out and for merchants that want to sell through social media platforms or messaging apps. However, as this plan is also designed for merchants that don’t want to maintain an online store, it only comes with the Start theme and you would need to consider upgrading your plan in order to change themes. If you’d like to consider upgrading your plan, then I’d recommend taking a look at our monthly plans and their features to find one suitable for your store.

I’d love to hear more about your business! What kinds of products are you selling? Do you have a marketing plan prepared for your store?

5

I am sorry but it is not true at all. I cannot edit my shop content on an iPad, the customization is buggy and does not display the sections to add for exemple, I also cannot edit or update sections, etc