Clearing RAM on iPad & iPhone

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Clearing RAM on iPad & iPhone

I have a 7th Generation iPad (2019) and recently became aware of how to perform the simple task of clearing the RAM on the device without using any 3rd party RAM manager apps. The fact that Apple does not seem to mention or recommend this simple procedure makes me wonder about the safety or even the actual effectiveness of doing it at all. I am referring to the practice of bringing up the shut down menu and then long pressing the home button until it reverts to either lock screen or home screen. On all iPhones without home buttons (iPhoneX,XS,XR,11,12) one must use the virtual home button found in the assistive touch feature of the accessibility section of iOS settings. Does this work and is it safe? My thanks go out in advance to anyone who can answer this.

iPad, iPadOS 14

Posted on May 9, 2021 4:12 AM

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Answer 1

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LotusPilot

Community+ 2024

Level 10

290,840 points

May 9, 2021 11:23 AM in response to Djdonny2

Contrary to the popular belief, operating systems should always try to maximize the system memory usage. If only half of the available memory is always free, why not to buy a cheaper device with less memory?

Keeping recently used apps in memory (RAM), iOS/iPadOS can relaunch the App immediately from a saved state. Safari can, for instance, keep the recently accessed websites for the same reason. iPad memory management will release RAM immediately when some app requires more memory, so it basically behaves as if it was free and is immediately available for reuse.

In general, it is always better to let the operating system decide how to optimally manage its resources. Loading from a saved-state reduces reduces power consumption and response times - as Apps must otherwise be reloaded and reintialised.

In the event of a malfunction, a forced restart will fully release system resources during restart.

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Answer 2

ProustGiulio

Level 10

208,614 points

May 9, 2021 4:34 AM in response to Djdonny2

Well, iOS & iPadOS automatically manage that.

But, in some circumstances, performing a "forced" restart can be useful, using these instructions:

iPad models that don't have a Home button: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then press and hold the Power button until the device restarts.
iPhone 8 or later: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.
iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPod touch (7th generation): Press and hold both the Top (or Side) button and the Volume Down buttons until you see the Apple logo.
iPad with Home button, iPhone 6s or earlier, and iPod touch (6th generation) or earlier: Press and hold both the Home and the Top (or Side) buttons until you see the Apple logo.

Regards

Giulio

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Clearing RAM on iPad & iPhone

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