Q: How is iPad 2 performance using iOS 9.1?

I know that Apple has it easier than google since they control both the hardware and software, which cuts down on the variety of devices that need to be worked with. I also know it's not realistic to expect to keep getting updates forever. I was actually surprised to see the iPad2 included in iOS9 - though honestly not sure that you really get to use the new features in iOS9 on one other than QuickType and improved battery life.

I just wish Apple would provide an option for users of the older hardware such as the iPad2 and iPhone 4S to downgrade back to 8.4.1 if things don't work out. While most folks probably don't have problems and just accept things like increased sluggishness as something that's going to happen over time to an old device, when I first upgrade to 9 I had a high degree of app crashing after trying the usual trouble shooting of clearing cache, reduced motion on (which it always has been on since it was introduced), hard reset, restore from backup and ensuring 20% free space (which seems pretty excessive on a 64GB device but I tried it). This was on apps that are theoretically optimized for iOS 9 (based on updates from the developer and given one of them was Safari). Granted one of the apps in question crashes 4-5 times on startup in 8.4.1 but it stable once it starts, but I had several others that seem to crash from low memory.

Just given what I've seen, I think it's safe to assume that, like my iPod touch 4th gen, the iPad 2 is now an unsupported legacy device, and I'm going to hope that I never have to do a factory restore which would force iOS 9 on me.

iOS 9 features that older, supported, iDevices get.

The new News App

New Find Friends App

Better and easier overall cut, paste, copy operations.

Transparency window effects has improved on older iPad models

The new UPPERcase/lowercase onboard software keyboard.

The new software keyboard trackpad feature by tapping two fingers once anywhere on the software keyboard to navigate the onscreen text cursor.

Home Sharing has returned in iOS 9 (This was sorely missed by all in iOS 8, myself included).

More app icons visible on single pane app folders.

Return to App feature (found in the upper left of top iOS status bar)

Improvements to Mail.

With iPad 3 and later with Siri, there is the new "Hey Siri" voice activation function.

This is all I could find for the time being.

I have installed 9.1 on my iPad 2.  The experience is better, but I still regret upgrading from 8.x

Safari is slow and crashes.   Third party apps also crash.  

You've suggested this fix several times.  How many have replied that it actually worked?  It didn't work for me.

I am not keeping a tally, but my suggested fixes have worked better for some with iPad 2 models and made previously unusable and intolerable performance of some iPad 2 model users, at least, brought back their iPad 2s to a tolerable/workable level.

At least it was better than having a completely unresponsive device.

I have no clue what commonalities link those iPad 2 users to have reported issues.

The only real commonality that I have discovered that more iPad upgrade issues have occurred when users  choose to upgrade/update their devices Over The Air (OTA) via Wifi or Cell service rather than iDevice users connecting up their devices to a computer sync'd and backed up using iTunes to perform an iOS upgrade or update.

As I have, also, stated in the past, All of my family's and close friends have older iPads (iPad 2, 3 and 4 models) and I have, personally, upgraded these (some multiple times) to iOS 9. The last updates I did,  iOS 9.1 is still running well on 3 of these iPads ( I haven't upgraded my friend's iPad 4 to iOS 9.1, yet. He says he wants to try the 9.1 update himself, the way I showed him how to update iDevices on his Mac Mini using iTunes).

I tried those on 9.0 with zero improvement. Honestly, I have no clue what causes some folks to have a better experience. While I do appreciate Apple rolls out the new iOS for all eligible products at the same time (rather than the lottery that is Android), I do wish they would keep open the option for older devices to roll back. I wouldn't mind trying 9.1, but I know I'll be stuck with it and don't want to risk the app crashing issue that makes it pretty much unusable. The minor sluggishness I have in 8.4 is tolerable though not ideal. I've come to accept I have on app that won't load the first 4 times and that Safari is prone to random page reloading and just overall being slow (Chrome wasn't really any faster) and that typing on the external keyboard can be pretty sluggish, too, but I've adapted.

Let's be real.  I haven't added any new apps to my iPad 2 since the last iOS 7 version and I can tell you with 1000% confidence that iOS 8 and beyond crippled the iPad 2.   I installed 9.1 this weekend and I can honestly say that its performance is back to about 85-90% of what it used to be when I was on iOS 7.   Lastly stop the myth that Apple is any less fickle than Windows over the last decade. It's an out and out lie.  It's pathetic that I had to stop using my iPad 2 for almost 2 years because of bad code!

I DID stay away from updating my familiy's iPad 2s to iOS 8 when it came out because no matter what update Apple released for iOS 8 the same problem issues and a few new ones were still not helping any iPad 2 users.

iOS 8.4 seemed to help many iPad 2 users, there were still too many iPad 2 users reporting into these forums still complaining of issues.

A LOT more than those still having issues on iOS 9.

I upgraded my family's iPad 2s to iOS 9 and all the recent updates (only two iPad 2 models, I know) but the recent iOS 9 is running fine for them.

Have you tried any or ALL of my suggested fixes that I posted in this thread?

The potential fixes I posted are ones I have done to get our older iPads running better and smoother on the newer iOS versions.

I, basically, turn off ALL of the iOS eye candy and animations and turn off Background App Refresh.

Older iPads do not have enough CPU power and RAM to deal with all of the iOS motion effects graphics.

Most of the time, if you turn all of this off, iOS 9 finally is working well with older iPad models.

My iPad2 was turned into a piece of sluggish junk by IOS9.  Worst mistake I have ever made. Yes I tried all of the "fixes".   Long time Apple user since the little Macintosh with the floppy slot in the front.  In my opinion, Apple's best days are in the rear view mirror. If their aim was to get me to buy a newer iPad, it partially worked.  I am going for a new tablet, but it is probably not going to be an Apple.  Looking at a local unit with 2 USB ports on it.  While my iMac is OK, updating to ElCapitan this time, was like watching an old Windows Vista machine updating.

As a Windows user, I'd have to say that even Microsoft isn't so keen on letting people stay with older OS's. Windows 10, as good as it is, pretty much shut the door on the "choose what upgrades you want" model they had in the past. Yes there are plenty of PC's that run XP still, and they didn't roll out so many mandatory incremental upgrades as iOS does, but I think they've moved towards Apple's model rather than away from it.

FWIW I upgraded the iPad 2 to 9.1 and while it seems to be better it still isn't what it was. I still have most of the graphical embellishments turned off, which seems a pity given that they were kinda nice and worked so well back on 8. My 5s hasn't hiccupped with the updates thankfully.

I Agree, iOS 9.1 has been disappointing.  My iPad is constantly losing connection and slower than ever.  Hoping there's a solution quick.

This has been a terrible experience for me, I got forced to upgrade from ios7 to 9.1.  It is unbelievably SLOW, typing, letters lag, causing lots of mispelling.  Won't load.  Have reset, restarted, restored, numerous times, and nothing can fix this mess.  Apple support has been ZERO support.  Silence.  I am now stuck with a unusable iPad 2 with iOS 9.1.  If anyone can tell me how to fix this disaster, please help!

AAgree!

Do not go to 9.0 or .1.  I did and now my ipad2 is next to unusable.  Apple store said that upgrading the iOS is probably what slowed it down.  They offered no solution outside of buying a new one.  Terrific service.  Would have been nice if they had told people not to use it on an older machine.