My iPad is slow and laggy after iPadOS 26 update

Restarting did the trick! It now run’s smoothly.

DrJonesUSA wrote:

Most of us here, from what I can gather, and certainly including myself, absolutely do NOT fall into that category.

I installed iPadOS 26 easily 1+ month ago. Any & all background services, indexing, optimization; whatever; should have long since been completed.

Did you see the date of post and that it was addressed to the OP at that time who asked the question on September 16th? With iOS 26 being released on September 15th there is still file indexing and background processes being performed and it is way too early to be making any comparisons. Many of us are not having any battery issues beyond that initial indexing that Apple says you should expect. It has been seen that takes 3-5 days and was the case for me as well.

Why can’t some people just admit & acknowledge that apple makes mistakes - they have objectively made many in the past - and they need to admit it when they do, and quickly roll out a fix?

Of course any Software can have bugs and that would include from Apple. That is the whole purpose for updates that provide bug fixes. With that being said, you also have to realize that the apps installed on the iPad can also contain bugs that have a serious impact on Battery performance. The current version is 26.1, with another one in the works and being tested now, not only by Apple but from other users too who have chosen to be a beta tester.

In some cases, such as Meta apps, it may not necessarily be a bug and simply the case that your battery must be used for their information harvesting of your data. That is their business model and they post billions of revenue each quarter while letting you use their apps for free. No judgement on my part, it is just some users can't fathom that to be true and no matter what would say it is Apple doing it.

The way to determine if it is actually iOS is to remove the third party apps and test to compare. The alternative is to do the Factory Reset and yes I would recommend to do an archived backup with a computer as the iCloud backup will be overwritten. Restoring from a backup will just put you in the same state with those apps. What is not acceptable is a user not willing to do that or say they cannot live without Instagram (or whatever) and still blame Apple for that app causing the battery to drain.

To fix this issue (temporarily), it’s best to go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Turn on Reduce Transparency. If continues, do a factory reset.

l2ez4_41 wrote:

Dear Apple Support Team,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing to request the re-enablement of iOS 18 signing for my device. My iPad model is iPad13,18 (10th generation Wi-Fi). After updating to iPadOS 26.1, my device has become significantly slower. Despite several days passing, the performance has not improved. Additionally, my iPad has 4GB of RAM, which is not sufficient for the smooth operation of iOS 26.1.

Therefore, I would like to request the possibility to downgrade back to iOS 18, as it was previously signed and is still available via OTA. I kindly ask for your assistance in re-enabling the signing for iOS 18 for my device.

Thank you very much for your support and understanding.

Please understand the Apple Support Community is a user-to-user technical forum. Contributors here are all end-users, just like you. Other than the site Moderators, Apple neither monitor nor participate here. As such, if you hope to reach Apple through these forums, you will be disappointed.

Apple invite submission of comments and requests via its Product Feedback portal. If you would like Apple to reconsider is policy and/or technical decisions, this would be the most appropriate channel through which to make a request:

Feedback - iPad - Apple

LotusPilot wrote:

l2ez4_41 wrote:

Dear Apple Support Team,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing to request the re-enablement of iOS 18 signing for my device. My iPad model is iPad13,18 (10th generation Wi-Fi). After updating to iPadOS 26.1, my device has become significantly slower. Despite several days passing, the performance has not improved. Additionally, my iPad has 4GB of RAM, which is not sufficient for the smooth operation of iOS 26.1.

Therefore, I would like to request the possibility to downgrade back to iOS 18, as it was previously signed and is still available via OTA. I kindly ask for your assistance in re-enabling the signing for iOS 18 for my device.

Thank you very much for your support and understanding.

Please understand the Apple Support Community is a user-to-user technical forum. Contributors here are all end-users, just like you. Other than the site Moderators, Apple neither monitor nor participate here. As such, if you hope to reach Apple through these forums, you will be disappointed.

