How do I clean up my wife's iPad to prevent freezing while playing games?

On iPad, you can check how much storage space is available and increase the available space by removing items you no longer need.

Check storage on your iPad

1. Go to the Settings app  on your iPad.
2. Tap General, then tap iPad Storage.

The available storage is shown at the top of the screen.

Remove items to increase storage

The following items are common sources of storage use on iPad. Do any of the following to increase available storage:

• Photos and videos: Back up your photos and videos to iCloud, then remove them from your device. See Back up and sync your photos and videos with iCloud.
• Messages: Delete conversations and attachments you no longer need. See Delete messages and attachments in Messages.
• Downloaded videos: Review videos you’ve downloaded for offline viewing in the TV app and other streaming apps, and remove ones you’ve already watched.
• iCloud Drive Documents: Find and delete files you no longer need in the Files app. See Delete a file or folder.
• App files: Some apps—such as Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—download files for offline use. Open each app and remove files you no longer need.
• Apps: Delete apps you no longer use. Note that some iPad apps are larger than their iPhone equivalents. See Remove or delete apps.

Offload unused apps automatically

When storage is low, iPad can automatically remove unused apps while keeping your data. The app icon stays on your Home Screen with a cloud symbol—tap it to reinstall the app.

1. Go to the Settings app  on your iPad.
2. Tap Apps, tap App Store, then turn on Offload Unused Apps.

Keep selected files

If you have downloaded files that you always want to be able access on your iPad, you can make sure they’re not removed. See Keep selected files downloaded.

To fix freezing while playing games, you can clean up and speed up her iPad using a few quick steps:

• Check iPad Storage: Go to Settings > General > iPad Storage. If the storage is almost full, the iPad will lag or freeze.
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• Offload or Delete Unused Games: On that same storage screen, tap on games she no longer plays and choose Offload App (keeps save data) or Delete App (removes everything to free up maximum space).
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• Update Apps and iPadOS: Open the App Store to update her games, and check Settings > General > Software Update to make sure the iPad is running the latest software.
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• Turn Off Background App Refresh: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn it off to stop games and apps from running hidden tasks in the background.
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• Force Restart the iPad: Quickly press and release Volume Up, quickly press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears. This clears out temporary glitches without losing data. 

If you'd like, let me know:

• How much free space is left under iPad Storage?
• Which iPad model she is using?

I can give you more specific advice.

Not a one-step solution if that is what you are envisioning.

But, you can start by going to Settings ➜ General ➜ iPhone Storage and see what is installed and taking up the most space. Also, how much available storage space is left on the iPhone, its a bad idea to have the iPad with very little or no storage space left.

click here ➜ Manage storage on iPad - Apple Support

How long has it been since she restarted her iPad?

Warial wrote:

Thanks for the info! Her iPad is only 55% full so I don't think the storage is a problem. I think she downloaded something that is causing her to constantly have popup ads and making her screen freeze. Is there a maleware that I could put on her iPad that would be safe?

Thanks,

I don't think you'll want to intentionally install malware on your iPad; malware is a generic term for computer virus' and other malicious software.

There are no true AntiVirus scanning products for iOS/iPadOS. Due to the sandboxed security architecture, an AV process is unable to scan the filesystem. Any Apps that claim to offer antivirus or "cleaning" capabilities are, at best, nothing more than a placebo - or at worst, something that is actually malware!

Pop-up Ads are commonly associated with "free" Apps and games. Software Developers don't work for no reward or income; if you haven't paid to use the App, the Developer will monetise (i.e. create income) through other means such as advertising. Some "free" Apps offer an in-App purchase to suppress advertising.