Why does apple slow down old devices?

The truth is, devices age over time. This causes batteries to degrade and apple is limiting performance for that reason, to ensure the device can actually work without dying after 2 minutes.

As for the macbook, it could be old hardware or some 3rd party software installed. I have a MacBook Pro that is a 2011 model, and it too was really slow a few years back. This was because of new software releases and things I was asking the computer to do, were simply too much for the HDD to handle. Due to this, I installed a SSD and voila, I have a fast computer!

There is NO way to revert to a earlier iOS version once you upgrade/update to a new iOS.

Have you tried a hard reset of your iPad by holding down both the Home and sleep/wake buttons simultaneously until your iPad goes to black and restarts with Apple logo, then release the buttons?

In Settings app, General settings panel, turn OFF Background App Refresh.

In Settings app, under General settings, Reset panel, at the right bottom of the list, Reset All Settings.

In Settings app (NOT from the iOS Control Panel) turn OFF Bluetooth when not using any Bluetooth devices.

There is still a Control Panel glitch with turning ON/OFF WiFi OR Bluetooth.

Also, in general, if you want a faster IDevice, on all of my iDevices, I turn off most of the iOS motion graphics eye candy, by simply turning ON Reduce Motion in Settings app, General, Accessibilty settings.

Make sure you aren't running scads and scads of background apps in the iOS 11 Control Panel/App Switcher.

If you are, you need to quit the bulk of these background running apps by tap and hold a finger on an app window in the switcher and slide your finger upwards to quit an app. You should be able to use more than one finger to quit more than one app window simultaneously.

Also, make sure you don’t have scads and scads of active website tabs running in the web browser.

If you do, greatly reduce the amount of active website tabs your web browser.

Also, tap the link below and see/try my other iOS/iDevice performance tips here.

Slow iPad on iOS 9, 10 or 11!

Good Luck to You!

I have a two year old iPad Air 32Gb (bought in Canada where they are a LOT cheaper) and have seen it updated through versions 8 (I think it started here), 9, 10 and now 11. On each occasion the performance has degraded due entirely to the changes in OS. I don't keep a lot a data on it - that is not what its for - it still has 25.91Gb free. There are two reasons why updating is necessary:

1. The march of the hackers. All OS's are vulnerable - that is their nature and each update will try to keep us safe. But this comes at a cost - the software is hampered by security.

2. The march of what I call "gee wiz" improvements. This is the rubbish that the manufacturer things we need - more and more emojis, more connectivity, more...

You could avoid updating (although Apple's endless nagging to install the latest is annoying) but this does make the device exposed to new attacks. You have a choice - risk a hack or slowly make your device redundant. The latter is of course preferred and encouraged by companies like Apple and Microsoft. Even the free Linux systems available are not immune - but at least it's free to upgrade them and curiously doesn't age the device. I have a 20 year old Toshiba that originally came with Windows XP installed and it is now happily running Lunux Fedora even faster than it ever ran XP!

This applies to all devices, not just iPads and iPhones.

I think you may have missed the point. Any device is initially loaded with an OS system that is the cutting edge of design at that time. Subsequent revisions place more demand on the device architecture until it begins to creek. You are partially right in as much that the device can no longer cope - but this is because the OS has been updated beyond the abilities of the device. Hence my view that all updates (for security reasons or whatever) will always make the hardware out of date.

Apple’s move to degrade performance to avoid crashes is something else. The design fault - and it is a fault- is in not making it easy to replace the rechargeable battery. If an android phone battery needs replacing it costs peanuts and the user can do it 2 minutes. If an Apple iPhone needs it the phone must be taken to the shop for experts to put a new expensive battery in. Not good.

I agree with you Jeremy...

But, the trouble with the IT industry generally (and this goes for both MS and Apple) is two fold:

1. They have to make a profit by always "enhancing" the product. This means you have to make old hardware redundant by ensuring that the new software degrades performance. Many of us would prefer not to upgrade because the "enhancements" are unwanted and unneeded.
2. Updates are needed because the software is vulnerable to various forms of criminality and therefore this is used as an excuse to provide the "enhancements" in item 1. Why is software so vulnerable? Because it was never designed (as a complete system) to resist attack.

If security updates were kept separate from "upgrades" we would not have this issue. Eg: Word for Windows 97 would still be a useful and powerful tool and who cares if we can't insert emojis into the text or share it (insecurely) with half the planet! Sorry to use a Windows example but Apple doesn't provide software of that caliber.

