Slow iPad on iOS 9, 10 or 11!

Slow OR Optimise iPad on iOS 9 through iOS 12/iPadOS

( This includes tips for improved battery life, as well )

A disclaimer.

I make no guarantees, expressed or implied, that any of my own procedures will return EVERY older iPad to a usable, running condition with or without better battery life.

Make sure your iPad has, at the vey least, a minimum of between 2-5 or 6 GBs of free storage space or greater.

2 GBs of free data storage space is the absolute minimum for free data storage space.Anything less than this amount and you risk the beginning of erratic operational and general performance behaviours of your iPad or iDevice.

Freeing Up Needed iDevice Data Storage Space

If you need to free up free data storage space on an iPad/iDevice, you need to start by backing up your iPad to either Apple's iCloud or by connecting your iDevice to a computer running the latest iTunes or some other offsite, “cloud” data storage service, like Google Drive/Photos, DropBox, BOX, Flickr ( for images ) or any other similar online, offsite, “cloud” data storage/backup service.

Then, delete any installed apps that you no longer use or use infrequently enough that they aren't missed ( you can always reinstalled any purchased or free apps at some time later, as you need them ).

A disclaimer to the immediate advice above, if you own a 8 or 9-year old iPad, you SHOULD ONLY delete apps that you have ever seldom used or no longer use as there is NO WAY now, in 2020, to retrieve these old apps from the iOS App Store, any longer.

( Third party iOS app developers have permanently removed all of their older, legacy apps from Apple's iOS App Store servers forever!

There are NO more older, common and popular third party apps for old 8 and 9-year old iOS devices, any longer! )

Thin out/delete any music/videos/movies/TV shows/images/eBooks/eMagazine/iBooks/

audio books/Podcasts/Documents/PDFs, etc..

If you use a POP email account on your iPad, delete/thin out any old saved emails that maybe saved to your iPad.

To permanently delete photos/images off of your iDevice go into the Photos app and find the Recently Deleted folder/album and permanently delete any photos/images stored in that folder/album.

Also, you can check to see what stuff is eating up all your valuable data storage space by going into the Settings App,,General Settings Panel, in the right hand column, tap Storage & iCloud usage panel ( in iOS 11, it’s iPad Storage ), in the top Storage Panel, tap the Manage Storage panel, wait for a list of apps to generate that will tell you how much space each app is taking up on your iDevice.

Then, for iPads with a Home button, do a hard reset /forced restart of your iPad by holding down both the Home and sleep/wake buttons simultaneously until your iPad goes to black and restarts with Apple logo, then release the buttons.

OR

The new hard reset/forced restart method for newer iPad Pro models.

Try the new hard reset/forced restsrt procedure for the new 2018/2020/2021 iPad Pro models and 2020 iPad Air 4/5, iPad Mini 6.

1. Press and Release the Volume button closest to the top Power button.

2. Then immediately Press and Release the Volume button farthest from the top Power button.

3. Then, Press and Hold the Power Button at the top. You will see the Slide to Power off button, but keep on holding down the Power Button until you see the Apple logo, then let it go.

Once you have performed all the steps, wait for a few seconds and your 2018 iPad Pro will boot up completely to the iPad Pro’s Lock screen.

Next.

Try all of the following below:

Make sure that the display brightness is adjusted for legibility, but isn’t so bright that it is adversely affecting battery life.

Try resetting All Settings found in the Settings App under General and in the right column under Reset/Reset iPad

(iPadOS 15, this is called Transfer or Reset iPad ).

Try resetting histories and deleting/resetting caches in all of the web browsers you use.If you use Safari, these functions maybe in the Settings App under Safari.Other web browsers have their settings inside of the running app, itself.

Make sure you DO NOT have 20-30 OR EVEN MORE of active website tabs running in any running web browser.

If your iPad has been activated for iCloud, in the Settings App under iCloud, to the right, under iCloud Drive, tap iCloud Drive and make sure Safari is turned off for saving Safari data to iCloud Drive.

Also, under iCloud in the Settings App, in iCloud Drive, disable the saving feature for any other apps that you DO NOT want data being saved automatically to iCloud Drive.

OR turn off/disable iCloud and iCloud drive entirely if you do not use any iCloud functionality.

This Safari tip is for older 10 to 11-year old iDevices ONLY!

( SKIP FOR ALL NEWER IOS/iPadOS DEVICES FROM 2014 and LATER )

I would STOP using that nearly 3 to 4-year old Safari web browser, as it is, probably, not safe and secure to use any longer, and seek out a third party web browser that is STILL currently being updated and STILL being supported on iOS 10 and earlier.

