Q: ipad2 slow iOS 8.1

iOS 8 seems to have a much higher memory overhead. If you turn off "Background App Refresh" and switch on "Reduce Motion" this may help the older iPads. It certainly helped the iPhone 4S.

Glad to help ...

Excellent, it helped here vey much as well  

These tweaks helped my performance on my ipad2 as well. Thanks.

MMy iPad 2 is still going very slow. How can we get it back to the way it was before?

I too would like to see an option to fallback to iOS 7.  Ever since the upgrade to 8.x my older ipad2 runs horrendously slow. I have done the previously mentioned tweaks, but it is still not performing as it was under iOS 7.  It would have been nice to know that this upgrade was going to kill performance on older model hardware.  I would have never upgraded. C'mon, Apple...give us an option here!

Hi, I'm pretty sure you already tried but just in case:

Reinstall 8.1 totally new (fresh install) when you updated to 8.1 Over The Air  (OTA+wifi/34g/LTE). And/or wait till 8.2 and than upgrade by connecting to a computer with itunes. An update via itunes or clean is better integrated: via OTA it is more patched so more liable to extra lines of code to use. (as a Windows user I was already used to this phenomenon for a loooong time)

It helped me to get a pretty good performance on my 4s even with 8.0. However, I still have my ipad2 on 7.1.2.

has anyone upgraded to ios 8.1.1? if so how is it for ipad 2

Dj1241 wrote:

 

has anyone upgraded to ios 8.1.1? if so how is it for ipad 2

There are iPad 2 users who were having no problem with iOS 8, and others were able to get things running fine with iOS 8.1 after resetting to factory default, others who had no problem after iOS 8.1.1 and then a number who are still having problems. But overall, the vast and overwhelming majority are not having problems with it.

BUT ... for those who still are having trouble, I would recommend a clean system install.

Follow this procedure for a Troubleshooting Methodology ... basically reset to factory default condition -BUT- be sure to do the following methodically and also to follow the part with Apple Support!

First you want to make sure you have several backups of your data and done with a couple of "different" sources. Be sure to understand what data is backed up and what is NOT on iCloud Backup and iTunes Backup. Use a variety of methods for backup ... you might check into Dropbox, in addition to your Apple options.

Then turn off your desktop anti-virus software when using iTunes for this reset to factory default. After you do that reset, then leave your iPad in its factory default state and see how it operates then. If you encounter any problems in that factory default state, then take it to Apple Support, and let them know that you have just reset it to that state with iTunes and have not put any of your data back on and it is operating in this fashion (whatever the problem is) in that pristine state. Make sure you keep that trouble ticket number, because if it has to be escalated through Apple Support, you're going to find all communications tied in with that number. If the lower level help isn't able to help you, then escalate it to a higher level to examine the problem. Keep at it with that trouble ticket number until Apple Support arrives at a solution to that problem. Be methodical and keep at it.

On the other hand, if everything is okay with the factory default condition, then restore your backup. Some people have discovered that the problem resides in the apps or something in the restored backup. If that's the case, then it's going to be trying and difficult to find out which developer's app is causing you the problem. And ... it's true ... that a developer not following Apple's instructions and guidelines for his app can CAUSE YOU TROUBLE. This kind of thing does happen from developers, especially when a new system upgrade comes out, because some developers ignore what Apple tells them about changes coming, and what they do BREAKS SOMETHING.

This is a troubleshooting methodology that you are going through. See it through to the end.

Choosing an iOS Backup Method (Should I Use iTunes or iCloud to back up ...)

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT5262

Back up and Restore your iOS Device with iCloud or iTunes

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1766

iTunes: About iOS Backups

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4946

Create and Delete iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch Backups in iTunes

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4946

iOS: Troubleshooting Encrypted Backups

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5162

Use iTunes to Restore your iOS Device to Factory Settings

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1414

After trying everything, Safari still runs terribly slow, it is awful.  Everything else seems to be back to near normal.  This article decides our future with the iPad 2... http://www.cultofmac.com/303844/got-iphone-4s-ipad-2-never-upgrade-ios-7/

my ipad2 is slow after 8.1.1 upgrade, it keeps freezing and I have to keep rebooting the device.

I would advise against it.  Many issues make it highly user-unfriendly.

TThis puts me off ever applying another iOS update to my iPad !