I have lost count of the number of PC's (and now Apple equivalents) I have sent to the scrap heap because the software made them redundant. You are right - It is irresponsible to the consumer and the environment. Did they ever have any reputation?

Faith2105 wrote:

I had the same problem with my iPad but I recently got a new one..

one of my friends said that Apple has discontinued new updates on old iPads.

But I have no idea why😕

Older iDevice hardware cannot handle more recent iOS updates.

So, Apple puts restrictions on what its hardware and software can handle.

Just like any other technology/computing company.

Does NOT mean the devices are NOT still safe to use.

I am STILL using older IPad 1, 2 and 3 models on a regular basis.

My wife is STILL using her IPad 3 on iOS 9.3.5 and I, an IPad 2 on iOS 9.3.5.

IDevices running iOS 9.3.5 is STILL getting daily app updates, but no more OS updates.

Still perfectly fine to use these older devices.

There is little security risk.

?And -YOU- could have added that Apple didn’t divulge to so consumers the battery issues or their approach to address the battery issues. Had they done so, consumers could have made an informed decision to 1) Buy the Phone, OR 2) Replace the battery. Instead all consumers were told, as I was, your phone is older and you should upgrade!

Everybody thinks because Apple targeted one iPhone series to code into iOS 11 to slowdown iPhone 6/6S/6S+ models to prevent to thermal shutdown of the phone during peak processing activity for iPhone 6 models that have aging, degrading performing batteries, that Apple has been doing this to ALL iDevices all along.

Not true, Apple has NOT admitted to slowing any other older iPhone/iPod Touch or IPad models.

Apple just coded iOS 11 with code to slow CPU speeds in iPhone 6 model variants to keep them from constantly, consistently shutting down due to older battery performance!

I have and use a handful of iPad models and all of them work very well on their respective iOS versions.

IPad Li-ion batteries are MUCH larger in size, capacity and performance than those found in smaller phones.

iPads do not exhibit slow down issues due to any influence by Apple, the iOS version OR battery issues.

IPad that exhibit slowdowns from various iOS upgrades/updates do so for other reasons!

Stop posting ridiculous comments and fud!

These Apple Support Communities are not free flowing social media conversation communities.

If you do not have a question, advice or solution about a technical issue with an Apple Product, then you should NOT be signing up and posting anything in here!

Ruffkutt wrote:

As we've since learned, apparently they ARE intentionally slowing older devices. 😉

So far, NONE of this has been reported by Apple to affect any IPad models.

Ruffkutt wrote:

As we've since learned, apparently they ARE intentionally slowing older devices. 😉

You could, of course, have finished the sentence."..to prevent sudden shutdowns when phones with failing batteries in use". But of course, that would change your point entirely.

Your older white MacBookPro should not slow down at all unless it is Tiger which was always slow. Lion and higher are very fast so your problem is not with Apple. Maybe you need a new battery or other hardware issues. Take it to someone that knows all about Macs and it will be like new again. We have numerous older white ones with zero problems. ,l

If you have a problem with your MacBook Pro from 2011, you should post in the MacBook communities or Mac OS community for the Mac OS you are using.

Maybe your Macbook Pro doesn't have enough RAM installed. Newer versions (Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite and newer) need computers with a minimum of 8 GBs of RAM, now, just for the OS, alone!

As far as your iPhone 6+ is concerned, you need to have your iPhone 6+ battery replaced by Apple under Apple’s new iPhone battery replacement plan, that should go into effect VERY SOON and will be in effect until December, 2018.

The iPhone battery replacement price has been reduced from $79 U.S.D. to $29 U.S.D. and is for all iPhone 6 and later iPhone models.

So that you replace your old iPad of course. They've admitted to slowing down iPhones finally! after getting busted. Why would anyone believe they don't do the same with iPads? I feel a huge class action lawsuit is likely in the near future.

catn0rth wrote:

So that you replace your old iPad of course. They've admitted to slowing down iPhones finally! after getting busted. Why would anyone believe they don't do the same with iPads? I feel a huge class action lawsuit is likely in the near future.

If you are intending to take part in legal action against Apple anything you say here is fair game to be part of it. Better to post nothing at all.

There are incremental slowdowns for all older iDevices and computers when running newer OSes.

My iPad 2 and 3 models are, probably, running a litle slower on iOS 9.3.5, but overall in these iPads, they are running very well and very smooth with minimal lag or slowdown!

The ONLY issue I have with both the iPad 2 and 3 is restarts and boot up times take a little over 2 minutes to complete.

Once both iPads are running, they run just fine.

No complaints.