Apple invite submission of comments and requests via its Product Feedback portal. If you would like Apple to reconsider is policy and/or technical decisions, this would be the most appropriate channel through which to make a request:

Feedback - iPad - Apple

To add too… once Apple pulls downgrading to the previous iOS firmware it’s gone forever. I think Apple gives user 24 hours to be able to revert to the previous iOS firmware.

aaa1155 wrote:

Same problem here as others seem to be experiencing … iPadOS 26 has made Safari on my M1 iPad Pro completely ususable.

Sounds like you are having a network issue. Do you have a VPN installed?

No trouble browsing with Safari on my end. Have you tried resetting your Network Settings at Settings > General > Transfer or Reset [Device] > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This will reset your WiFi password, so it will need to be entered again the first time you log into WiFi.

I have a 256GB Mini with 73GB available and still the only (temporary) fix to recurrent lagging is a restart. With the codicil that the restart is itself an issue, as the slide to power off is often unresponsive.

iPad Pro M1 Terabyte model here, and after updating to iOS26 has brought sticky screens, stop-motion movement, unusable websites, and Safari feels like Mozilla Netscape circa 1998. The new experience of overheating where the back is hot to fry an egg, apps freeze, windows stick, and notes now make me angry. I open to write, no keyboard, try and close it - tap, tap, tap, TAP! OK, swipe away notes, to move on… oh wham!, the AI writing tools pop up out of nowhere! Where’s my keyboard again. OK overheating again, alert it has stopped charging. I need some fresh air. OK, Let’s get back to work, swipe, swipe, OK why can’t I get past my lock screen- no face id launching, no keyboard. Swipe! This is the new experience now, no restart the iPad up from a hard shut down. OK, back, wait where is my virtual keyboard again?

and my Apple Pencil will not connect. Apple needs to fix this or they will have larger groups of customers getting louder and frustrated that their expensive iPad Pro has become a relic. If this was just an oddity on my device, it would be one thing, but my neighbor and my sister-in-law now ( both with M3) have stuck screens and hot plates to brew coffees on. Both for the first time have experienced overheating.

p.s. this actual form field was stuck and my keyboard again again, so I had to post then edit my message here to fix some typos. 😤

I got the same performance problems with my iPad Pro Max M1 and iOS 26.1. Very slow ...

But I have a guess why that is on some and not all older iPads: iOS 26 might be running slow on iPads with a weaker battery. When my iPhone 15 Pro Max is fully charged, it runs like butter with iOS 26. When the battery gets weaker, it starts to hang. My iPad Pro Max has an older Battery. I will have it replaced soon and I wouldn't be surprised if iOS 26 is going to run smooth again then.

John Scott1 wrote:

Yeah I didn’t like windowed feature anyway on my 11 inch iPad Air m3. Full screen is best and maybe does help with battery life? I have only owned my iPad Air for a few weeks and it came with iPad Os 18.7. Still have mixed feelings on 26 so far. Feels a bit more sluggish then 18 and iPad gets warmer then I am used to with 18.

Tell Apple:

Product Feedback - Apple

I agree. With 26.1 installed, I still get laggy scrolling at least every 3-4 days, for which the temporary cure is a complete shutdown and restart...with the added feature that about half the time the shutdown slider is non-responsive, and it takes another one or two times of dismissing and calling up that screen to be able to shut down.

Yes indeed. Literally just now, I was using my 11” M1 Pro with 26.1 and was just jotting down notes I’m going to post here & send to apple as feedback. Indeed, iOS 26.1 is still very much unpolished and half-baked.

THE reason I have stuck with iOS so long is that - no matter how powerful the hardware - android OS can never seem to attain the same silky smooth, perfectly flowy UI / UK that has always been a hallmark of iOS.

I’m very disappointed to see Apple starting to veer down that same road and just in the name of forcing out new features nobody asked for (Liquid Glass? Come on….)

Even on my iPhone 16 Pro, 26.1 feels quite unpolished. It’s obviously a newer & more powerful device than my M1 iPad, but still…. I’m absolutely keeping 18.7 on my M4 iPad Pro….

Erase your ipad and start from fresh.

