Synching your Keynote presentations to the iPad for mobile use requires the Keynote for iPad app. If you do not already have this app installed on your iPad, tap your iPad's App Store icon and purchase this app. Keynote for iPad costs $9.99 as of July 2011, and allows you to create presentations on your iPad as well as editing and presenting existing Keynote presentations from your computer.

Wired Sync

Apple's recommended method for getting Keynote presentations onto iPads running iOS 4.3 and earlier operating systems is a wired sync through iTunes. This requires connecting your iPad to your computer through its charge/sync cable, which connects the iPad's docking port to a USB port on your computer. Once iTunes launches on your computer and recognizes your iPad, select your iPad in the "Devices" area, then choose the "Apps" tab. Select "Keynote" under the "File Sharing" area to open the file list, and then drag and drop your computer's Keynote presentation into this list. Sync your iPad as you normally would and the file will appear on your iPad.

Wireless Sync

IPads running iOS 5 and later versions can sync wirelessly through iCloud. IOS 5 became available to developers in June 2011, and is available to the public as of fall 2011 as a free upgrade for current iPad users. If your iPad runs an earlier iOS version, you can sync wirelessly through a cloud storage service like iDisk, Dropbox, SugarSync or Box. You will need to install the service on your computer as well as download the free companion app for your selected service from the iPad App Store. Drag your Keynote file into the service's folder on your computer or follow any other service-specific instructions for file syncing, and then open the iPad app and tap your presentation. Cloud storage services can keep your presentation up to date with any changes on your computer and your iPad without further manual synching, unlike the iTunes sync method.

Limitations

Keynote for iPad does not include all of the Keynote for Mac features. When you open the file on your iPad after syncing, you will lose any voice-over narration and custom fonts. Other visual changes to your slides may occur, so always check your presentation after syncing. If you alter the presentation on the iPad and re-ync it back to your computer, the changes you made will affect your computer version and you may have to add any lost features back into the presentation manually. So rename the iPad version if you want to keep the original as is.

Why Sync?

Syncing through a cloud service generally works more quickly as a file transfer method than emailing the file to yourself, which is a common alternative method for getting files to your iPad. Keynote files can be quite large if they include embedded video and high-resolution images, so email servers with strict size limitations may not allow your presentation to send to the iPad. The iPad limits other methods of file transfer because it has no disk drives or ports for USB drives, leaving file syncing as your best option.