iPad 2 - sleep button not putting device to sleep but will power off

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Level 1

5 points

iPad 2 - sleep button not putting device to sleep but will power off

My daughter has an older iPad 2 given to her by her aunt. We wiped it and set it up as a new device when we brought it home.

The sleep/wake button on the top edge of the device will not put it to sleep. It will, however, give me the power-down screen if I press and hold it, so it doesn't appear to be hardware related.

This is a problem because the battery drains quickly when we can't put it to sleep. Any ideas?

iPad 2, 16GB, iOS 9.3.5

iPad 2, iOS 9.3.5, 16GB

Posted on Feb 15, 2017 1:27 PM

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Answer 1

elcpu

Level 7

31,642 points

Feb 15, 2017 2:03 PM in response to Fishellb

You can configure it to go to sleep on its own after 30 seconds or a minute of inactivity. You could also try a forced restart as it cures a lot of issues. Try holding down the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons at the same time for at least ten seconds, until the Apple logo appears.

I suspect that it is a hardware issue but if you hold it long enough a power down is triggered.

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Answer 2

Skydiver119

Level 9

53,557 points

Feb 15, 2017 2:06 PM in response to Fishellb

See if Settings, Display, Auto Lock and set that to 2 minutes. See if that puts it to sleep 2 minutes after she sets it down.

The sleep button should work as a quick down/up press to shut the device screen off. But given the age of the iPad it's possible that the button is wearing out.

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Answer 3

Fishellb Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 15, 2017 2:02 PM in response to elcpu

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, a forced reset was the first thing I tried. That didn't help. I'll try the autolock when she's done playing with it (never), but I don't think that is working, either.

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Answer 4

Fishellb Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 15, 2017 2:06 PM in response to Skydiver119

It seems to me the button is working or I wouldn't be able to do anything with it. I can power the device down and perform a forced reset. I suppose I could try a screenshot.

The device is old, and my sister used it a lot, but I have an iPad 1 that's even older and it still works perfectly.

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Answer 5

elcpu

Level 7

31,642 points

Feb 15, 2017 2:08 PM in response to Fishellb

The autolock should be independent of the button/hardware. My wife's old iPhone had a defective power button but autolock worked flawlessly as it is controlled by the software. Try it and see, little to lose but a couple of minutes.

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Answer 6

Fishellb Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 16, 2017 12:10 PM in response to elcpu

The autolock does work. So do screenshots. The sleep button is doing everything it's supposed to do except put the device to sleep.

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