I have two 13” 2024 iPad Pros running right now. Both with internet speed of 5 gigs up and down. One sending a 53 gig ProRes video to YouTube that going to take a few minutes to upload. The other running a 4K 60 fps HRD livestream video to YouTube for the last 24 hours and the livestream will end in 1 day 5 hours.

Since the iPad 1 I have never had a problem with an iPad iOS upgrade/update.

no problems here with iOS 26.2

SolomonAmanteng wrote:

I won’t to update it now

Whether or not you are able to update your iPad to a newer version of iOS/iPadOS will be dictated by the iPad model - and the currently installed version of iOS. You can find this information here:

Settings > General > About

Not sure which iPad you have? Identify your iPad model.

As of 29 September 2025, here is a list of the highest version of iOS supported by the older models of iPad (for simplicity - “generations” are shortened to a number) that are restricted in their ability to be updated:

32-bit devices (obsolete)

iPad1 - iOS 5.1.1

iPad2, iPad3 and iPad mini1 - iOS 9.3.5 (WiFi Only models), iOS 9.3.6 (WiFi+Cellular)

iPad4 - iOS 10.3.3 (WiFi Only), iOS 10.3.4 (WiFi+Cellular)

64-bit devices

iPad Air1*, iPad mini2* and iPad mini3* - iOS 12.5.7

iPad Air2*, iPad mini4 - iPadOS 15.8.5

iPad5*, iPad Pro (9.7"/12.9" 1st generation)* - iPadOS 16.7.12

iPad6, iPad Pro (10.5"/12.9" 2nd generation) - iPadOS 17.7.10

iPad7 - iPadOS 18.7.1

(*) obsolete

Newer models are all able to be updated to the current version - iPadOS 26.0.1, or optionally if running iPadOS 18.x to iPadOS 18.7.1

• iPad Pro 13" (M4)
• iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd generation and later)
• iPad Pro 11" (1st generation and later + M4)
• iPad Air (3rd generation and later + M2/M3)
• iPad (8th generation and later + A16)
• iPad mini (5th generation and later + A17 Pro)

If your iPad is not capable of update to a more recent version of iPadOS than is currently installed, should you wish to use Apps or services that require a higher version than your iPad is capable, your only option is to replace your iPad with a much newer or current model iPad.

If your iPad is capable of update to a more recent version of iOS/iPadOS than is currently installed, these support pages outline both the available methods by which the update can be performed - and troubleshooting should you experience difficulties:

Update your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch – Apple Support

If you can't update or restore your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch – Apple Support

If your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch won’t update - Apple Support

iOS update and restore errors – Apple Support

Be aware that while an iPad may be capable of update, in some circumstances you may need to use a computer to perform the update*. To do so, you will need access to either a Windows PC (with iTunes for Windows installed - or the more recent Apple Devices App) or a Mac (with iTunes or Finder - as appropriate for the installed version of MacOS). Ensure that your installed version of iTunes has been updated to the most recent version; the essential device drivers are included.

Download and use iTunes for Windows – Apple Support

Update to the latest version of iTunes – Apple Support

Update software on iPhone, iPad or iPod touch in iTunes on PC - Apple Support

Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with the Finder - Apple Support

Apple Devices App (Windows PC):

https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9np83lwlpz9k?hl=en-ms&gl=MS

(*) If you don’t have access to a suitable computer of your own, that of a helpful friend or family member will suffice. Alternatively, the technicians at the Genius Bar of your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) will be delighted to assist.

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

If you have a beta profile installed, ensure this has been removed from your iPad - as, otherwise, installation of production software updates may be inhibited. This support page provides the necessary information to remove the beta from your iPad:

How to uninstall iOS beta software - Apple Support

You should note that for your iPad to install an available update, its battery must be charged to at least 50% capacity - and/or be connected to its Power Adapter. Similarly, the iPad can only be updated over a standard WiFi connection - or be updated by a PC or Mac using iTunes or Finder - over a USB connection.

I have been using iMazing for quite a while to backup my iDevices.

I used it the other day to reinstall iOS26.0.1 on my 11" M1 Pro that has become almost unusable after upgrading to iOS26. I'm sad to say that reinstalling iOS offered zero improvement whatsoever. :-(