iPad Safari crashing regularly

Safari on my iPad is crashing fairly frequently; sometimes when I restart it retains the pages that were previously open, and sometimes not.

Have not yet established a pattern, but it seems prevalent on very large pages (for example pages with many images) and on pages with embedded video (particularly Flash).

Anyone else experiencing the same issue and/or have any further information? Anybody using a browser other than Safari on the iPad?

Mac OS X (10.5.1)

Posted on Jun 14, 2010 12:29 PM

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1,742 replies

Nov 17, 2011 10:13 PM in response to Rob Bruen

Yeah, I see a ton of low memory items in the crash report in Diagnostics & Usage too on my ipad1. I have gone in and turned off a lot of notifications and stuff in my apps, under the assumption that maybe they are sucking up my RAM while I am using Safari? No idea, but it's worth a shot. Maybe icloud and photostream are the real RAM problem, but i want to keep them.

Confusing.

Nov 19, 2011 4:33 AM in response to pdxlover

My 16GB 3G iPad 2 crashes a lot now with the 5.01 update. It is so bad that if I am posting something long I copy the text as I type each paragraph as I know it will crash before I finish a post. I can accept that from a $199 Android clone pad but with the premium paid for Apple products this is very disappointing. Come on Apple, you should fix this like yesterday.


It is also sluggish at times and acts like the screen is not responsive when clicking on links.

Nov 19, 2011 6:23 AM in response to Rob Bruen

For those still fighting this, i also think it is a memory allocation issue. The system is supposed to keep track of how much memoryis available, and shut down unsed apps as needed to make surenthere is enough available. Sometimes this does not work as well as it should. May be associated with some specific apps that are using more memorymthan they are supposed to.


Suggestion. Regularly, doulbe tap to get the task bar, and shut off anything you are not using.


For a peek at what is using your memory, there is an app called monitor. It is either free or chesp, i dont remember. When you fire it up it shows some system stats, including memory usage in total. What is intersting is to fire the app up, then do the double tap thing, and watch what happens as you close off individual apps. You can see the memory being restored to the system. That is one way to track down a memory hog.

Nov 19, 2011 6:32 AM in response to Rob Bruen

Memory in my Ipad is hardly over used...hardly any apps but whenever I start to write (compose) emails...it crashes in the middle of it...and I use all my work. I hate this and I hate my Ipad.

And as a result of it...I will not buy anymore Apple products...

I got my $99 service pack but when Apples still wants more money to tell me what is wrong with their overpriced junk.

Good going Apple...I guess arogance pays!!!

Nov 19, 2011 7:32 AM in response to Rob Bruen

Ok, I have tried everything except a prayer. Ive had my Ipad for just under 1 yr. I recently upgraded to 5.0 then to 5.1

Upon my upgrade to 5.0 my safari and mail app started crashing regularly. I tried rebooting the device, closing all open apps, rebooting it again, then resetting the ipad to new, resync it, to no avail. It keeps crashing when using safari or mail regulalry but also when using other apps. All my apps are paid for apps, I dont have any games, or junk stuff, since I use my ipad for work.


I recently updated it to 5.01 thinking that perhaps they fixed something. Still keeps crashing. I reboot, as soon as I use either safari or mail, it starts to crash.


So on Monday, I scheduled an appt Im bringing it in, either they give me a new one, or fix the problem. I dont care which one, I just think that my $800 plus dollar Ipad should work. This forum provides nothing but a way to vent, since it actually doesnt fix anything. I have all macs, all my software is up to date.


Im open to suggestions but keep in mind, that I have tried everything.. So im just venting..

Nov 19, 2011 8:14 AM in response to karenvb

I downloaded the free app Monitor. Showed I only had 10mb free memory. Closing Pandora and a couple other apps bumped it up to 180mb free. Closing Safari it went up to 260mb free. I had many other large apps that when I closed made no difference in the available free memory. It appears that 5.0.1 is poorly managing some apps and letting them hog too much memory even when they are not in use. Fix it Apple! I didn't have these problems with my iPad 1 and the older OS.

Nov 19, 2011 9:28 AM in response to George Burbano

Like you, I tried solving the crashing Safari problem by myself, trying everything I could think of...every tip suggested here...and nothing worked. Took it in to a local Apple store and the guy wiped it cleaned and reinstalled iOS 5. Went home and did my sync and I thought it was fixed...had a couple of crashes, but nothing like I had been getting. But as time goes on, it's crashing more often...but I'm lucky that it's only Safari crashing and not emails or apps.


The guy mentioned that the iOS 5 uses a lot more memory to operate and that could be the issue. That made sense to me, as I have an iPad 1 and I had read that those that had the iPhone 3GS would be better off to NOT upgrade to iOS 5 because it would make it sluggish. So after having had NO problems with crashes PRIOR to iOS 5, I figured maybe the iPad 1 shouldn't have done the upgrade, either...but it appears this is a problem for the iPad 2, as well. And as others are finding, the iOS 5.01 did nothing to fix this problem.


For the most part, I am finding that MOST of my crashes occur on sites that are picture intensive and who have a ton of ads running in the background. But the crashes will occasionally happen on simple sites with no ads, too. How they took a proble-free device that I absolutely loved...to this problem laden disappointment is beyond me.

Nov 20, 2011 1:03 PM in response to Rob Bruen

Ok, so this seems to fix the problem:


First update your computer and itunes.

2. while the ipad is connected to your computer, hold down the power button and home button together until the ipad goes off. This puts the ipad in recovery mode.

3. the computer will ask you if you want to put the ipad in recovery mode, confirm it and let the ipad go to reboot.


Note - This is different than rebooting your ipad. This resets the whole ipad, hardware and software.


4. once the ipad is reset, the computer will ask you if you want to set the ipad up as new or resynch it.



***CHOOSE SET UP AS NEW****


5. This will create new ipad on your system. I renamed it just to be safe. So from Joseph Schmoes Ipad, I did Jschmoes Ipad. No my name is not Joe Schmoe, just an example....

6. Once its setup, there should be nothing on the ipad other than the basic software stuff... Resynch, it.

7. Then setup your stuff, email accts, synch stuff, like music , videos etc.... calendar, notes...

8. log onto your app account, go to the purchased tab, and reinstall all your apps.

9, resynch the ipad with your computer after each level or reinstall.

Note- This creates a new backup each time...


10 Finally once your apps are reinstalled, resynch and copy any documents, (pages, word, pdf, etc....)


Finally resynch it again...


This worked for me.. NOTE- I did this with an apple person at the store, and this worked. so far, my ipad stopped crashing.... I wrote this on my ipad, reset up my bluetooth keyboard etc.. and it worked..


Good Luck..


George

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iPad Safari crashing regularly

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