Wifi on ipad air 4 is excruciatingly slow

Hi Apple,


I bought an Ipad Air 4 and thought that with the new update, the loading speed for internet pages would be very fast but every new page takes forever to load. Even newly downloaded apps take forever to download. I don't have any network issues with my android, work computer, and any other device so it cannot be my internet speed.


Can you please help me fix this issue? I'm about to return this product because honestly, it's not worth all this inconvenience.


Sometimes, the pen would also randomly stop working and the pressure feature goes on and off randomly...

iPad Air, iPadOS 14

Posted on Dec 6, 2020 2:27 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 19, 2021 4:50 PM

Do you use a firewall on your MODEM/router?

Do you use a VPN on your iPad?


Try the new hard reset procedure for the 2018/2020 iPad Pro/iPad Air 4 models without a Home button.


1. Press and release the volume UP button.

2. Then immediately press and release the volume DOWN 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 iPad Pro will boot up completely to the iPad Pro’s Lock screen.


Good Luck!

31 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 19, 2021 4:50 PM in response to Mawmoo

Do you use a firewall on your MODEM/router?

Do you use a VPN on your iPad?


Try the new hard reset procedure for the 2018/2020 iPad Pro/iPad Air 4 models without a Home button.


1. Press and release the volume UP button.

2. Then immediately press and release the volume DOWN 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 iPad Pro will boot up completely to the iPad Pro’s Lock screen.


Good Luck!

Feb 17, 2021 8:52 AM in response to Terry Reis

Thank you so much!!!! I activated the 5Ghz band on my router (don't know why I hade deactivated it in the first place, I live in an apartment..) and connected my iPad Air 4 to it and straight up got 237 Mbps down and 82 Mbps up!


Totally fixed it for me! I can't believe I didn't think about the 5Ghz band.


However, something is wrong as it shouldn't be THAT slow on the 2.4Ghz band. And yes, I also noted that the upload speed is actually the same for both bands. Very weird.


At least changing to 5Ghz will act as a work around for some people.

Feb 17, 2021 8:42 AM in response to Samvicious

I have posted before in this thread, no solution yet I'm afraid but I have noticed the following.

At work where we have an extensive Draytek (single band) setup I cannot get reasonable speed on the iPad 4.

At home I have a dual band Netgear Router they separately show as NETGEAR00 and NETGEAR00-5G.

If the iPad 4 connects to NETGEAR00 (the slower one) the performance is non existent but my MacBook and iPhone are fine and run at really good speed.

If the iPad 4 connects to NETGEAR00-5G it gets full speed the same as the iPhone and MacBook.

So it has solved the problem for me at home, where I use my iPad the most but not at work.


I may be wrong but this seems to suggest to me that this is a hardware problem with some types of (older) WiFi signal.

Jan 19, 2021 4:50 PM in response to Terry Reis

Do you use a firewall on your MODEM/router?

Do you use a VPN on your iPad?


Try the new hard reset procedure for the 2018/2020 iPad Pro/iPad Air 4 models without a Home button.


1. Press and release the volume UP button.

2. Then immediately press and release the volume DOWN 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 iPad Pro will boot up completely to the iPad Pro’s Lock screen.


Good Luck!


Feb 17, 2021 8:30 AM in response to Mawmoo

Is there any news with this? I bought a new iPad Air 4 today and it has the same issue. All other devices in my home get > 50 Mbps while my brand new iPad only gets ~7 Mbps. Running on iPadOS 14.4.


Using a USB-C Ethernet adapter to plug the iPad into the router, I get > 200 Mbps, so it’s only the wifi.


Also, get the same ****** throughput when connecting to my phone’s 4G hotspot while my MacBook Pro gets > 80 Mbps.


So its definitely something off with the iPad’s wifi adapter/software.

Dec 11, 2020 6:43 PM in response to Mawmoo

Hello Mawmoo, It sounds like your network is not very fast and your Apple Pencil randomly stops working.


Here's a resource that might help: If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch won’t connect to a Wi-Fi network

  • You can utilize the steps in this article as the issue is similar including under "Get more help." Testing the network in a different location, ensuring you are close to the router, and testing another Wi-Fi network can be helpful in isolating this. 


For your Apple Pencil review "If your Apple Pencil won't pair with your iPad" under Connect Apple Pencil with your iPad


Hope this information helps. 


Have a good day.

Jan 28, 2021 8:35 PM in response to Eric_MYH

Try resetting your MODEM/router by simply unplugging it from power for 10-20 seconds and then re-plug in the MODEM/router back into power and let the MODEM/router reset/re-cycle itself.

Also, you will to use a computer to access your MODEM/router software and check the MODEM/router software settings for any setup/activated software firewalls.



Best of Luck to You!

Feb 6, 2021 12:42 AM in response to MichelPM

Same problem for me... i have ONLY Apple product’s:


Iphone 11 Pro no problem at all wifi speed over 230 mb

Iphone 11 no problem with same speed as the 11 Pro

2 times Iphone XR also no problem speed over 210 mb

ipad Pro 9,7 2017 speed over 240 mb

macmini m1 2021 speed 250 Mb !!

ipad 6 2018 speed over 200

2 homepod

apple tv 4 k

and in total over 30 wifi devices


and a brand new ipad Air 4 completely Unstable goes to160 mb and then drops to 30 mb max!!!!


Apple what is wrong????


my ISP gives me 250/40 Mb DSL supervectoring have a Draytek vigor 2865 AC in Mesh with 2 times VigorAp 903 (giga wired to AP) with no neighbors at all!

not one other single device does have any problem only the ipad air 4 does have wifi problems... with no disconnections but so so slow...



Apr 8, 2021 2:31 PM in response to kasper1976

kasper1976 wrote:

One of the major reasons why I bought the Ipad was to watch live streamings, and that's practically impossible. No problem on any other Apple device that I have.

Apple, you really need to comment on this here in this thread. Why else do you have these supporting communities?

No direct Apple employees or teams read or, otherwise, participate in these, largely, Apple customer/user to user technical support communities.

We are all, largely, just Apple product customers/users, just like you.


Everyone here can both leave feedback about this issue in the link below.


Feedback - iPad - Apple


AND/OR


Contact Apple support via the contact support link located at the upper right hand corner of every Webpage of these Apple support communities.


Use the Device Performance and Connectivity support categories.


OR


by installing and using the Apple Support app found in the iOS App Store.


Tap the iOS App Store link below.


https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-support/id1130498044



Best of Luck to All of You!

May 10, 2021 7:41 AM in response to John_1997

Has anyone taken their iPad Air 4 to the Apple store and gotten a replacement? The problem isn’t with the WiFi itself because other iPhone and Mac devices work fine on the same network. I wish they would fix it soon... but it has been around 7 months already, in the meantime I have written feedback on the device. If more people write about it in the product feedback it may raise more awareness of the problem, (link below).


https://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Wifi on ipad air 4 is excruciatingly slow

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