ipad keeps shutting down during use and goes to home screen

Try a System Reset:

Hold down the on/off switch and the Home button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo. Ignore the "Slide to power off" text if it appears.

A System Reset does not remove any apps, music, movies, etc. nor does it cause any settings to revert back to default.

Also, you might wish to download the iPad-2 User Guide. Pay special attention to page 162. Note that this Guide also applies to the iPad-1 with IOS 4.3 except for those functions that are not supported by the hardware.

http://support.apple.com/manuals/#ipad

Finally, the User Guide can be downloaded at no charge via iBooks and a less comprehensive version of the Guide is included as a Safari bookmark.

mine is doing the same and I have rebooted and restored with no change-let me know if you get a solution

I would certainly try Philly_Phan's suggestion first. However, you may have corrupt app data that is causing the iPad to crash.

If the reset doesn't work, the next step may be to remove all of your apps from the iPad, then add them back in (via syncing with your iTunes library) a couple at a time and see if the ones that you just re-added are causing the crash. If not, proceed with a couple more apps at a time until you find the offending app. If you find it, remove it and reinstall it.

Before you try this - Backup your iPad - or sync and transfer purchases - make sure all of the iPad content is in your iTunes library on your computer.

It sounds as if it's not really your iPad that is shutting down, it's just the app that's closing as soon as you open it?

If so, try downloading any free app. This should resync your iTunes account on your iPhone, allowing your 3rd party apps to run.

If not, maybe one of the other replies will help. Providing more detail may help as well.

Philly PHan's advice worked for me!

Glad to be of help.

Same problem shutting down even using FaceTime. I can't go on anything and it shuts down or flashes off.

my wife and daughters Ipads doing the same thing. Did a soft reset, no help. I am wondering if it is connected to the latest software download. These are the older Ipad. Hoping for a solution soon.

I have an iPad 1, not jailbroken, and recently updated to iOS5. Performance was degraded in terms of battery life, but it did still work. Nothing changed, no apps added for a while, but suddenly the iPad just won't stay on for more than a minute or so.

Initially, the app would just close and go to home screen - after about 1 minute's use.

I did a 'reset all settings' as suggested above - now it won't stay on for long enough to get through the set up procedure following that. So I tried a full restore from iTunes, which got it back to being stable on home screen, but still no apps will run for more than a minute or so - not even 'settings' or native Apple apps.

What the **** is going on? Where's someone from Apple to give proper advice on this? If I didn't add any new apps recently, where am I meant to start in terms of which it might be that's causing the whole thing to crash. And seems that it's not that issue given that it won't even turn on to get through settings after a reset.

Very very ****** off about this. I didn't go straight for iOS5 as wanted to wait for issues to be smoothed out, but now I'm gutted that I updated. Not good enough Apple. Please sort ASAP.

thank you for the advice. I took it. and now I am not shopping for a new tablet. I removed some apps I didn't really need, and now my ipad is working again. it had been blacking out whenever I touched even settings icon. appreciate it.

Same here, it also think it's 1970….