There are virtually NO MORE third party Web browsers left for 8-10 year old iPads!

Available and more popular third party Web browser choices are pretty much GONE, now.

Here is whst is left for updated Web browsers.

ALook Web browser

Dolphin Web browser

Maxthon Web browser

TOR private browser

TOR + VPN private browser

Turbo VPN private browser

In Settings app, make sure Bluetooth is turned off when not in use.

Make sure there are no long running iCloud services trying to constantly update or you have an iCloud device trying to backup while you are actually using the iDevice (normally, iCloud backups only take place while your iDevice is locked, in sleep mode, WiFi active, and your iDevice is plugged into wall power).

In the Settings App under the General tab, to the right under Spotlight search, try disabling the search under apps that really do not need a search, like some games, remotes, apps that really do not need to be searched, etc., to reduce the list for Spotlight to search.

( iPadOS 15 In the Settings App under the Siri & Search panel, to the right under Apple Suggestions, disabling the search suggestions under the listed apps that really do not need a search, like some games, remotes, apps that really do not need to be searched, etc., to reduce the list for Spotlight to search )

In the Settings App under the General Tab, in the right column, look for Background App Refresh and turn the global setting to "OFF” if you don't want ANY apps to refresh in the background OR individually/selectively turn off Background App Refresh for those apps you feel don't really need any data refresh in the background.

In Settings app, under the General Tab, in the right hand column, ( for iPadOS, in Settings app, use the dedicated Accessibility Panel ) look for the Accesibility Panel, tap the panel, in the right hand colunm, again, ( in iPadOS, look for and Tap the Text and Display panel ) and tap the Increase Contrast panel. In the same panel tap/toggle Reduced Transparency to ON. In the right hand column, under the Reduce Trasnsparency panel, tap the switch button at the far right of the screen to the green "ON" position to turn on the reduction of transparency of the overall UI of iOS.

If you don’t like this look, then turn OFF Reduce Transparency.

Try turning on Reduced Motion.This is found in the Settings App in the General tab the left panel ( In iPadOS, under the dedicated Accessibility Panel and in the right hand column tap Motion ) In the right panel look under Accessibility, the look for Reduce Motion and toggle this feature "ON".

You should see an appreciable performance increase on all iPad models. Especially noticeable response improvement on older iPad models.

In iOS 11 and later iPadOS , In Settings app, tap the Privacy panel, tap Location Service. For ALL apps listed, toggle either to ONLY when using/when in use OR Never for any apps you feel do not need to have location information transmiitted.

NEVER have any apps set to ALWAYS!

Also, for each app, turn/toggle off/disable Precise Loaction for ANY app that you still wish for them to track your location, but NOT your exact or “precise” location.

In later versions of iOS/iPadOS, in the Settings app, tap the Privacy Panel, tap Tracking and turn/toggle off/disable app tracking for any apps listed that you feel do not need to track your data or location ( Some apps may need to leave tracking on to give acuurate location and other tracking data ).

Make sure you do not have a lot of apps running in the background in the iOS App Switcher.

Dbl click the Home button to check this ( OR if an iPad with NO Home button, use a one finger swipe up about 1/3 up the screen from the bottom edge of the iPad's display to reveal the iOS/iPadOS App Switcher ).

Keep active App Switcher Apps to a comfortable minimum.

For older iPads (iPad 2,3, 4 or 1st gen iPad Mini models running iOS 9.3.5), 20 or less active apps should be fine. Ideally, 6-8 or less active background running apps, in the iOS App Switcher, is even better!

If you have a lot of apps still active, tap and hold a finger on one of the apps and slide your finger up to quit the app.If you can reach another app with another finger, you can quit more than one app simultaneously.

If you have the iOS Mail app set to automatically fetch mail at one of the default fetch time intervals, in the Settings App, under the Mail, Contacts, Calendar settings panel, ( In iPadOS, this just the Mail settings panel )tap this panel, in the righthand window, turn off/disable Push Mail and set fetching mail for either every hour or set for manual fetch only for all of your mail accounts.

( In iPadOS under the Mail settings panel, in the right hand column, tap Accounts. Tap Fetch New Data. Turn/toggle off/disable Push Mail and set fetching mail for either every hour, every 30 or 15 minutes OR set for manual fetch. )

In Settings app, Notifcations, minimise the amounts and methods of notifications you are getting from apps and reduced the amount of apps that you are getting notification from.

In the Notifcations Panel on iPadOS has different right column panel locations for minimising or disabling notifications.

You do not need notifications from every single app on your iPad!

