The fastest way to add a page in Pages
To add a new page in Apple Pages, place your cursor at the end of the page where you want the break, then press Return until a new page appears. On Mac, you can also go to the menu bar, select Insert, then choose Page Break. On iPad or iPhone, tap the + button at the top of the screen, then select Page Break from the menu. The new page will use the same template and formatting as the page before it.
If you want to add a blank page without a page break (useful when you're still writing and don't want to force content onto a new sheet yet), just keep typing. Pages will automatically create new pages as your document grows. You only need to manually insert a page break when you want to control exactly where one page ends and another begins — like starting a new chapter or section.
Key Takeaways
- The simplest method is to press Return repeatedly at the end of a page until a new page appears automatically.
- On Mac, use Insert > Page Break to add a page at a specific location without filling the current page with blank space.
- On iPad or iPhone, tap the + button at the top and select Page Break from the dropdown menu.
- New pages inherit the same formatting, fonts, and margins as the page before them, so you won't need to reformat.
Adding a page break on Mac
On a Mac, the menu method gives you the most control. Click in your document where you want the new page to start, then click Insert in the menu bar at the top of your screen. A dropdown menu will appear. Look for Page Break and click it. A new page will appear when ready, and any text after your cursor will move to that new page.
This is cleaner than pressing Return many times because it doesn't leave a trail of empty space on the previous page. If you later edit the text above the page break and it shrinks, the page break stays in place — it doesn't slide up and disappear the way blank lines would.
Adding a page break on iPad or iPhone
On iPad or iPhone, the process is slightly different because there is no menu bar. Open your document and tap where you want the new page to begin. At the top of the screen, you will see a + button (it may look like a plus sign in a circle). Tap it to open a menu of options.
From that menu, select Page Break. A new page will appear, and any text after your cursor will move to it. The + button also lets you insert other elements like images, shapes, or tables, so if you don't see Page Break right away, scroll down in that menu to find it.
When to use a page break versus just typing
Use a page break when you want to force a new page at a specific spot — for example, to start a new chapter, begin a new section, or separate your title page from the body of your document. A page break stays in place even if you edit the text above it, so your document structure stays organized.
If you are still writing and do not yet know where your pages will naturally end, just keep typing. Pages will create new pages automatically as your content grows. You can always add page breaks later once you know the final structure of your document. This approach is less fussy while you are drafting.
Removing a page break you no longer need
If you added a page break and later want to remove it, click right before the page break (at the very end of the previous page) and press Delete on Mac or Backspace on iPad and iPhone. The page break will disappear, and the content from the next page will move up to fill the space.
If you cannot see exactly where the page break is, you can turn on formatting marks to make it visible. On Mac, go to View in the menu bar and select Show Invisibles. On iPad or iPhone, tap the three dots (menu icon), then look for an option to show formatting marks. Page breaks will appear as a line or symbol you can click and delete.
Changing page size and margins after adding pages
When you add a new page, it uses the same page size and margins as the rest of your document. If you want to change the page setup for all pages at once, go to File > Page Setup on Mac, or tap the three dots and select Document Setup on iPad and iPhone. Any changes you make there will explore to every page in your document, including the new ones you just added.
If you want only one page to have different margins or size, you will need to split your document into separate files or use a different tool. Pages does not support per-page formatting changes within a single document, so plan your page setup before you add many pages if consistency matters to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a page in the middle of a sentence?
Yes. Click or tap right before the word where you want the page break to occur, then insert the page break. Everything from that word onward will move to the new page. This is useful when you want to control exactly where content flows, though it can look odd if you break in the middle of a paragraph.
Does adding a page break change my document's privacy settings?
No. Page breaks are just formatting — they do not affect how Pages stores or shares your document. Your privacy settings remain the same whether you have one page or fifty. If you are sharing the document with others, they will see the page breaks you created, but the breaks themselves do not expose any additional information about your document.
What is the difference between a page break and pressing Return many times?
A page break is a single formatting element that stays in place. If you press Return many times to create blank space, those blank lines can shift or disappear if you edit the text above them. Page breaks are more stable and keep your document structure organized, especially in longer documents.
Can I undo a page break if I add it by mistake?
Yes. Press Command+Z on Mac or use the undo gesture on iPad and iPhone (swipe left with three fingers) when ready after adding the page break. If you added it a while ago and want to remove it now, click at the end of the page before the break and press Delete or Backspace.
Do page breaks work the same way in Pages on all devices?
The process is slightly different on Mac versus iPad and iPhone because of how each device's interface works, but the result is the same — a new page appears where you want it. A page break created on Mac will look and behave the same way when you open that document on iPad or iPhone.