How to Keep a
Wall-Mounted iPad Charged 24/7

Short answer: run a USB cable from the nearest outlet inside a paintable adhesive raceway ($10–$20), or use a PoE-to-USB splitter ($25–$40) if there's Ethernet nearby. Keep the iPad permanently plugged in — modern iPads handle this fine if you cap charging at 80% or enable Optimized Battery Charging.

A dead room display is worse than no display: people learn to ignore it. Here are the four power options, cheapest first.

Option 1: Surface raceway to the nearest outlet ($10–$25)

The default for 90% of installs. Adhesive-backed plastic channel (raceway) runs the cable along the wall and door frame, then down to an outlet. Paint it to match the wall and it disappears.

Tips from real installs: - Buy a 3 m braided cable — cheap cables fail within a year of permanent load. - Use a slim right-angle connector so the cable exits the enclosure flat against the wall. - Run the raceway along natural lines: door frame, skirting board, wall corner. Diagonal runs scream "afterthought."

Option 2: PoE — Power over Ethernet ($25–$60)

If there's an Ethernet drop near the room (common above ceiling tiles in offices), a PoE splitter converts network power to USB-C. One cable delivers both power and a rock-solid wired-feeling install. Your IT team probably already has PoE switches running the office phones — ask.

Option 3: In-wall power (electrician, $100–$250)

For flush mounts or reception-grade aesthetics: an electrician adds a recessed outlet behind the mount. Zero visible cable. Worth it for client-facing rooms; overkill for internal ones.

Option 4: Battery-only with a charging rota (free, not recommended)

An iPad running a display app at low brightness lasts roughly 8–10 hours. Some offices swap/charge nightly. It works for a single room — and fails the first week someone forgets. Wire it properly.

Will 24/7 charging ruin the battery?

This is the question every IT admin asks, and the answer is: not meaningfully, if you do two things.

1. Cap the charge. iPadOS Optimized Battery Charging (Settings → Battery) learns the pattern and holds at 80% most of the time. Battery health degrades fastest at 100% and high temperature — capping avoids both.
2. Drop the brightness. A room display doesn't need 100% brightness. 40–60% halves the heat, which matters more than the charging itself.

A 2018 iPad we know of has run wall-mounted for four years this way and still reports >80% battery health. The battery is also the least important component in a device that never leaves the wall.

FAQ

Can I use a smart plug to schedule charging? Yes — charge 22:00–06:00 only. The iPad runs on battery during the day and tops up at night. Adds resilience against the "always at 100%" concern.

What cable length do I need? Measure the actual route along walls, not the straight line. It's almost always 3 m, not 2.

Does the display sleep at night? The Room Display can dim outside working hours, cutting power draw and screen wear.

Forward this to whoever does your office facilities before install day — the difference between a clean and a messy install is a $15 raceway.