If you are willing to do this (I, personally, wouldn't recommend this), some users have reported that turning off Find My Phone/iPad, in Settings App under iCloud, has improved iOS performance, although I don't how this feature could be causing such a performance slowdown, unless its a bug in iOS that is only affecting some iPad users.

Some minority of user have been turning ON and leaving ON iCloud backups continuously backing up on a constant and daily basis. If you are one of these users, turn off iCloud backup and only turn this on to do daily backups either when you are not using your iPad for a prolonged period of time (like when you are sleeping), then turn iCloud backups OFF when actually using your iPad

OR

only perform your backups on a lesser time schedule.( like once a week, twice a week, once every two weeks, once a month, etc.)

After you have implemented some or ALL of these tips,

Try another hard reset/forced restart of your iPad by holding down both the Home and sleep/wake buttons simultaneously until your iPad goes to black and restarts with Apple logo, then release the buttons.

OR

For much newer design iPad models, without a Home button, try the new simple hard reset/forced restart procedure for the new 2018/2020/2021 iPad Pros, 2020 iPad Air 4 and 2021 iPad Mini 6 models.

1. Press and release the volume button closest to the top Power button

2. Then immediately press and release the volume button farthest from the top Power button.

3. Then, press and hold the single sleep/wake/power button You will see the Slide to Power off button, but keep on holding down the power button until you see the Apple logo, then let it go.

Once you have performed all the steps, wait for a few seconds and your 2018 iPad Pro will boot up completely to the iPad Pro’s Lock screen.

( MOSTLY FOR OLD/ER iPAD MODELS )

If not all of my suggested fixes or possible solutions above have completely returned your iPad to acceptable, normal or improved performance and better battery life.

Here is my own modified backup/restore procedure that has already worked, successfully, for quite a few iPad 2/3 users, so far!I have done this and my iPad 2 and 3 are working like new, " out of the box" units!

THIS PROCEDURE DOES NOT RETURN YOUR iPAD TO ITS PREVIOUS iOS VERSION!

Also, as a disclaimer, I make no guarantees, expressed or implied, WHATSOEVER, that any of my own procedures will return EVERY older iPad to a usable, running condition.

First, connect your iPad to USB and sync and backup your iPad to iTunes (make sure,FIRST, your iTunes is up to the most latest version).

Then disconnect/eject your iPad from the computer.

From just the iPad, in the Settings App under the General setting, look in the right column for Reset option, then erase and reset your iPad to completely erase your iPad and then, again, from the iPad, set it up as a new iPad setup to factory "out of the box" operation.

Then reconnect your iPad to the computer and make sure to cancel the syncing, by tapping the small X to the left in the top center iTunes display box.iTunes should detect your iPad. If iTunes begins to try and sync, again, cancel the sync.

Select Restore from Backup instead and pick your last backup to restore back to your iPad.Once the restore is complete, finish setting up the iPad and let it sync back to iTunes you can either cancel the sync, again or let it backup, again.

Then disconnect the iPad.

Do one hard reset of your iPad by holding down both the Home and sleep/wake buttons simultaneously until your iPad goes to black and restarts with Apple logo, then release the buttons.

Once your iPad is back to the Home screen,

In the Settings App under the General tab, to the right under Spotlight sesrch, try disabling the search under apps that really do not need a search, like some games, remotes, apps that really do not need to be searched, etc., to reduce the list for Spotlight to search.

In Settings app, under the Safari settings panel, tap the panel and in the right hand window, turn off/disable Safari Suggestions.

Try turning on Reduced Motion.This is found in the Settings App in the General tab the left panel.In the right panel look under Accessibility, the look for Reduce Motion and turn this feature "On".You should see an appreciable performance increase on all iPad 2, 3 and 4 models.

If you have the iOS Mail app set to automatically fetch mail at one of the default fetch time intervals, in the Settings App, under the Mail, Contacts, Calendar settings panel, tap this panel, in the righthand window, turn off/disable Push Mail and set fetching mail for either every hour or set for manual fetch only for all of your mail accounts.

In the Settings App under the General Tab, in the right column, look for Background App Refresh and toggle this setting to "OFF”.

If you purchased any music from iTunes, you will need to redownload that content back to your iPad for playing directly from your iPad and not from Apple Music servers.Also, if your iPad contained a lot of images in the Photos app, these will take time to regenerate the original AND thumbnail images themselves inside of the Photos app when you first launch it.

This user tip was, originally, generated from the following discussion: Slow iPad 2 on iOS 9

( Updated info has been made to cover MOST, but NOT ALL, newer iPadOS changes, in Settings app settings panel names and locations in the iOS/iPadOS Settings app, where needed and/or applicable. )