Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

is iPad 1st generation still usable?

Is iPad 1st generation still usable?

Posted on Jun 18, 2020 8:48 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Jun 19, 2020 11:53 AM

If you want to save all the functionality of that iPad, if you own a full computer, like a Mac or Windows PC, install an older version of iTunes ( anything below iTunes version 12.6.4 or earlier ) and completely back up that iPad as much older versions of iTunes will still backup the entire app files onto your computer, preserving all these older version apps that may already be gone forever!

6 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Jun 19, 2020 11:53 AM in response to EmirDilekci

If you want to save all the functionality of that iPad, if you own a full computer, like a Mac or Windows PC, install an older version of iTunes ( anything below iTunes version 12.6.4 or earlier ) and completely back up that iPad as much older versions of iTunes will still backup the entire app files onto your computer, preserving all these older version apps that may already be gone forever!

Jun 19, 2020 12:06 PM in response to EmirDilekci

Not any longer, sorry.

You can't even get an older versions of ANY apps for that 2010 iPad, any longer.


These old iPad 1 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models are, virtually, 8 and 9-years old, now.

The amount of older, compatible, available apps for these old iPad models has dwindled significantly since the beginning of 2020!

Getting older versions of apps for these old iPad models, initially from Apple’s iOS App Store is getting very difficult and very problematic and this issue is getting, painfully, much worse, now, in 2020!


As of the beginning of 2019, many, MANY third party app developers are all more quickly and completely permanently dropping older app support for all old 7, 8 and 9-year iPads that are running 2-3 year old and earlier iOS versions ( iOS 10 and earlier ).

Third party app developers are removing all of their older, legacy versions of their apps from Apple's App Store servers, now.

Third party app developers no longer want to support these 8 and 9-year old or older iOS devices, any longer!

This is even happening much, MUCH faster in 2020, now!


Older versions of apps are, soon, going to be gone for good, now!

These old iPads are now reaching their complete end of life and support cycles.

So finding older versions apps for older iPads, while still possible, currently, will be a very tough challenge, now, in 2020.


Old iPads that can no longer be upgraded/updated will have NO MORE APPS AVAILABLE for initial download, at all, soon, from the Apple iOS App Store, for such old iOS devices in the very near future.

Older versions of apps for these older iPads will be completely gone, at some point, in the very foreseeable future.


Old 8 and 9-year old iPads will be pretty much obsolete by the end of the 2020 year!


Again, it is what it is, today, in the year 2020!


You will never get any more older versions of popular apps for these old iPads, any longer.


The apps that these old iPads already have on them, and still work, will be the apps these iPads will be stuck with!


Basically, these old iPad models are just good for FaceTime and somewhat limited Web browsing if you have no other, more recent third party Web browsers already installed on your 2010 iPad 1.

That 9-year old version of iOS Safari is too old and NOT secure to use for any type of Web browsing where security is needed.


For viewing YouTube video content on that very old iPad, again,I have just, recently, been turned on to a Website that acts as a “thin client”, Web front-end for the actual Google YouTube Website.

Tap or copy this link below into your iOS Safari Web browser.


https://www.invidio.us/


This Website is a lean and mean Web “front-end” gateway/access to the YouTube Website.


It will allow you now to play and watch YouTube videos, from the actual YouTube Website, from that old iOS 5 Safari Web browser, now.

You can ONLY watch YouTube video content.

You can't vote or comment or do anything else, but watch the YouTube videos.

This Website works great!

Give it a go!

Jun 18, 2020 7:04 PM in response to janexcaro

Usable? That’s entirely your call.

You won’t get new apps, nor even current apps, nor new iPadOS software, but it’ll do most of what it once did.

Available app downloads will be somewhere between extremely limited and unavailable.

You’ll still have notes and the other (older) in-built tools.

These old iPads can be good for the little folks that aren’t yet particularly careful with their devices, too.

But for connecting to the Internet, for financial websites and web purchases, for modern network security, no.


Jun 19, 2020 6:45 AM in response to janexcaro

Hello,

I have the iPad 1st gen and it works perfectly fine. I do not really reccomend to use it but you can download some apps like Spotify that you can download a older version and it can sync with iCloud and iTunes (iCloud only works on if your iPad 1st gen is on iOS 5 or above, the limit the iPad can run is iOS 5.1.1). It is possible to use it but I really do not reccomend it.

is iPad 1st generation still usable?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.