Q: Safari crashes on iPad after ios 5 update

We are now up to six full pages of dismay regarding iOS 5 and what are clearly memory issues on the iPad and even iPad 2 devices (less frequent).  I say "clearly" because if you look at the console logs it "clearly" states that an out of memory error occurs everytime Safari, or ANY app that uses the webkit framework, encounters a rich media page.  And, I can confirm, like so many others, that if a page or even an app has embedded video, the problem is even more prevalent.  So,  "clearly" there is an issue with iOS 5 and the iPad.  And, to add insult to injury, all the suggestions posted, while helpful, don't actually fix the issue.  Sure wiping your iOS device and not restoring from backup will appear to fix the issue.  However, once you start adding your apps, mail accounts, iCloud setup, and music (just to name a few),  the issue returns and you are back at square one.

Having said this, I've done a good deal of troubleshooting on my own to see what I could do to at least minimize the number of crashes.  Here is what I discovered:

Mail.  Yep, that appears to be the memory hog.  Up until recently, I had six email boxes configured of which four were IMAP, one GMAIL, one iCloud and one Exchange.  With the Exchange email I had it configured to save all mail.  Very bad idea (oink oink).  The exchange email box was the first one to be removed.  And,  that limited my crashes to only a few web sites.  Next to go was iCloud mail,  lastly, one of the least used IMAP accounts.  Now, I'm not saying that this is a solution.  I'm just saying that it made things better, not perfect, just tolerable.  But, it certainly confirms a memory issue (At least on the iPad 1 with only 256K of system memory).

iCloud - the only things I turn on is Find my iPad Documents & Data and Photo Stream.  This is the limit.  Anything else cause me issues

With all this said, I wonder why we have not heard from a single Apple representatvie on this thread?  I know they monitor these forums.  Just seems like we are being ignored here.  Another curious things is that I've seen nothing reported on any of the tech sites I visit.  Nothing, nada, on Engadet, MacRumors, TechCrunch, OS X Daily or ANY other sites.  Why is that?  I guess we need to shout a little louder and post something on these boards.  Anyone concur my observations?  It would be really nice for Apple to acknowledge this as an issue, step up to the plate and resolve this issue.

Feel free to chime in on suggestions on how we can be heard. 

Feel free to chime in on suggestions on how we can be heard.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

Hey, I totally agree. I have always been a PC person and had gotten sick of hearing all the Apple people saying what "problem free" devices they had. I got an iPad because of a ton of recommendations and coersion from my friends and based on my personal experience, I have NEVER had the amount of trouble with any of my PC or Andriod devices that I have had with my iPad. From my own personal experience, Apple ain't nothin' special no more. (If they ever were.)

Notice that this thread as over 16,000 views, and it's not the only thread covering this topic. It seems impossible that anyone from Apple that has any authority ever checks in here. I guess the main reason for the forums is so that all the unhappy iPad owners have a place to vent.

I've given feedback (although on the iPad support site. Your link was to iPhone). I also sent an email to a couple of writers on some of the tech blogs. It might be useful if others do the same. What I don't understand is why no blogs or articles on these problems. Do the bloggers/reporters not have iPads running ios5? Everyone I know who has an iPad is having major issues. When the iPhone 4S battery issue became apparent it was everywhere. Doesn't this seem as big of a bug?

Please call AppleCare too.

I agree. Between this and the remarkably bad power management bug in 5.0.1, I'd really like to hear from Apple before I recommend an iPad to anyone for the holidays (e.g. my parents). It seems so bad that Apple couldn't possibly tolerate it, but the silence is very discouraging.

The frustrating thing is that iOS4.3.3 was VASTLY superior to iOS5.0.1 in the sense that iOS5.0.1 rendered my iPad1 nearly unuseable, and it is less than half the machine it used to be -- and I can't help but think that Apple had either

1) not tested iPad1 enough, or

2) ignored the problems for publicity (hey! our old model can run the latest software).

Either way, it seems wiser now to have abandoned the iPad1 in the land of iOS4.

Apple does not induct its business in public, so don't hold your breath. If you want to prod Apple, do it here:  http://www.apple.com/feedback/

As to Safari crashes on iPad, Restoring it in iTunes loved all my problems.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414

I've tried several thing, including full restore, nothing which has helped for more than a few days before the crashing begins again. I've filed a feedback report, but I don't think we're going to get much action from apple until we can get the Mac media talking about this.

Well last night after advice about it being an app that is causing the crashing, I did a factory fresh install, did not load any apps and..... Safari is still crashing. ios5 = i-Poo, Apple, please give us 4.3.3 until you get this sorted, pppllease!

On a side note, could everyone visiting this page please leave a comment, even if it's just 'Still Crashing', then copy the above link and post it on Facebook or wherever just to get noticed by more people, Apple must take note then.

Mine still crashing, many apps, and slow in other ways. even scrolling down, eg on a long web page, is no longer smooth. Can we please get an iOS 5 that works well?

Yes I've done all the obvious restore stuff etc.

I have all of these problems. I did not realize initially that the problems started with ios5 but have concluded now that that was the origin of my problems. Very frustrating.

Absolutely still have the problem! Have contacted Apple through Feedback and also through the Developer's channels, but of course have heard nothing. I'm a huge Apple fan but am very disappointed in their lack of response to this problem.

Thats exactly how I fixed the issue with my ipad2 by reconfiguring the ipad 2 as new and removing MS Outlook and just installing apps that are absolutely required.I have also noticed that in my iphone 4S, siri has issues working with the memory hog issues and I had to re-install the iphone 4S as new and again with minimal apps & it started working. I saw that Apple has seeded ios 5.1 beta to developers for testing. so hopefully this will magically resolve all these issues.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am still crashing.  I have tried most of the "fixes" since I first posted here back in Oct. (page 2) short of a complete wipe and have just resigned myself to having to restart Safari a half a dozen times anytime I am trying to surf the news.  Had to give up playing any games that have cool graphics and delete others.  I enjoyed my iPad 1 so much I bought one for my wife and a MacBook Pro and now I find that fixes are worse/slower in coming than they were in my old Windows/PC days, they just co$t more (the computers).  At least with a PC you can restore to an earlier date!  I am in a position that I deal with a lot of different folks and have been telling everyone I see with an iPad "Don't upgrade to iOs 5 because it will ruin your iPad".  Very disappointed with Apple's lack of response after releasing this iOs when it clearly was not tested on iPad 1 and has ruined my experience. 

Not bragging about Mac/apple anymore.