Apple iPad fourth generation

By doing a complete factory reset on this almost 10-year old iPad model, you have pretty much rendered this iPad model useless.

If you had ANY older third party apps on this iPad and did NOT find a way to backup these very old apps and data associated with these older apps, there will be NO WAY to retreive these older, third party apps, now.

Sorry.

Apple ended support for all 9-11-year old iOS devices nearly 5 years, ago, in 2016.

Third party app developers abandoned and stopped supporting these 8-10-year old iOS devices nearly 3 years, ago, in 2018.

There are, virtually, NO MORE third party apps available from the iOS App Store, any longer!

Third party compatible apps for such old devices are few and far between, now, in 2022.

This includes apps for both iOS 9 AND iOS 10 devices and, throughout 2022, ALL iOS 12 ONLY devices!

AND, NO WAY to, initially, install any older, compatible, third party apps into this old iPad, any longer!

NO MORE SUPPORT! NO MORE APPS!

AND, that 5-1/2-year old default iOS Safari Web browser is too old, not secure and not safe to use to access the Internet, any longer.

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 GONE, now, for these very old iPad models.

If you must use these old iPad models, here is what is left for still updated Web browsers.

Pickins’ are slim, now!

ALook Web browser ( A fairly new Web browser primarily designed for old iOS device versions, but is still available to newer iOS/iPadOS devices, as well ) The ONLY “new-ish” Web browser I recommend for any old/er iPad models at this late timeframe!

Dolphin Web browser

Private browser

Private browser-Surf safe

Private browser- by Tap Media

Turbo VPN private browser ( iOS 10.3.3 ONLY )

This is pretty much it for iOS 9/10 compatible device, up to date, third party Web browsers, in 2022.

All 2011-2012 iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models are fully and completely unsupported AND obsolete!

Sorry, but this is the reality for ALL 9-11-year old AND OLDER iOS devices now. Especially now, in 2022.

In addition, the internal, rechargeable batteries in these old iPads are, also, running on borrowed time.

Not worth the costs to replace these old internal, rechargeable batteries in these old iPads, any longer, either.

It maybe time to seriously consider a purchase of a new iPad model OR a much, MUCH “newer” and less expensive, refurbished or used iPad models, from better known, trusted Apple product/device retailers/resellers, some locally or from online, on the Web/Internet, capable of running the latest iPadOS versions.

There are PLENTY of less expensive, newer, older iPad models that can run the latest, current versions of iPadOS.

If you need OR ONLY able to purchase older, less expensive iPad models, look at older iPads from 2014 and later.

All of these older model iPads below, CAN, currently, run the latest releases of iPadOS 15.

2014, 9,7 inch screen iPad Air 2 models ( NO Pencil support )

2015, 7.9 inch screen iPad Mini 4 models ( NO Pencil support )

2015-2017, 12.9 inch screen iPad Pro models. ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2016, 9.7 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2017,10.5 inch screen iPad iPad Pro models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2017, 9.7 inch screen iPad 5th gen models ( NO Pencil support )

2018, 9.7 inch screen iPad 6th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2019, 10.2 inch screen iPad 7th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2020, 10.2 inch screen iPad 8th gen models. ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2019, 7.9 inch screen iPad Mini 5th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

Get the largest internal data storage model you can afford as NO Apple iOS device has ANY expandable storage.

I am sorry that you had to learn all of this, but this does not change any of the facts regarding these very old iOS devices.

Please recycle these old devices properly and responsibly.

Sorry & Best of Luck to You!

Hello Anemicbutterfly,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. 

Please try the steps here: If your computer doesn't recognize your iPhone, iPad, or iPod - Apple Support

Let us know if you have further questions.

Take care.

If you decide to go down the path of purchasing used, secondhand Apple devices, here is how to avoid purchasing an Apple iOS/iPadOS device with user activation lock, in the future.

If you purchase any iPad, or any Apple iOS device, for that matter, used/second hand, online, or even in-person, make sure this iPad does NOT have user activation lock and has been properly reset for sale.

A properly reset for sale iPad should initially power up to an animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen.

DO NOT take the iPad seller's word that this iPad is user activation lock free!

We have seen plenty of used iOS device purchasers get scammed.

User Activation Lock can never be bypasss, circumvented or worked around IF there is no correct previous/original user information to be able to do so.

Apple doesn't get involved with ANY user activation locked, used/second-hand sold devices, either.

So, buyer beware!

If purchasing a used device in-person, power the iPad ON

If the iPad DOES NOT display the initial animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen, then pass on purchasing this iPad.

If the iPad powers up to any other screen, then forget purchasing this iPad.

You cannot trust that the seller actually has the correct needed info to properly reset the iPad back to factory settings right then and there before the actual purchase and exchange of money for the iPad, in question.

Pass on the device!

If you are purchasing this used iPad online ask the seller to provide multiple images, either online or be sent to you via email, showing this animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen of the interested in purchasing iPad model.

Even better, ask for a short video be sent to you showing this animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen, in action and in its entirety, posted to the online ad or emailed to you.

If the online iPad seller refuses any of these requests, pass on the iPad. DO NOT buy!

Good Luck!

I keep encountering conflicting reports on whether these very old iPad models can be reactivated/re-authorised through Apple's iCloud and iOS activation servers.

Some have been successful in getting their old iPads back up and running. Some have not. Some never report back to confirm whether re-activation/re-authorisation was successful, or not.

Sometime in mid 2021, Apple made changes to its activation servers that now check device activation validation through the Safari Web browser, now.

If you had been using that over 5-year old Safari Web browser to accesss the Internet, I suspect that this was the reason your old, 10-1/2-year old, 2011 iPad 2 went into user activation mode.

That old Safari Web browser is over 5-years old, now, and is NOT safe and secure to use to accesss the Internet, any longer.

I, also, suspect with this new device activation method, that old Safari Web browser may no longer be able to negotiate getting by Apple's new activation authentication server processes/protocols and allowing that old iPad to be re-activated.

I, also, suspect that Apple didi this to silently and permanently end use of these over 9-10-year old iPad models on their networks, pretty much completely ending the use of these very old iOS devices.

BUT, as I have previously stated, some users of old iPad models have had sucxess getting their old iPads back up and running while others have not.

So, I am NOT sure what is really going on with Apple and very old iPad models, now.

Sorry.

At any rate, what I have already covered is the reality.

If you had ANY older third party apps or games on that very old iPad, they may be gone forever, now.

Sorry.